Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-01-29
JAPAN'S LOVE FOR US
United States Held In Deepest
Reverence, Says DR.. De Forest.
DEEMS WAR TALK SHEER B0sH

Be Highest Calamity to Civilization.
The Rev. DR.. John II. De Forest,
who has been missionary under the
American board Of foreign missions in
Japan for thirty-three years and who
is now in Brooklyn on a vacation, says
the talk about war with Japan is sheer
nonsense. He bases his opinion not
only on his long and intimate ac4uaint-
ance with the Japanese people but on
his friendship with high government
officials and army and navy ND He
was at the front in Manchufia h the
war with Russia and has the personal
friendship Of such men as Count Kat
sura, the war premier, General Kuroki
and Count Okuma. DR.. De Forest be-
Neves it is not wise to send a battle
ship fleet to the Pacific, but says that
il one does go he hopes it will go
straight to Yokohama.
From the past friendship of Japan,
I firmly believe that the fleet would
receive one of the greatest ovations
Japan has ever rendered" DR.. De For
est said recently in an interview with
q representative of the New York Sun.
Il am amazed at the prominence which
art Of the press of the United Staten
has given to this lingo war talk. To
think that there could be any war over
the California difficulties is to ignore
the strongest bonds that could possibly
bind two nations together.
THE Japanese have the deepest rev.
erence, admiration and love for the.
United States. Ever since Commodore
Perry opened up their country more
than fifty years ago their gratitude and
love for us have been increasingly
strong. The American ministers, from
Judge Bingham, one of the first, with
only one exception, have been wonder
fully helpful and sympathetic The
Japanese recognize and appreciate It
We were the only nation that ever gave
back their indemnity. We treated
them decently. They will never forget
these things.
In the recent war they were intense
~ eager to get the sympathy Of the
United States. They got it, for they
were easily fighting q battle for liberty
against despotism. I could not count
the number Of army and navy men,
also the people Of the middle classes
and the laborers, whom I have met
who thanked this country for its sym.
patty This war talk is cruel and
shameful 1t is merely that the jim
goes here have aroused the jingoes
there.
'In January, before Il left Japan,
Premier Saionji in. his opening address
to the house of representatives dis,
missed the San Francisco trouble brief
ly, saying that it was not of interna-
tional significance and probably would
not be. General Kuroki at Boston. be-
fore he left this country said to me,
The San Francisco school trouble is
merely local affair, and has no in.
ternational significance whatever The
people of Japan feel that San Fran
cisco does not represent the heart of
view of 1t from the words of President
Roosevelt, in whom they have the
greatest confidence.
Count Katsura, premier during the
Russian war, and a soldier, said to
me just after the war had started:
We fight If necessary, but hate war.
We have STAYED off this war for six
months, but our principles are opposed
to Russia's, so we must fight After
the war he told me it had been one
for liberty and the open door for all.
And the truest expression Of the Jap
anese national spirit is contained in
this quotation: ,;@ gTa
eff any one inquiries what is the
national spirit of Japan-it is like the
wild cherry blossoms on the mountain
sides, whose fragrance is freely given
to all the atmosphere, and whose bios
SONS fall from the trees to die, re-
joicing.'
"That does not look like a war spirit,
but the lingo papers tell Of the swelled
heads of the Japanese. There was
never any one so modest over victories.
For six weeks after their big victories
met generals, colonies and privates,
but l never saw glimpse Of joy or
heard boastful word upon congratu-
lating them. We could we'll afford to
sit at their feet and learn to be modest
believe that one source of this lingo
talk is in the disgruntled war CORE
spondents Of the Russian war. Those
who went out at the beginning Of the
war were sorely disappointed when not
allowed to go at once to the front. The
Afoi0 hoc