Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-15
RECKLESS WAR TALK
Evil Influence of the Anti
Japanese Sentiment.
IN VERY MANY QUARTERS
Bunkio Matsuki Punctures the Base.
less Representations.
RIGHT TO VOUCH FOR JAPAN
Business and Personal Relations
With Fellow-Countrymen Here
and in Native Land.
Special Correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence or ne Star-
BOSTON. Mass. March Q, 1908.
Bunkio Catsuki. Japanese American
merchant and art collector resident in
Boston. in an interview with The Star
correspondent. declares that 1.-The mys-
terious and sinister influences which APP
pear to he at work. promoting trouble
between Japan and the United States.
ought to be opposed in word and deed by
every one OF us who believes that racial
economic and other questions can be
settled satisfactorily through the exercise
Of intelligence common sense and mutual
forbearance.
Mr. Catsuki is descended from an ancient
daimyo. or noble. family of Mitsuki lord
Of Ifida province. During the past seven
teen years he has revisited his native
land annually. In the course of his visits
ne has had occasion to travel in every
part OF the Japanese empire, AS a grad
uate of the American public school sys
tem--he acquired a thorough English
education in the high school at Salem.
Mass.-and by reason of his marriage into
an American family he has a knowledge
OF conditions in the United States which
few Japanese can have. On the other
hand. his business and personal relations
with hundreds of his fellow countrymen
both in America and III Japan give him a
certain right to vouch for the feeling of
the Japanese at this moment when the
American fleet is on its way up the Pa
cific.
AT time when the yellower and more
INSCRIPTIONS newspapers of both countries
seem to be almost in conspiracy to strain
or break peaceful relations that have
lasted for more than half a century,"
said Mr.. Catsuki. 1T is high time for all
of who believe in the preserva
ton of peace and property to stand up
and be counted. Even if the Japanese.
misled by demagogues, were anxious to
go to war. it would be the plain duty of
high-grade Americans not to allow
quarrel to be provoked. And the Japa-
nese people do not wish to fight. Far
from it. From personal observation
l think that. while both nations ought.
in general way. to be urged to
Practice the virtues of tolerance and
sympathetic understanding. the particu
lar need at this moment is for all Ameri-
cans to understand that ninety-nine Japa-
nese out of hundred would deplore
nothing so much as war with the
United States. If. as has been openly
suggested in some American newspapers.
the present mission of the American
fleet. now steaming up the Pacific. was
inspired by alarming reports received at
Washington regarding the state of feel
ing in Japan. then the authorities at
Washington must have been In some
way deceived
NO considerable porto nof the Japa-
nese nation has any but the friendliest
sentiments toward Americans. Indeed.
OUTSIDE of the city of Toxic, where a
disorderly element of the population has
unquestionably been inflamed by the
methods of yellow journalism that is
just as despicable any prevailing in
this country. no hostile feeling exists
at ALL ] visited number of cities Of
the empire last summer, among them
Yokohama. kyoto. Osaka and Kobe. and
| found not the slightest traces of hos
tility toward the people of my adopted
country.
On the contrary, scores of Japanese Of
ficials and merchants with whom ! talked
expressed themselves as perpleXed and
surprised. They wanted to know what
the trouble all meant. whether the Ameri
cans were really so antagonistic. and if
whether the clashes the Pacific
coast were not simply local. A great
many of those who asked me such Ques-
ton did not. found understand the prin-
cples Of state rights. and were astonished
that President Roosevelt did not inter
fere directly with the mob rule in San
Francisco.