Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-02
JAPANESE WAR SCARE
Slowly Petering Out Even at the
White House.
ALL is T0MFOOLERY TALK
According to Senator Cullom, Senate
Chairman of Foreign Relations.
WORKING PRESIDENTS WAY
Will Gain a Battleship, Better Coast
Defenses and New Treaty
More Acceptable.

The japanese war scare is slowly peter
ing out, even around the precincts OF tho
White House. where California. congress-
men declare. 1t originated in remarks made
to them by the President
Congressman of various degrees Of in
formation as to our foreign relations con-
tinue to keep cool and pooh-pooh any
thought of war with Japan even In the near
future or for good many years to come.
Their views were well illustrated by the
remarks of the venerable head OF the for
eign relations committee of the Senate
Senator Cullom Of Illinois. Talking to q
Star reporter today, after he had seen the
President, he said:
IAN this talk is tomfoolery OF the worst
sort. Why should anybody think we will
get into a war with Japan The school
question in San Francisco should certainly
not be the cause of any war. What we
want to do is to sit easy and pay no at
tention to this whole thing.
"If Japan wants to get offended and go to
war, we can. of course, defend ourselves.
But Japan will do nothing of the kind.
The cause is not sufficient, even IL San
Francisco fails to yield to the demands
that Japanese children be permitted In the
public schools there along with white chill
dren. 1t is not to be considered for an In
slant that Japan is so easily worked into
fight that she should want trouble with the
United States over this or any other ques-
ton of such small Importance"
All Working the Presidents Way.
One interesting fact is admitted as a con-
sequence of all the talk. The President will
probably gain three things by the scare that
has been thrown into some portions of the
country. The first will be material in
creases in the fighting strength of the
dous battleship, together with better coast
defenses in the island possessions and Pa
cifc coast.
The second will be a climbing down of
the San Francisco school authorities from
their high position and less rigid anti-Japa-
nese provision in the school regulations, and
the third will be to frighten the japanese
into terms of new treaty more acceptable
to the Pacific coast than those of the pres
ent treaty.
Nothing could have happened, 1t is admit
ted, that will play more into the purposes
of the President than the talk that has been
started and kept w.
White House authorities say nothing
about the printed stories except that they
are greatly exaggerated so far as the real
facts are concerned. The President has
been informed that the San Francisco
school board will be in this city for a con-
ference with him the last of the coming
week. At this conference he will repeat, II
is said, substantially what he has told the
California delegation in Congress
No Statement From Secretary Root
Secretary Root positively refuses to make
any statement touching the Japanese situa-
ton in its relation to the conferences which
took place at the White House Wednesday
evening between the President and some
members of the cabinet and the California
congressional delegation. He does. how
ever, enter a sweeping denial of the au-
thenticity of any of the published inter-
views attributed to him as to the immi-
nence of war or the state of the treaty
negotiations or indeed, any phase of this
subject which he regards one eminenuy
unsuited for public discussion at this time.
The japanese ambassador Is not accessl-
BILE to newspaper reporters, but the mem
bers of the embassy staff affirm that he
has not authorized any newspaper state
ment on this subject.
The fact appears to be that statement
in the press cable dispatches ascribed to
Baron Hayashi, the Japanese minister for
foreign affairs to the effect that in event
the courts upheld the San Francisco school
officials then the matter of discrimination
against Japanese would require diplomatic
treatment, WAS in some quarters erroneously
attributed to Secretary Root, who has been
put in the position of stating that he had
received an ultimatum from the japanese
minister for foreign affairs. MIR. Root de-
MES that he has received any such com
munication and careful inquiry falls to
show that the alleged remark of Baron
Hayashi has ever been communicated or
1t was said at the Navy Department to-
day as an evidence of the slight impor-
tance attached by naval officers to the
present discussion of Japanese relations,
that there was not the slightest intention
on the part of the department of strength
ening the United States naval force on
either side Of the Pacific.
Not Regarded as Serious.
BERLIN, February 2-The foreign Of
flee. which naturally takes the greatest IL
terest in the questions being discussed be-
tween the United States and Japan, does
not regard the differences as having reach
ed a serious point. The Japanese embassy
today received Inquiries on the subject
from various newspapers, and said there
was no reason to consider the relations
between the United States and Japan as
being in any way strained adding that
President Roosevelt doubtless Will settle
the whole matter to the satisfaction or
Japan.
Disquieting kilograms sent out widely
early In the forenoon by the ticker-news
company had depressing influence on the
bourSe.
The Japanese government, apparently
did not buy any guns or military suppnes
in Germany during recent months. Japan
did purchase some Krupp guns year ago
to replace guns which were worn out as
a result of the war with Russia. Ii is also
learned here that Japan bought consid-
cradle quantity of naval munitions In Eng
land, but this intelligence Is not Oh recent
date