Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-16
FRIENDLY TO JAPAN
Hartford Citizens Protest
Against Talk of Trouble.
ECHO OF HOBSON'S SPEECH
Real Situation Is Reviewed by DR..
John H. DeForest.
THE BASIS OF. FRIENDSHIP
Speaker Declares Mikado's People
Trust Americans-Have Paid a
Great Debt of Gratitude.
THE BASIS OF. FRIENDSHIP

Following "A severe jolt received by RI
.esehtative Richmond Pearson Hobson. in
an open letter from Rev. DIR. John II. De-
Forest of Auburndale. Mass. after the
hero of the Merrimac had ''oaraded the
dogs of war before more or less awed
audience in the Second Baptist Church in
Hartford. Conn. a little mere than a
month ago. another one. straight from the
shoulder. has been administered from the
mayor and many OF the people of Hart
ford. This particular criticism is in the
shape of a Sc Of resolutions. which have
been sent to the japanese ambassador
and reading as follows:
At a mass meeting Of the citizens OF
Hartford. Conn, February 4. 19GS. the
mayor presiding. it was resolved:
First. That We hereby express TO the
/ emperor and people of japan our pro-
found respect for Their courage. h=ir en-
hEhtenment and their progress. We are
. grateful for their appreciation of rs as a
people and rejoice that they trust our
friendship. We in turn wish to declare
our confidence in their abiding loyalty to
the unwritten alliance which has bound
the two nations together for half CEN
tury and to reCiprocate Japans express
sions DESTROYS for abiding peace.
Second. That We earnestly protest in
the strongest terms against the wide
spread and systematic efforts that have
been made by some journals and indvid-
uelS to fOment distruSt and enmitv be-
tween two friendly nations: and to brand
as malicious and unwarrantable all the
statements whicf have tended to throw
suspicion upon the integrity OF the gov
ernmentS of both our own nation and
Japan.
Third That our chairman and secretary
ne instructed to transmit these resolutions
10 the Japanese ambassador~at Washing
TON as expressions. through him. Of good
will. loyalty and confidence to the Japan |
= csc government and people.
Cause of Resolutions.
From the tenor of the resolutions if is |
obvious that the citizens of Hartford have /
included in their sweeping condemnation |
the saffron-hued press which has persisted |
from time to time land particularly since
Admiral Evans fleet set sail for the Pa
cific in crying far and wide the alarm
that war between the United States and
Japan is inevitable. but IL is likewise he |
iond cavii that this especial storm was
drought to a head by the statements of
representative Hobson in "a lecture i'm
hartford early in January on the subject:
Americas Mighty Mission
y rev days after that lecture was de-
Hvered Dr. DeForest. long head of the
american mission at Senda Japan and
VINO recently returned to this country
aIter a residence of thirty-five years in
the mikados land. took issue with Hobson
and in an open letter to the public brand
ed many of the representatives most nos
l'Ne declarations as absolute mssta te-
ments of fact.
Friendship of Japan.
Very evidently the remarks of the |
gentleman from Alabama had lust the |
opposite effect from that intended upon |
his Hartford hearers, because the sub
1ect before the mass meeting at which
Dr. DeForest was a prominent figure was
c Ihe friendship of Japan for America:
Snail II Be Broken?''
President William D. Mackenzie of the
hartford theological Seminary introduced
the resolutions. and in doing so he spoke
In very emphatic manne. against what
ne termed as systematic effort to create
spirit OF distrust between japan and
the United States. and he spoke with
Huch contempt OF those men who agitate
war and misrepreSent conditions Through
out the evening no mention was made of
Capt Hobson. but it we'll understood
that many of the remarks referred to
MN and TO his recent lecture at the .
south Baptist Church under the auspices
OF the y Nj. {. A. in which he pointed
out what he alleged We're reasons why
war was imminent between Japan and
thlS country The nearest approach to
naming Hobson personally was by Dr. :
Mackenzie, who said that our fingers
ought TO itch" when We think of the agi- :
fators going -Ound the country even :
under the auspices of Christian associa- ;
tons. :;
DR.. DeForest's Address. ;
After DR.. Mackenzie had spoken DIR ::
DeForest was introduced to make the
principal address of the evening He !:
pointed out that from the DAYS when =:
Perry first went to Japan and SO ::
gently opened the door of the country to 3
western ideas. Japan had looked upon the !.
hlted States as the only country in ::
Which she could really trust all other :.
nations then being engaged in grabbing ::
IaflN AT over Asia. To this ba -
THIS trust for Americans continues. ana :
II forms the basis OF friendship WHICH ;:
mas Increased WITH the years Another !:
contributing cause for the fr.endliness :.
between the two nations. he said was the :.
1act mat this country had sent to japan :.
n long line of gentlemanly and sympa- !.
ihetc representatives. Then. too many =.
japanese students have come to this =
country and have not only entered our =
SCHOOLS. but have been taken into oar =
american homes, TO go back TO their =
hdttNe land in later years and hold MANY =
empire. =
Friendship Is Cemented. ::
Americas humanitarianism. represented Z
IN Japan by hospitals and orphanases :.
her contributions 10 the famine relief fund Z
and the sympathy shown by the press and ::
people o: the land for Japan during the :.
war with Russia all contributed DIR -
DeForest said To cementing the friendship -
which already existed. q
The latter part Of his lecture DR.. DeFor- y
Est devoted 10 showing that Japan was
great moral nation end that the alleged
lack in the nation of honesty in CONNER
tla dealings and pure morals in public CT
ana private life was really no greater
IMAM IN TINS country. He said tina, the
missionaries were waking ~ to the fact
,f Japans moral greatness. and he said
hat il was safe- 10 preach Christianity -
there than in Russia SC
In closing he said that we owed Ianan
A. much - sh" owed us. for she mad
adopted our principles of right AMI fra.-
iom, and. standing for these princinIes
lad fought for them in the east sending
20 the bottom the ships which wouli
nave destroyed the newborn sDrit la, Sp
pan. he said. has paid a great deht uf W
gratitude. and. like all great nations. has
'en 2Irer as well u receiver
Ink From Banana Tree W