Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-07-17

tnan 4S,OOOOOO. The population ol
the United States is nearly S5,00o,.
600.
The debt Of Japan-taking the
Statesman's Yearbook figures
throughout to insure uniformity of
Comparisons about 1896. 100000.
The net debt Of the United States is
1904, ,435,G57. Japan is paying
from 4 to 6 per cent interest on it's
foreign loans and from 5 to Z per
cent on its internal loans. One
fourth of the debt of the United
States is at 4 per cent and the rest
at 2 and 3 per cent.
Japan's revenue is less than $780,
100000, while the revenue of the
United States is $762,OO0,00O.
Japan's total imports and exports
for the year 1905-l906 were only
$420,000,O00, while those of the
United States We're nearly S3,00O,-
100000.
Against 20 frst-class modern
American battleships Japan has only
10. Against our s first-class and 5
second-class armored cruisers Japan
has 9. Against our 10 protected
cruisers Japan has II.
In effective fighting force the
American superiority is vastly pre-
ponderant. This fact is know to
every Japanese statesman and to
every intelligent Japanese citizen.
Yet American jingoes are asking us
tobelieve that Japan, in some fashion
or another, is secretly menacing the
peace of the United States.
The plain and obvious truth is
that Japan is exhausted financially,
that her population is struggling
under burdens imposed by the war
with Russia, and that her resources
are so far inferior to those Of the
United States that no responsible
Japanese statesman would think of
war except as last resort.
Then what is this jingo demon
stration about and why is the North
Atlantic fleet to be sent to the Pacific?
Mr.. Roosevelt's recent handling
of Japanese relations has been a
tragedy of errors. He meddled with
the San Francisco school question,
which was matter for the Supreme
Court, not for the President and
Congress. He harangued Congress
about the Loyal Ronin and demand
ed citizenship for the japanese. He
ended by holding a conference with
Mayor Schmitz, then an indicted
and now convicted boodler, and by
framing a treaty to exclude Japan
ese laborers from the United States.
Now he is making a bad matter i'm
measurably worse by sending the
fbattleships TO the Pacific.
The net result is to further in
flame the midsummer madness Of
jingoism. No matter how innocent
the mission of the fleet, nobody will
now believe that it is not directly
connected with the Japanese dis.
putes. Nobody will believe that the
fleet would have been ordered to the
Pacific but for these differences.
The American iingoes will become
more vociferous; the Japanese lin
goes will not be intimidated by a
display Of force; one set of sensation
mongers will react on the emotions
Of the other, and the difficulties Of
maintaining friendly relations be-
tween the two countries will be
enormously increased.
The American lingo pretense that
Japanese jingoes will be impressed
by display Of sea power is not ev-
en- good nonsense. The Spanish
mobs were not impressed by Ameri.
can naval superiority while Ameri-
can jingoes were demanding a war
that the Spanish Government did
its utmost to prevent. The Beers
were not inundated by England's
military and naval resources while
British jingoism was forcing hosti,-
tiles. Neither will Japanese lingo
ism be overawed by American jingo-
ism.
Mr.. Roosevelt has blundered
enough. II he is playing politics,
it is very dangerous politics. If he
is seeking to rehabilitate Admins
tration influence in California, he is
buying sand-lots popularity at a
tremendous price. If he is trying
to control the next Republican Ma
tional Convention. we urge him to
return to his sober senses. He will
control the convention anyway.
1t is a sorry role for a President
to play who Justly earned the Nobel
prize.