Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-03-18
JAPAN A BUFFER
If CHINA AWAKES
Japanese American RidlCuIeS
HObsOn's War Ideas.
MIKADO WHITE RACES FRIEND

Nor inclination to Attack United
States--childrer Revere America.
In the years to come when China
has awakened either as a great mill
tary power or as "a mighty commercial
people whose millions dwarf the mem
DRY of the Anglo-Saxon race of today
the American people will find that In
teaching Japan its first footsteps in
the kindergarten of western civiliza-
ton its broad minded ancestors were
rearing a friend that would be needed
In times of STRESS" declares DIR. Mi
nosuke Yamaguchi, Nj. A., Phi. d.,
Nj. d., graduate of Yale, who is taking
course OF studies at Columbia Med
tcal school
Il think Lieutenant Hobson's theory
that Japan is preparing for war with
America has been pretty well explod-
ed. but / would like TO point out some
of the reasons why anything but
friendship between the two countries
Is impossible.
81 was born in Japan and grew up
there. | have been the pastor of one
of the greatest churches In Japan, and
to make my work more thorough there
have come back TO America and be-
come a doctor of medicine. ! know
Japan. l graduated from Yale, was
Medical school In Cleveland and have
lived a great deal in New York, and /
know America
Sentiment For America.
'There were always reasons why
Japan could not attack America sue
cessfully. There have for many years
been sentimental reasons why she
would not If she could 1t was Amer
lea who came knocking at our doors
when we were a close corporation, a
stay at home provincial people.
| In the kindergartens of Japan today
the little children are taught patriot
ism, which becomes a fierce fire In
every breast The little ones are taught
the story of how your American sailors
came to Japan and pointed the way to
occidental civilization and how the
United States was the first and best
friend we had in the congress of world
powers. Japan never forgets this.
What we are today as great world
people we owe to America, and does
lany one think that we shall so soon
forget?
Modern Japan is too busy to think
of the impossible task of mastering
great country like America. Ii has
been suggested that we want the
Philippines. Now, it is not generally
known that the climate of the Philip
pines Is as bad for Japanese as it is
for Americans
Japan Busy Colonizins.
I'VE have been trying to colonize
and settle Formosa. but after all the
time we have held that island we are
stin fighting there to maintain a stable
| government and TO establish decent
laws We are trying to COLOMBO IL, but
Mt tremendous cost In treasure and
men, 1t Is not yet a paying PROPOSE
don. And what would the Philippines
be7 Formoea offers a fertile field for
our overgrowing population for at least
twenty-five years to come, and our
most northern island in Japan is hard
ly settled 1t has room for millions of
more people.
II have often pointed out that 1t
| would be impossible TO send Japa-
/ nese fleet with soldiers TO Hawaii to
bold those islands against the force
that America could rush there. Even
IL we took Hawaii how could we come
on and attack any part of America and
hold IL long enough to get our breath?
II we were TO seize the Philippines In
some unguarded moment. wouldn't
they be an elephant on our hands in
the supreme struggle with the United
States that would follow? 1t would
leave our home country exposed to at
tack
Japan Too Poor to Fight.
FINALLY. Japan's finances are not in
condition to warrant its undertaking
such foolhardy thing az war with
America. and so FAR as can see we
have pretty well mapped out how we
are going to spend our spare cash in
the next ffty years by the things that
we are planning to do In Korea, Man
churia and Formosa
like all the rest OF the world, we
are preparing for emergencies. We are
training our young men TO shoot, and
we are building battleships and forts.
The problems in the east are too great.
China Is awakening. No one can tell
at this moment what turn the great
sleeping mystery of the ages will take
when she wakes mp
What would happen II when she
finally bestirs herself Napoleon. an
Attfla or a Mahommed should step for
ward and point 10 world empire7 1t
would be in such a case that the wis
dom OF Japan in maintaining an
armed fist would be indicated The
rest Of the world would be glad that
China's nearest neighbor. impregnable
on its own islands. az England. was a
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