The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-05-05

OF all OF her possessions by the skiIl-
full manipulation OF Marquis Ito.
The japanese navy. increased after
the war with Russia. had gone on IN
building until In number OF ships, IN
armament and men. Il nearly eauaiicd
our own. Its force In the Pacific was
In excess OF ours. Moreover, ~ Wa
manned by japanese. trained under Of
ficers who had been trained at An
napolis. and its ships had been con-
structed by the best brains OF Amer
lea, imported for the purpose. Our one
element OF strength seemed 10 be In
the fact that we were beyond striking
distance { ON Japan. across SEVEN
thousand miles Of ocean. while the
steaming ra i.us OF the big battleshipa
was but Ave thousand miles. In po-
tential strength i'm men We were about
twice az strong as Japan; but here
again Japan was stronger In erective
strength. since she had a merchant
marine with our own ships az n basis
from which TO take transports, while
We had practically none.
This was the situation when the
japanese exclusion act was passed.
Japan was instantly In a blaze and.
throwing OF her usual smiling face.
demanded its retraction. Count Tera-
shima. now Prime Minister. ala not
mince his words when he said: The
subjects Of the Mikado refuse 10 be
insulted and placed In the light OF
being an inferior people" Secretary
OF state Levinson replied In a digni-
fed manner. but with the positive as
sertion that this country demanded
the exclusion Of all Japanese. Thon
followed the Toxic and Kioto riots.
when the American Ambassador was
driven fleeing down the streets In bis
night garments and Americans were
assaulted on all sides So serious be-
came the attacks upon all Americans
that. In addition TO diplomatic pro-
tests. the battleship Kentucky with the
armored cruiser New York and the
protect cruiser Denver were dispatched
from Manila Every one knows fhe re-
suit Marines were landed without
opposition. only To- BE- attacked by a
japanese force. while the ships were
attacked in the harbor by a squadron
OF three japanese battleships and four
cruisers. and quickly sunk.
No declaration Of war had been
made. none seemed % be required. It
appears now that Japan had been pre-
pairing for this step as the one thing
necessary to destroy forever our pros
tige in the Far East and Co secure for
herself the Philippine Islands which.
after eighteen years % American Occu-
patton. were beginning 90 demonstrate
to the world their wonderful richness
and commercial value.
ThouCa backward in development.
owing Co our policy regarding them.
il had been shown beyond poradvcn-
ture that their mineral deposits. gold.
silver. copper and coal. wc.o rich: that
their yield 90 hemp. rubber. gutta-
percha. cocoa and hard woods were
beyond the dreams Of avaricc. aud, the
development work being well advanc-
ed no better time could be found than
the present 10 seize them.
The sinking 81 the Kentucky was
sufficient cause ~ war, just a. the
sinking OF the Maine in Havana Bar-
Dor was sufficient cause f1r war with
Spain fn the latter part - the last
century But here there was no cues
ton Of doubt as 90 responsibility. The
country. having run heedlossly into
this situation. was aghast at It's re-
suits Congress fortunately was IN
session and Ifs deliberations were
brief The Kentucky and her accom-
panvInz cruisers sailed from Manila on
February l4th. 1915. They arrived IN
the Ray OF YcIlo on February 18th
and they were sunk ON the 18th. Con-
grsss declared war on the End.
Although the friction had been acute
for many months. actual war was pre-
cipitated 80 suddenly that the Navy
Continued on Page six)