The San Francisco call., 1913-07-20


Spanish war and our emergence as a
world-power, we have built the Pan
anna Canal. BY an especial appropri-
alton of March 4, 1911, and another
of August a. 1912, we have spent
$3,000,000 and $2,SO6,95O respectively
for fortifying three islands at the Pa
cific entrance of the Canal. The At
lantic entrance, one assumes, will also
be fortified. But to what end? When
have Notifications availed against a
sufficient fleet? Ones only guide is
what has happened in the past Forti-
fications may have moral effect. But
the Athenians at Syracuse, Admiral
Farragut at New Orleans, Admiral
Dewey at Manila, the Japanese at
Port Arthur, sailed by supposedly i'm
pregnable Notifications.
THE United States is now passing
through what, in certain quarters,
has been made to appear as crisis
in it's relations with Japan. This is
by no means the first time that rela-
tions between the two countries have
become strained; since it can easily
be recalled that very shortly after the
Russo-Japanese War the people of
California became alarmed at the
prestige of Japan, and at the increas-
ing immigration, thrift, and business
methods of the Japanese. There were
at that time, and there since have
been interchangeS Of views between
the two Governments. Within a year,
also the reported acquisition by a
japanese corporation of fishing-rights
and a station at Magdalena Bay led
to an explicit disclaimer by the Japan
ese government of any interest in or
knowledge of the negotiations, though
the negotiations brought about the
following more precise definition of
the Monroe Doctrine by the United
State Senate:
"Resolued, That when any harbor
or other place in the American cOnti-
nents is SO situated that the Occupa-
tion thereof for naval or military pur-
poses might threaten the communi-
cations or safety of the United States,
the Government of the United States
could not see, without grave concern,
the possession of such harbor or other
place by any corporation or associa-
tion which has such a relation to an
other Government, not American, as
to give that Government practical
power of control for naval or military
purposes"
Yet what are now discovered to be
the facts? Far from contemplating
any extensive colonization in Amer
lea, or in this hemisphere, the Jap
anese Government is making every
effort to withdraw it's colonies wher-
ever practicable and to concentrate
them in Southern Manchuria. This
policy is a measure Of self-preServa-
tion; since a similar policy guides
Russia in the North. On every pre-
text Russian soldiers with their fam
lilies are shipped to Manchuria as
colonists, it is even said that every
porter and guard on the Trans-Siber-
ian railway is a member of the Rus
sian reserves. AS concerns the navy,
despite the fact that the one-ship pol
icy of Congress has reduced this coun-
try to the position of poor third as
a naval power, in naval conflict
with Japan we should have little to
| fear, should she fight alone. Our pres
ent dreadnought strength is more
than double that of Japan. Before
| it's fleet could sail from Yokohama
to our coast our fleet could double
| Cape Horn and be there to engage
| them.
No one would have much respect
| For tho man in Congress- or ont who