The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-05-06
MAcDALENA BAY MYSTERY
More Evidence of Our Disposition to
Distrust Japan

More Evidence of Our Disposition to
Dstrust Japan
Mr.. Taft has taken twenty-eight
days to reply to the Lodge resolution
him, IF not incompatible
with the public interest, to transmit
to the senate any information in
possession of the government relat-
ing to the purchase of land at Mag
dalena Bay by the Japanese govern
ment or by Japanese company" In
the interval sensational prints have
proved the case against Japan for
their own purposes and have made a
great hullabaloo about her sinister
design to establish a naval base on
Magdalena Bay and flout the Monroe
doctrine.
The presidents reply to the Lodge
resolution is in the nature of an an
ti-climax II had been owlishly in
timated that he would take occasion
to reaflirm the Monroe Doctrine,
bring it down to date with a Magda-
lena Bay setting, as it were, as a
warning to Japan but what the pre-
sident does is simply to acknowledge
the receipt OF the resolution and
transmit a report of the secretary of
Through the Japanese ambassador at
Washington the government at Tok-
10, apprised by him of the report as
sociating il with negotiations to ac-
Quire a tract on Magdalena Bay has
made IAN unreserved and categorical
denial Of the rumored purchase of
land at Magdalena Bay in the imper-
ial Japanese government or by Jap
anese company, characterizing the re-
port as entirely sensational and utter
" without any foundation whatever.
The Japanese government declares
further that IL has never directly or
indirectly sought to acquire land on
Magdalena Bay for any purpose
whatsoever, or even contemplated
such a thing.
Through her ambassador Japan has
before attempted to lay the Magdal
ena Bay spectre, but it would seem
that so long as Japanese citizens en-
gage or seek to participate in bust
ness enterprises on the west coast
OF Mexico she will be officially iden
tilted with them and suspected OF al
uncanny stratagem to secure a nava
base for the purpose in her chosen
time of destroying the United States
fleet. Selling the Panama Canal anC
ravaging our Pacific coast. IL II
waste of breath to point out tina
with the United States Navy in pos
session of Pearl Harbor and the San
Francisco and Bremerton bases thu
Japanese at Magdalena bay would b.
absolutely checkmated. The alarm
lists will have it that once Japan OF
tanned a foothold on the Mexican
coast she would overwhelm the SCI
power of the United States by a sor
OF naval jiu jitsu, the secret o
which is known only TO herself
Therefore II her subjects negotiate
for fishing rights or coal depot TO
steamships they are acting for tn
mikado's intriguing and militant gov
eminent, bent on the subjugation o
humiliation of the American people
Now the facts that suspicion feed
on in this case which was said I
involve the Japanese Government
were these, according to the state d.
partment. an American syndicat
having a concession in connectio
with tract of land at Magdalen
Bay was tired of the bargain and d,
sired to transfer It's rights to a Jal
anese syndicate which was represen
ed by an American attorney II
sounded the state department. Woul
the United States government oppos
the transaction. looking al It throuG
Monroe Doctrine spectacles? tn
syndicate would not take over II
rights without the countenance
the japanese government, and
seemed polite to inquire whether Il
United States would regard II
transfer as Objectionable. The sta
department did not encourage n
project intimating that in some qua
] ters II would provoke "a great on
cry" which would be embarrassin
Subsequently the American conce
. sionaires planned a partnership wit
the Japanese promoters, the Amer
cans to retain control and manag
ment of the enterprise The stai
department declined TO sanction
and there the matter dropped. Ma
urally the department Cannot a
sumo that there is on foot any pr
iect calling for action on the part ,
the government OF the Unite
States" II refers to the rumors /,
Japanese designs on Magdalena Ba
as "of a kind that all too freQuentl
occur to the detriment of public OPT
ion In the respective countries an
are so alien to the cordial relation
OF the governments concerned"
The incident shows how apprehe
sive the Japanese government is thu
the investments Of its citizens
this hemisphere may be mlsunde
stood aud excite suspicion, and
the same time how careful the Tn
ted States government is. IN defe
ence to mistrust OF Japan. to wit
hold official sanction of a businei
contract about which no question