The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-01-25
. A PROTEST

The worse than silly twaddle which
is still being printed in certain of the
American newspapers concerning the
relations of Japan and the United
States is none the less iniquitous and
mischievous because it's character is SO
transparent. No sane and well-in-
formed person believes for an instant
that there is, in the normal develop
ment of the affairs of the two nations
the slightest intention ON the part of
either Government of provoking hos
tilities, or that there is the remotest
likelihood of conditions arising in the
near future when there could be dan
ger of a war.
The Government at Washington re-
fleets the opinion of the country, to
this extent at least, that it has moth
ing but the kindest feelings for the
Japanese, and that if those feelings
are ever altered it will be because of
some change in the policy or actions
OF the Japanese people and their gov
eminent. And America has the best
of reasons, based not only on the ex-
press assurances of the rulers and
| leading men of the Mikado's empire.
| but upon the knowledge-which il
| shares with all the world-of the eco
| nOmic and political condition of Jap
, an, to credit the Japanese with the
same feelings and intentions. Japan
no more wants a war with the United
States, its greatest customer and one
of its strongest friends among the
POwers-the British alliance notwitn-
standing-than the United States as
pires to the possession of British In
dia and the islands of the South Seas.
In the face of such undisputed facts
as these, the persistent and deliberate
! circulation of rumors and sinister sug-
! gestions of warlike intent, whether on
| the part of the American battlesbip
| fleet or of the Warships of the Japa-
nese Navy, reveal a depth of political
! depraYity and diabolical cynicism
that only inspire contempt and abhor-
renee. The latest example of this sort
! OF thing pictures a persistent and la
| Dorlous effort on the part of powerful
but unnamed French influences to egg
on the Japanese to provoke a war with
the United States for supremacy of the
! Pacific. 1t is pretended that a cOnsid-
cradle body of Frenchmen believe that
the principal result of the Franco
Japanese agreement concerning
spheres OF influence in the Far East
has been tacit guarantee to japan
that French capital will be ready to
hnahce a war between Japan and AM.
erica. And readers of this sort Of stuff
are further asked to credit the init
nation that Japan has been secretly
encouraging Japanese emigration to
the United States, to the end thai the
TOXIC Government might have ready
at all times cause of war, in case of
need, in the defenseless position of her
subjects in this country.
That a mischievous campaign is anu
has been under way for months to
make critical the relations between the
! two countries is probably true, as sur
missed by the Paris Gaulois, but that it
has any substantial basis in European
| jealousy of American control at Pa
mama is most unlikely. The net result
! thus far has been absolutely nil but
the authors and the agents of the de
| spicable business have won the con
tempt which they justly deserve.
| Philadelphia Ledger