The National tribune., 1907-06-20
JApiNE:sHE WAR TALK.

i Continued from first page.)
lot of threatening talk into the news
papers. alF ofr which was entirely
ignored by the President and by Secre-
tary Root. Neither of those officials
said a word for publication about the
new agitation. aitho it is known that
they gave it considerable attention to
ascertain what 1t really meant and
what the men represented who were
behind it. Numerous cablegrams have
also been Coming back from Tokyo.
showing that yellow newspapers there
have been and are doing their utmost
to stir mp contention and to convince
the popuace that japanese are cruelty
treated in the tinted States.
The attitude of President Roosevelt
and Secretary Foot is very logical.
They know that there is absolutely
nothing to warrant prospect of war
i between Japan and the United States.
and they will not dignity the reports of
such a prospect by official notice. but
they feel some concern lest the yellow
| newspapers of both countries and the
| hOtheads of both countries may con-
tinue agitating till there is friction and
till the situation becomes sufficiently
serious to give the Administration some
| trouble. 1t is recalled that less than
| 10 years ago the yellow newspapers of
| N''''' '''4'''E ttSliiJ p'NNipite''St VIZ
war with Spain.
| There are yellow newspa pers galore
in the United States. but those of Japan
are said to lead all the world. For a
very long time there was a strict CEN
Sorship of the Japanese press, but as
| the case is stated here, that censorship
| was removed in recent times and many
of the japanese editors are enjoying
their newspaper liberty by rushing into
| excessive and exaggerated statements.
They do not represent the substantial
| thought of the Empire, but nevertheless
| command considerable influence with
| the masses. 1t is also understood here
| that there IS much politics in the pres
| ent agitation. as it proceeds largely
| from the minority party.
In that particular the japanese are
| behaving no worse than the minority
| political party here, whether it be DEM
ocratic or Republican. often behaves.
| In our Presidential campaign years all
/ sorts of buncombe is indulged in for
the purpose of catching votes. Only a
| few years ago a favorite political pas
| time was twisting the British lions tail
That has passed out, but other political
| foibles and appeals to popular preju-
dice are not wanting.
Emba assa dor Aoki probably has not
| been altogether happy in the conduct
| of his office here. He has been to the
State Department occasionally in con-
nection with the wrecking of the Japa-
ncSc restaurants in San Francisco and
| the breaking of a few panes of glass at
! Berkeley. The ambassador has en-
| tered no complaint from his Govern
mcnt, but has made representations
there and informally discussed the mat
ters affecting the entente between the
two countries. While it may have been
! that he could not with propriety talk
I.,hn nrr1 nd tn ha
partment. the ambassador has been un-
fortunate in his manner to the press.
He assumes petulant and dictatorial
tone that is little less than insulting.
His embassy gives out no information
and does not hesitate to deceive and
mislead representatives of the press
who inquire, for the news Of what the
in years gone by when this could bc
done with fmpunity. but it 10 longer
holds true. Most of the embassies and
legations, while guarding diplomatic
secrets carefully. are courteous and ac
commodating in their dealings with
the press and recognize its functions in
a country like this. |
Supcrsensitiye Japan.
President Roosevelt and his Cabinet
have in every possible particular been
very considerate of the japanese. He
ttfiii"tS 'H'ii tiit pohc'c IL nv" cope
cially sensitive and are watching on
every hand to see what kind of treat
ment the nations of the world
accord them. Their attitude has
been iEened to that of man
who has made a few million dol
lars and gone to New York TO live. He
knows he has money and va. be thrust
into new associations He is on the alert
as to what kind of a reception New
York gives him. After a few months
it may become an old story to him, and
he will not think much about the att
;ude of his associates.
So Japan, having won her war with
Russia. and having been admitted to
membership in the great family of Ma
tiuns, is more sensitive now to the way
her officials and citizens are treated
abroad than she will be 10 years from
now. after the novelty of being recog- |
niZed in the family of Nations has worn
off. AS 4 very prominent official of the
Administration recently observed. il |
was not great many Years ago-somc- |
thing like 4 half century-tnat our atti- |
tudc was very much like the present
attitude of Japan. Before the civil war, |
when we were not recognized as a Ma
ton on an exact equality with Euro |
pean powers, wef kept our eyes open all |
the time for any evidences of slight from |
our cousins across the water. And If |
tney SLSnteG us, we grew very Wrotll. |
When Dickens wrote of the United |
States in Martin ChuZziewit' he made |
every man, woman and child over here |
who read his book. hopping mad. 1t |
would have been unsafe for him to ap- |
pear in some communities for a long
time after that publication was placed |
on the market. If he wrote such book |
to-day our people would have laughed |
at him and forgotten his censure in "a
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 ex-
hausted. Secretary Root has borne
quietly the efforts of Japanese agitators
to magnify street brawls into interna-
tiona' incidents. There is plenty of
race feeling between the Americans and
the japanese on the Pacific coast, but
the japanese are very cocky, and, as
soon as an urchin hurls a brickbat
quickly make representations at Wash
ington. If this is kept up. of course,
the time will come when Japanese off,
cials at Tokyo must be told quietly but
firmly that the State Department does
not want to be bothered with so much
fuss about miner incidents, but will