Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-01-21
CLEAR, CRISP AND CLEAN
ABSURD WAR TALK"

mo Californians, the prospect of
war with Japan has never assumed
n any dehniteness. We have read
much that is vague and heard much
that is Irresponsible There is not
Japanese scare on the Pacific coast.
Sand lot oratory is out of date in Cali
fornia.
The irresponsibles in the east are
more in evidence than ever. With per-
sistent ingenuity they torture every
scrap of oriental gossip and every echo
of the sand lot into a peace menacing
rumor. The government is censured
because of it's slackness in making
adequate preparations to resist the on
slaught of the hosts of the mikado.
Many eastern newspapers babe the
fleet farewell with the insinuation skill
fully conveyed, that it's mission was
that of the eagle and not of the white
dove" AS the result of a long course of
newspaper and oratorical suggestion,
the eastern mind is undoubtedly in a
receptive condition, ready for tidings
of evil. It reflects in its mood the
sinister maxim: Cheer up! the worst
is yet to come"
Readers are told from day to day
and day after day, as if what Shakes
peare calls "damnable iteration" were
convincing, that Japan has us "as good
as bagged" already, for it is in possess
sion of accurate maps of our coasts,
of pilots charts of the approaches to
our harbors, of elaborate plans of our
Notifications.
The story of Japanese spies who are
steaIthily conveying" for the benefit
of their government, sketches and maps
of the keys $50 TO speak, and of the
patent locks of the American nations
doors of safety is one that we could
not tell even ito the marines" without
a certainty of being laughed at. In
spite of popular superstition on the
subject plans of our ports are not "se-
cret" but are submitted openly to con-
gress when requests are made for APP
preparations. Typographical maps of
the United States made accurately by
government surveyors may be pur-
chased for a dime. Why should the
japanese go to the trouble and ex-
pense of making typographical surveys
on their own hook? There is no mys-
terry about our possible war plans, any
more than there is about our coast lines
and defenses, or the effective fighting
strength of our navy. When our war
plans are formed all the world will
know that they are formed and certain
~ it will not be the privilege of any
enterprising eastern contemporary to
"score a SCOOP over the coast news
papers by publishing, in advance of our
local information-and in advance of
the facts-an "exact forecast" of the
course of events after the ungrateful
little brown man begins to punish
his old friend Uncle Sam.
There is only one method of combat
ting successfully the effects of the pro-
longed pipe dream that is debauching
some eastern newspaper offices. That
is to appeal to common sense and to
make this appeal by way of the facts
in the case a mere statement of which
eliminates from the range of reason
able propositions the probability or
prospect of war with Japan.
The duty of our government is inti-
mately connected with the conservation
of peace, internal rather than external,
by passing laws which will rehabili-
tate American shipping tariff laws
which will curb the robber trusts eff
fectually and permanently, and law
insuring the stable currency that is
absolutely essential to our continued
prosperity. continuance of pros
perity rather than the court at The
Fague, is the guarantor and guardian
Of peace.