The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-15
JAPAN DENIES SPY STORY.

JAPAN DENIES SPY STORY.
HAS Mono Here. says war ONCE. and No
Disguised Oficers.
Special Cable Despatch TO TUE SUM.
I LONDON. July lS.-Only the smallest
attention. says the Toxic correspondent
OF the Telegraph. IL devoted by the Japanese
newspapers to the American question.
The Minister Of Wa In an interview fatty
oontradioted the report Of the arrest of a
Japanese spy at Fort Rosecrans. Cal. He
declared emphaticslly that the Japanese
War Office never instructed any officer or
amateur spy to examine American forts.
He added that there were no Japanese
officers in America except military attaches.
h T'mes, in an editorial on the United
States and Japan, says IL would he useless
to attempt to disguise the fact that the
arrest OF several Japanese for taking plans
Of the Notifications at a Diego, Cal, has
intensified the dangerous agitation TO which
the question of the Japanese in California
has given occasion In the United States.
To any one acquainted with the activi-
ties OF any well appointed European mill
tary intelligence department il may seem
n perfectly obvious and normal proceeding
on the part Of the Japanese to endeavor
to secure what information they can about
the military arrangements Of any foreign
Power however remote the possibility Of
hostilities.
In fact. the comments which would
most naturally be made in military circles
would probably convey expressions Of
mild surprise that 30 efficient a General
Stan as the Japanese had had not
collected the information in question
before this. or even might hint doubts as to
whether intelligence work lone at such a
time and with such evident carelessness
was really the work Of an official agent at
all and not merely Of patriotic amateurs.
This point OF view il not, however, one
with which the American public M a whole,
or the California public In particular, 10
familiar and it is to be feared that
the news that Japanese spies nave been
discovered In the very act Of making plans
Of an American fort will be widely inter-
preted as indicating a deliberate resolve on
the part Of the Japanese TO ~precipitate
hostllities and make a descent on the Cali
fornia coast.
These misconceptions. fostered by mol
oratory on the spot. do not seem likely to be
dispelled by the lucubrations Of that section
Of the American press which either from
a sheer irresponsible desire to bring about
war or from pure love Of excitement has
been engaged in working NJ anti-Japanese
feeling during the last few weeks.
The miscellaneous character of their ac-
tivities has already been displayed In con-
| naCfiop NTH fha fianiainn nf praGilAnf
Roosevelt to despatch Admiral Evans's
battleship feet 10 the Pacific. and has
stood in striking contrast TO the patience
and seif-possession shown by the great
body Of the Japanese press.
As for that measure itself, IL may be open
for an outside critic TO suggest doubt
whether the moment for the despatch
of the feet Ia altogether well cho sen. but
responsibility for the safety of "A nation
is a very serious one. President koose-
welt may well have arrived at the con-
clusion that the risk Of misconstruction
and even OF ~aggravatIng the situation.
was better incurred than oven the very
slightest and remotest danger OF leaving
the California coast defenceless in case
Of some unfortunate incident, and no one
can say that such an incident is impossible
or that it would not precipitate a crisis.
The article then points out the reason
why elements Of a conflict between Japan
and the United states may safely he said
to he non-existent, and concludes:
The real root of the trouble is not IN any
issue of general policy. but Is to be sought
in the friction arising from the economic
competition. in the same area, Of races
differing wholly in habits and stand
ards Of living. and disinclined to
a~malgamate. "A competition Of whose
difficulties we have already seen something
within the British Empire and with which
we shall inevitably have to deal in the future.
OF the dificulty created by this problem
some permanent solution based on an equit-
able compromise will yet have TO be found.
Failing It. the trouble that 10 now creating
such anxiety to all lovers OF peace and
civilization will inevitably recur az a later
4, period and recur in a far more serious
form"