The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-12-13
Japan's Attitude
Concilitory

IN reaching . peaceful and iust solu.
n Of The latter. Race hatred Is dis.
crelltabie 10 my nation. We believe
that Japanese cnllsrants woald tend
n tromtc the Welfare OF thu sparsiy-
settled portions Of Tie American Pa
ciac coast by developing their resourc.
IS, hut il the peace is to be disturbed
:; is brttep to prevent our people from
":nisra:irg.T
Count Okuma, who has heretofore
been outspol;en in opposition to the
government policy of restriction Of
emigration, now declares in the press
that the japanese government should
assist America at time when preju-
dice as well as political and economic
conditions render the emigration of
Japanese to the upited States inexped-
lent.
Peace is. the dominant note of the
Japanese press to-day, and as result
the insistent demands for war at any
price" common on the streets of To
ltir few months ago. are no longer
heard.
The appOintmentof Baron Kegoro
Takahira, former minister at Washing.
ton. and late japanese ambassador to
l;alv. as Aoki's successor, Is thou!,h lit
to have been under consideration for
several months and created no sHr-
prise In official or diplomatic circles.
The newspapers generally have aD-
plauded the selection OF Baron Taxa
hira, who Is generally considered jap
ans ablest diplomat.
, Ambassador Takahira is S. years OF
a:c and has been in the diplomatic scr.
vice of Japan since he was 81, Degin-
, ring as a student attache. In 1851 lie
brrnmc secretary Of legation at Wash.
ingtUn. and later was promoted to
81 arec d'affaires. In 1889 he return
ed 10 Japan to become secretary OF
the foreign Office. From 1885 TO 1889
r,r occupied one OF the most important
o. Japanese diplomatic positions, that
Of minister 10 Corea. IN 1899 he agnin
went to America as cOnsal general st
New York City. After serving short
tine In the American metropolis, he
was despatched to Europe us minister
to Holland and Denmark. 1S93.9i
minister 10 Italy, tS9i.95. and minister
10 Austria AMI Switzerland. 1S9G-99.
In 1900 he was selected to return
to the United States rs japanese min.
lister. The Boxer outbreak in China
made It necessary for Japan to be rep
lc@Cnted ut Washington by one Of its
aJlest diplomats. and Takahira iusti.
GCi the faith that had been put In
him.
Then came the RusSo.Iapanese war.
followed by tho peace OF Portsmouth,
In which Takahira played an important
part. He was one OF the japanese
! plenipotentiarles at the conference and
worked Faliantly for peace. The anti
American sentiment broke ont In De.
cembcr, 1905, because he had been too
solicltous In seeking the friendship Of
the United States. This was officially
denied at the foreign Office, the Off
cials stating that Takahira had asked
for leave of absence two years before
ind that they had merely taken advan-
tage Of the first opportunity to grant
his desire.
Takuhira was a close personal friend
OF President Roosevelt while ut Wash
ington. He is a scholar as we'll as a
diplomat. and reads. writes md speaks
not only japanese and Chinese, but
nearly all European languages. His
wifc. to whom he was married In
1SS7, is also highly gifted and a lin.
guist OF ability. She was one of the
first japanese women to assume, In
America and Europe. the Occidental
way of dress and entertainment.
When Baron Takahira returned to
Japan from America he sald: @The
United states IS the most upright AMI
fair Of the powers interested in the