The Elbert County tribune., 1908-02-20
JAPANESE AMBASSADOR COMES
WITH A MESSAGE
OF PEACE.
JAPAN STILL FRIENDLY
WAR WITH THE UNITED STATES
TOO HELLIsH TO BE
THOUGHT OF.

NEW YORK, Feb 16.-Declaring
that war between the United States
and Japan would be "the most in.
human event in the worlds history
and too hellish" TO be thought OF,
Baron kogoro Takahira, the new Jap
anese ambassador to Washington, said
Sunday, upon landing in New York
from the steamer Etruria that the
Japanese people know absolutely
nothing of a break ii the cordial re-
lations which have been historic be-
tween the two nations. Talk of war,
Baron TalSahira declared with much
emphasis, was utterly unintelligible TO
him, unless, as some one had sug-
gested, it was spread broadcast TO
serve the commercial ends of some
: newspapers.
The new ambassador said there
might be some matters pending in
Washington which would require his
attention, but they were not serious.
As TO the cruise OF the American feet
to Ee Pacific ocean, he regarded IL
purely as a naval naneuver on a
grand scale-designed to show to the
sworld at large that America has a won
derful naval power which can be dis
patched anywhere at moments no
uce in support of legitimate cause,
which always is at the bottom of
American diplomacy"
He is a warm, personal friend of Mr..
Roosevelt, and is looking forward TO
his meeting with the chief executive
with q great deal of pleasure. The
baron is returning to the American
capital after an absence of two years
spent in Rome as ambassador to Italy.
The baron left Washington as minister
and was subsequently elevated to the
rank of ambassador. He was one OF
Japan's ENJOYS at the Portsmouth
peace conference.
Il am pleased to come back to this
country in my present capacity" said
Baron Takahira to a representative of
the Associated Press. Il started my
diplomatic career as an attache at
our lepation in Washington some 80
years ago and 1 have always regarded
that city as my cradle. Now | am
going back there as the personal rep
resentative of the Japanese emperor,
accredited to the President of the
of the United States and think ]
can consider it as the triumphal entry
into that city.
Il know there were some questions
arising after | left-about the segre-
RdllDn VI Jdpdut5e CHHuItu III oOHlt vi
the schools OF the Pacific coast and of
Japanese immigration. ! cannot. of
course, tell you at this moment how
/ will have to deal with what remains
to require my attention at Washing
ton.
"As to the voyage of the American
fleet to the Pacific so much talked of
recently, | consider it purely an Amer
lean affair. l hear there has been all
sorts of speculation as to the motives
of such a voyage. l always thought
that the most reasonable one we can
attribute is a naval maneuyer on
grand scale The United States is
country of the most pacific intentions
as has been well proved by history.
AS we say in our proverb, Don't for
get war in time Of peace 1t must be
necessary even for such a great coun-
try as this to ascertain now and then
the working capacity of its ships and
the good discipline of its men.
1--WE have, therefore, no reason to
be suspicious about the visit of the
ships to the Pacific You may have
noticed that the Japanese newspapers
have been publishing lately their de-
cree or direction of welcome to your
feet if it should come to Japan. This
shows how our people regard the
cruise
"War talk which I hear has been
published frequently in connection with
the cruise is utterly unintelligible to
me- You know it is well said by your
famous general that war is hell 1t
is now concurrent opinion among
the best military experts of all the
great powers that war is more hellish
than 1t used to be, owing to the great
scientific improvements which are con-
stantly being applied to man-slaughter-
ing machines 1t is impossible in my
opinion to any man of ordinary sanity
to think Of a war between two powers
like ours, in view of the sincere friend
ship which so long has actually ex-
listed between them. To think of 1t
is a crime against humanity, against
civilization, aaginst the well being of
the whole of mankind. Such war,
if ever fought, would be the most in
human event in the worlds history.
Our people at least do not think of the
possibility of such an unfortunate
event"