Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-08

INI NIOINlO4-NOWduaNs one utdtS N1AS
little of the rumors Of war be-
Il tween the United States and
Japan. THO tell the truth, there
never was a time when one heard
much of that kind of talk in Japan
/ The war scare was practically nm
tied to the American side of the Pa
cific, although there was small lingo
element in Japan also. In the United
| states the war scare was the result
of the positive attitude taken by the
Japanese government with regard to
| the San Francisco school question,
coupled with the recognition of the still
| green laurels of victory which Japan
had won in the war with Russia. In
! japan the small element which gave
currency to jingoistic press dispatches
was engaged in the exploitation OF
popular doctrine of racial equality for
the purpose of influencing internal
| politics, In neither japan nor the
United States was the war talk based
upon any substantial reason or any
accurate information. ~,
| But it does not follow that the dip
lomatic intercourse between the two
nations was always peaceful and en-
tirely friendly The contrary was the
/ case. ONLY two years have passed
awav since the war talk was at It's
flood. and in that time the questions
at issue between the two nations nave
been CLOSED over, a public declaration
of peace and goodwill has been eX-
changed and the principal business OF
the Japanese nation now seems to pe
the reiteration of the undYing friend
ship of Nippon for Columbia.
The net results of the compromises
and agreements made during those
two years are: The practical cessa-
ton of Japanese immigration into the
] NrintOTU
ericans; and the practical abandon
ment of the American policy of main
/ tanning the open door in Chinese ter
ritorv. a victory for the japanese.
| The question of which victory is the
greater depends largely upon the
point of view, but there is no doupt
! that japan is satisfied. go
There was a time when it was diff
fcult for disinterested observers to
| fathom the mental processes OF the
! Japanese statesmen who fomented the
| San Francisco school controversy. 1t
! seemed absurd that Japan should use
a flimsy pretext to provoke a serious
| quarrel with a nation Whlch hau peeh
| more than friendly a nation whose
people fairly worshipped the little
! brown heroes" of the Manchurian bat
! tlefIelds So far as the San Francisco
| school question was concerned tne
| compromise effected was technically a
Japanese victory, but practlcally IL
amounted to nothing. The lnimedlate
result was the agitation against zap.
| anese immigration. Had 1t not beeh
! for the Japanese government action
| with regard to the San Francisco
schools the immigration issue would
| not have arisen for several years IN
| view of these facts it seemed that tne
japanese government had blundered'
/ fnA
japanese imperial program are pelns
| folded back the world begins to UNDER
stand more and more of the japanese
craftiness. If Japan and the united
| States had continued relations on the
basis of close friendship which exist
ed during and Immediately atter tne
war with Russia, when the people Oh
both countries were fairly bubbilng
over with mutual praises, the history
of recent events in East Asia might
have been written in far diHerent
terms. If there had been no SHADOW
of a quarrel the United States could
have supported the doctrine or the
open door and could have INSISTED
unon the observance of the hay
agreernent both in the letter and the
! spirit. lit. 49,
But Japan had quarreled with the
| Americans, and when the time came
| to save Manchuria the United states
| could not take any positive action LOT
| fear of further provoking the Jap
anese and thus bringing on trouble
which might result in a war Tor
which the United States is not pre-
pared The wisdom of the japanese
in picking a quarrel with the united
States was demonstrated when the
Japanese forced China to accept the
treaties which practically add south
ern Manchuria to the japanese realm
without one word OF protest from
Washington.
It has been Japan's policy to keep
I'D a sufficient amount of irritation IN
its relations with the United States TO
force the American government 10
adopt a policy of conciliation. In that
japan has been slgnally successful
| Diplomacy, of course, will deny the
truth of these statements and Will
point to the public agreement OF
amity and the constant reiteration OF
professions of undying friendship. IL
Is not the business of diplomacy TO
tell the truth about unpleasant sub
jects.
The only thing Japan has lost, con-
| cretely speaking, is the right of Its ma
tionals to emigrate at pleasure to the
United States. The Japanese resent
ed with genuine nationwide indigna-
tion the proposed exclusion OF Jap
anese immigrants by the American re-
public. They are very Jealous of their
| status as the equals of Occidentals.
AS a matter of fact, the Japanese po-
sition In the immigration controversy
| was wholly untenable. Under the
| troo+,y with Janan the United States