Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1909-07-16

East-Points to Danger In Japan and
Says Japanese Are Planning De-
cisive Struggle With United States.
After trip around the world, which
Involved extended visits I'm both China
und Japan because of an official gov
ernment mission with which he was
charged. Colonel James Hamilton
Lewis of Chicago recently arrived in
New York city. and, as a result of
close study Of actual conditions In the
orient, he emphatically affirmed the
necessity of the United States seeking
commercial alliance with the Chi
nese empire.
Colonel Lewis positively asserted
that the United States government, If
this nation is not to be mere non
entity IN the affairs Of the far east
cannot afford to recede from its right
to share in the development Of the
Chinese empire. A decisive stand, he
held, should be taken at the outset
with reference to American participa-
tion as nation and not as subsid-
larry through arrangements with for
eign bankers In the Hankow Szechuan
railway loan now pending final settle
ment.
I'VE have given too much attention
to what we are pleased to call our
business prospects in Japan" declared
ha In hn Sif
In a nutshell, land far too little atten-
tion to the great commercial oppor-
tunities awaiting development If we
but take advantage of the invitation
| offered in China"
In direct way Colonel Lewis threw
| light on the actual and inimical senti-
ment existing among the masses of ia
pan toward the United States. He dis
| closed certain Incidents, one of which
has never passed beyond government
circles, inspiring this attitude and fiat
ly asserted that "had 1t not been for
stringent lack of financial resources
the japanese would have attempted
seizure of the Philippines when the
Pacific coast states were ringing with
demands for anti-Japanese legislation.
"The United States must do one of
two things at once" he said. "She
must either withdraw from all associa-
ton with the orient and be mere
nonentity In the affairs of the eastern
world or push with force and decisive
ness her policy Of participation upon
her merits In the commercial progress
of Asia, and. further. she must demon
strate not only such to be her inten-
tion, but that she regards on the part
of any people move to prevent such
participation as an affront that will be
resented by such measures as would
become nation of the dignity and
power of America.
THE japanese official is not now
looking for conflict with America pe-
cause Japan has no money. Japan to-
day Is taxed to an extent in excess of
any country that can be called civil
lized. And the navy projected by ia
pan. coupled with the army basis in
prospect. when realized will make ia
pan the largest military and naval
power in proportion to its population
in the world, with one exception as to
army magnitude.
This course of military multiplied
tion ON the part of Japan is on the
! theory that 1t will ultimately be neces
sary for the defense of that country
against the foreigner and that now is
the time to prepare for what Its people
feel will be some form Of conflict In
evitable in the future.
1.-The ordinary citizen of Japan Is
busy today making war on the admin
istration in power because 1t will not
give America licking in punishment
for keeping the Japanese out of our
country and allowing our states to
pass or agltate exclusion measures
They demand answer as to why Amer
lean capital is allowed to enter their
country. why we are permitted to
maintain missionaries there and why
our people enter there at will, while
such privileges are forbidden them
here.
THE japanese is sensitive being
He Is more sensitive to being held up
to the world as enduring discrimina
tion than the mere loss involved en-
tails. The Japanese as nation are
discreet and reserve their grievances
for the opportunity Of retaliation and
compensation. Let me illustrate, and
there is little public knowledge Of this
fact. but saw the original records In
Tokyo When the United States an
nexed Hawaii there was then exist
ing between the royal governments Of
Hawaii and Japan contract by which
the Japanese were to enter those is
lands at will, while the products Of
Hawaiian sugar farms were to 60 to
Japan in exchange. When the United
States took the Islands and necessarily
extended the alien contract labor laws
Japan objected formally.
"This fact Is on record in Tokyo as
well as the fact that Mr.. Sherman,
then our secretary of state, gave as
surances that these privileges would
be continued. Today we are keeping
the Japanese out Of there naturally.
There are those In Japan who insist
hat had official assurances not been
given at that time they would have
opposed our absorption of the islands
and that. as the Hawaiians are more
allied to the Japanese than to the
United States, they would have aided
the opposition.
"All these things the japanese refer
to as typical of American discrmina-
ton II Japan had had money to sus-
tain an army and navy in conflict
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