The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-08-15
WILL RETARD OUR COMMERCE
Americans Deplore Revival Of War
Talk--Author Without Political In.
fluence at Home--Hobson Not AL.
together Blamelcss.

Toxic Avg. Il, 4,--Specil dispatches
expansion policy Of the United States
printed in Japanese newspapers rep.
resent that the recent ut,eranee OF
Count Okuma attribu,ing the naval
expansion policy Of the nUited States
=, 70 the sudden rise Of Japan 10 the i'm.
portancc Of a world power, Is arous.
ing intense indignation aud has eaus-
cd complete reerudeseenec OF anti.
japanese sentiment throughout Am.
erica.
The New York newspapers are quo.
ted as cditorially urging an American
Chinese alliance for the purpose OF
off-Setting the bclligcreney Of Japan.
One newspaper is quoted as giving the
views OF WI Ting Fang, Chinese
minister to the United States, on the
subject Of an alliance in which he
threatens Japan with AN early evi.
denee OF the real power OF the Ameri.
can navy"
Americans residing in Toxic. Yoko.
hama and elsewhere throughou, Ja-
pan are extremely indignant They
believe that the special dispatches ex.
aggerate the tone OF the New York
newspapers and II is felt that Il is
particularly unfortunate that at his
time anything should be permitted to
retard the increasingly friendly rela.
iions OF the two nations in view OF the
elaborate arrangements on foot among
the Japanese 10 welcome the Ameri.
can feet and the growing cordiality
exhibited on all sides towards Ameri.
cans American business men espec.
tally regret the publications because
the revival OF the nti.Japanese pro.
paganda in America will, they fear,
undoubtedly afford qualification to
the competing countries represented
here and also seriously damage Amer.
lean trade. Count Okuma's frequent
utterances do not create a ripple here
and his most recent one was passed |.
quite unnoticed by foreigners until
the specials announced the outcry Of
the american newspapers. Even !
among Japanese statesmen and news
papers the first expression was one
OF amusement
Count Okuma is regarded here as
q doctrinaire politician who is now
completely without political influence
except in academic circles His state.
meat concerning the American navy
and President Rooscvclt's advocacy
OF its expansion was undoubtedly
brought by reports OF Congressman
Hobson's speech in the Democratic
national convention when he quoted
President Roosevelt as predicting an
early war with Japan,
Count Okuma's statement, which
has caused all the comment, was an
excerpt from series OF articles prin-
ted in the Hochb a Toxic paper which ;
are being wtitten by Count Okuma re-
viewing the world politics and printed
from day to day. {
When Count Okuma returned today !
from the country he said to the Asso. /
ciated Press that he was surprised to
find that his utterances had been CON I
sidered purposely offensive,
1T was only natural" said he, "in {
reviewing the worlds politics, to point r
out that Japan's rise above the hori-
zon had caused the American navy to c
turn its attention toward the Paci6c,
When il was absolutely true that
some Americans talk unwisely con-
corning, Japan but never for an in.
slant have | desired or intended to re- I
Hect on the honor and courage of the
American navy or its. sailors; but it O
IS an uncontrovertable fact that com
nercial considerations weigh mater e
ally with all older nations, even when Fl
t becomes a question Of war. No
one will endeavor more earnestly
han myself to cultivate cordial rela-
ions with America because realize
hat only through such cordial relati-
ons can Japan hope to become real II
y great nation" o
In an article published in the Hochi, s.
August IL, Count Okuma attributed g
he present naval expansion policy Of s.
he United States to the sudden rise b
If Japanese to the Importance of Il
world power, saying in part; Judging h
rom the fragmentary speeches of d
President Roosevelt that have been R
transmitted here, 1t is not difficult to il
= 4.