Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1908-08-15
Possible EmbarraS, ment
in Tour Of Asia
fo' America
China Believes IT WILL
Be SUPPORTED AGAINST JAPAN
What Chinese Newspapers Arc Say.
ing = Taft Said Some Very
Pleasant Things to Chi.
na...Prospects
(Staf Correspondent

WASHINGTON, ID. C., July 20. -
with the American Battle Fleet some
thing like halfway from Hawaii to
Asia's shores, interest in high places |
in the reception which 1t will meet /
in China and Japan is becoming in |!
tense.
Some things which until recently |,
have been known In only limited |
circle. are beginning to be more pop
ularly understood; they explain why |
there should be much concern about
the demonstrations with which the |
Fleet will be greeted, especially in
Japan and China.
The truth is that the attitudes OF
these two countries toward the Unit
ed States. and toward each other. arc
liable to be brought more sharply be-
fore the world In this connection
than they have ever been before.
Embarrassment Possible
While there is no serious fear of
any grave embarrassment following
the demonstration of the attitudes of
China and Japan, yet 1t is declared
by Orientalists that such embarrass-
ment is not impossible.
The people of China look upon
the coming of the Fleet to their
shores as an especial mark of the
goodwill of the United States. More
than this. because they know dimly
that relations between the Unitel
States and Japan have recently been
uncomfortable at times. and because
China has great fear of being con-
quered by Japan, the Chinese have
instinctively yearned to make COM
mon cause with the United States.
They have been ready to attach
undue Significance to the visit Of the
Fleet In the East.
Popular opinion in China for
there is beginning to be some popu-
lar opinion in recent years-consid-
crs the Fleets appearance on the
Asian littoral as, first, a guarantee
Of the friendship of the United States
for China, and, second, a suggestion
to Japan of the power of America.
Think America Friend
The Chinese for several reasons
have recently come to look upon
America as their best friend. In the
first place, the initiative of this Gov
eminent, In the famous Hay propo-
sails which brought the Powers into
an agreement for the preservation of
taI tntn 10
WINGED the Chinese that America was
their sincere friend.
They had never had reason to fear
the exploitation of their country by
Americans; they had learned to fear
almost every other Powers intentions
in that regard.
The return of the American share
of the Boxer war indemnity streng-
thened the impression that the Unit
ed States was a real friend. Then,
on the occasion of Secretary Taft's
recent trip around the world, Il Is
now known, he gave some highly
gratifying assurances to leading men
OF China concerning the willingness
position 1t had taken In the affair of
the Hay note concerning Chinese au-
tonomy.
All these things have caused China
to turn to the United States as her
one reliable friend. People who
have recently been in the East say
the extent of this feeling would sur
prise the whole world. II II were gen.
orally known. Thus there is espe-
Cial importance In the recent devel-
opment OF organs of public opinion
In the empire.
Newspapers for America
At the time of the Boxer war there
were three Chinese newspapers In the
empire. These had little circulatio
and were practically without power
of national or even local sentiment
Today there are well-nigh n thou
sand newspapers scattered all over
the country, and they are cultivating
the national goodwill for America In
the most assiduous fashion.
illustrating this sentiment, re
cent traveller In China picked up {
copy of "A newspaper published in ;
far interior city--a place about al
far from Pekin as Denver Is from
New York; u city of half million
people. whose name would be un
known to America. In 1t, he wa
told, was an editorial on relations o
China and the United States. T.
make sure of his translation he ha
1t translated by two Chinese schol
ars, entirely independent of each 9th
err, and they made the same story G
1t. Here was the story:
1t was stated that the Emperor c
America had commanded to the wa