The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-02-07
JAPS' SPUNKY STAND
HAS BROUGHT ON CRISIS, cAUs
ING MUCH uNEASINEss.
SWARMIHG TO HAWAIIAN ISLANDS,
And Are Reported Forming Military
Hosts-AD Investigation by United
States Now On Foot.

Washington, Jan. 31.-Despite the
most vigilant precautions of the presi.
dent and his advisers in keeping the
information to themselves, the fact
has leaked out that the relations be-
tween the United States and Japan
have reached a most critical stage.
According to one of the presidents
advisers, the two countries seem to
be drifting rapidly toward war, and
deft and vigorous diplomacy must be
exercised If certain new developments
are to be disposed of without explo-
sion. A conference was held at the
white house between the president
and the California delegation, looking
toward a solution of one phase Of the
difficulty.
Bluntly stated, the administration is
in possession Of information which
forces it to assume that the Japanese
government is attempting to Withstand
tremendous pressure tending toward
a rupture of friendly relations with the
United States. This ominous situation
in Japan is made doubly critical by
the attitude of the Pacific coast, which
refuses to bulge an inch in its posi-
tion Of hostility toward the Japanese.
The San Francisco school authorities
have not only prepared to make a fight
against the federal government in the
courts, but the California senate on
Tuesday adopted resolution strenu-
ously protesting against the "unwar-
ranted interference" by government
with the constitutional rights of a
sovereign state" and requesting the
governor and attorney-general to take
all steps necessary to protect the state
and save its rights.
In the face of this stubborn attitude
of the people of Japan and those OF
California comes the ugly rumor from
Hawaii that thousands of Japanese
veterans Of the Russo-Japanese war
are fomenting a movement in secret
to organize military companies on
American soil. This information Is
said to have reached the war depart
ment from authentic sources. An in
vestigation is now reported to be on
foot, which, II it should verify the cur"
rent report, would necessarily pre-
cipitate a crisis which might other.
wise be avoided.
It Is now understood that the Jap
anese government has instructed Wis
count Aoki to insist upon certain stip-
ulations as a preliminary to the max
ing of a new treaty. The most i'm
portant of these is that the treaty
shall expressly grant Japanese in the
United States all rights granted to
citizens or subjects of the most IA
vored nation, which includes, Of
course, the privilege of Japanese chill
dren to attend the public schools,
privilege that is enjoyed by the chill
dren of other nations. The admins
tration is greatly embarrassed by this
demand on the part Of Japan, as 1t is
not in a position to be certain that
the school privilege can be granted
by treaty as against the opposition OF
d SLaCS' 1hlo 4uSoIAoh 40 POhuAhS AN
the courts, and until it is decided the
scope of the governments authority
is unknown. Moreover, the admins
tration fears that if 1t should win its
contention with California and should
grant school privileges to Japanese,
there would be such a disturbance on
the Pavifis coast as to bring about war
with Japan.