The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-06-29

PRESIDENT Roosevelt and his ca5ine
have in every possible particular beel
very considerate of the japanese. H
realizes that the japanese are now es
pecially sensitive and are watching OF
every hand 10 see what kind of treat
ment the nations Of the world accord
them. Their attitude has been likene6
to that of a man who has made a few
million dollars and gone TO New York
to live. He knows he has money and
will be thrust into new associations
He is on the alert as to what kind OF
a reception New York gives him. At
ter a few months it may become an
| old story to him and he will not think
much about the attitude of his asso-
ciates.
| So Japan having won her war with
Russia and having been admitted to
membership in the great family of
nations is more sensitive now to the
way her officials and citizens are treat
ed abroad than she will be ten years
from now after the novelty of being
recognized in the family of nations
has worn off. AS a very prominent
official of the administration recently
observed it was not a great many
years ago-somethng like a half CEN
tury-that our attitude was very much
like the present attitude of Japan. Be
fore the Civil War, when we were not
recognized as naticn on ar exact
equality with European powers, we
kept our eyes open all the time for any
evidences of slight from our cousins
across the water. And if they sighted
US, we grew very wroth. When Dick
ems wrote of the United States in Mar
tin ChuzzleWit he made every man,
woman and child over here, who read
his book. hopping mad. 1t would have
been unsafe for him to appear in some
communities for long time after that
publication was placed on the market.
If he wrote such a book today our
people would have laughed at him and
forgotten his censure in twenty-four
hours.
Having knowledge of this sensitive
condition of the Japanese people, which
their leaders of course have to reckon
WITH the President has been as toler-
ant as he could be. But it does not
mean that his patience may not be
exhausted. Secretary Root has borne
quietly the efforts of japanese agita- |
tors to magnify street brawls into in
incidents. There is plenty |
Of race feeling between the Americans |
and the japanese on the Pacific coast |
out the japanese are very cocky and, |
as soon as an urchin hurls a brickbat |
quickly make representations at Wash |
ngton If this is kept up, of course,
he time will come, when japanese
officials at Toxic must be told quiet
Y but firmly that the State Depart
nent does not want to be bothered
With so much fuss about minor in
idents but will consider the little
such as arise between the
itizens Of all nations, on their merits
olely If this does not suit the Jap
nese they must simply put up with it,
Inder the assurance that they are be-
ng as well treated as other people
Inder like circumstances would be.
No one in the administration wants
var with Japan. Neither the President
r any of his cabinet expects there
viii be war. But the Toxic authorities
will learn eventually that, while such
5 the attitude of the Washington gov
it is not because of any fear
he United states are many fold larger
han the resources of Japan and the
american people are not to be compar
d for a moment with the Russians,
many of whom are hardly half civiliz-
d. Intoxicated by their military sue
esses in the Orient the Japanese APP
arently have frequent dreams about
the United States, of TAX
III, nd Ptsf | 4
, they should take Philippines and
laval, which they might not be able
o do before our battle fleets could
all to the other side of the Pacific,
he capture and the tenacity with
7hich those islands were held, would
My increase the amount of indem-
ity that Japan would ultimately have
0 pay for his military police. This
alton has never been defeated in war
nd no political party and no admins
ration could live that would think Of
surrender to a foreign power. l.,
However, while such thoughts are
in by Washington officials,
hey are regarded as superfiuous, be-
ause no one here, who thinks seriously
bout affairs, has the slightest idea
hat there will be war, either within
|
here are too many level headed peo-
lie here and too many level headed
eople in Japan to permit of such a
enseless conflict with the consequent |
waste of life and wealth. Commercial
ivalry on the Pacific there will Un-
be between the two nations.
But gradually Japan will get her head
gain. Her jaunty and naughty man
lers will become things of the past
md she will be as easy to get along
With as is England, or Germany, or
france.
Probably the agitation of the hot
leads in Japan and on the Pacific
cast will defeat the negotiations for
new treaty. That is now expected
lere. The Japanese party now in
power, can not ignore the agitation,
thus far it has shown no
disposition to grant passports for coolie
aborers to come to the mainland. But
POLITICAL parties in Japan have to be
Is careful of popular criticism as do
POLITICAL parties in this country and it
S hardly expected that the Japanese
1t present will consent TO writing into
that M coolies |