The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-06-08
He IS AMAZED At
MANNER AMERICANS |
NOW LOOK At WAR.
Japanese Member Of Imperial
Diet Gives Impressions
Of His Visit
THINK TOO n
OF GREAT CALAMITY
Japan Knows the Horrors Of
War---Proposes a Monroe
Doctrine for the
Far East

NEW YORK, June 7.-Y. Take
GOSH, a member of the imperial diet
of Japan, who was amazed while
travelling in the United States to OBJ
serve the lighthearted name in
which the possibility of war was
treated by Americans generally. in an
exclusive article written for The Viz
gilman describes how Japan breads
because two cen conflicts have
taught her its horrors. He has also
something to say regarding a Japan
ese counterpart of the Monroe doc
trine. Here Is the story written by
the Japanese statesman:
After a long and interesting tour
Of the United States. during which /
came in contact with many leading
people of all classes and opinions, I
wish to state my impressions Is q
japanese. especially in regard to ths
respect to American thought most at.
fecting relations with Japan.
In the course of my recent tour I
was enabled to cover a considerable
extent Of territory from Mexico. on
the south, to Vancouver. on the north.
and thence as far eastward as New
York, returning westward by way II
New Orleans. New Mexico and Ari-
IONA. finally reaching San Francisco
on my way home.
Amazed at N~onchalance.
The persons who most impressed
upon me the subject of which / wish
to write were politicians and Journal
lists, persons who to some extent at
least are in all countries supposed to
represent public opinion. Now the
thing that nrforJrk1l 49,
the most frequent question put to
me by these persons had reference
invariably to the possibility Of war
between America and Japan.
In the arst place. I cannot help
suggesting that a good many people
In America think far too lightly az
so awful a calamity as war. I was
indeed not a little amazed at the ap-
parently n~onchalant strain adopted by
some OF my ~interlocutors in DISCUSS
ing SO serious a subject as interna-
tional slaughter.
Americans have long been accus-
toned to regard themselves as a sue
cessful people. But desirable an at
tainment as success is, is not without
It's dangers. / venture to say that no
sane japanese a ever contemplated
so dire an e~ventuality as war with
America, and. therefore. the best re-
ply to any suggestion Of this nature
is silence. Invariably I tried to ina
press upon my auestioners the uni
versal Japanese liquidation that war
with my country. much more with
so old a friend as America Is and
would be the most serious, the most
tragic. the most inhuman and horri-
BILE event that could possibly take
place.
Knows What War Means.
Japan today fears war with a sane
and wholesome dread. because she
well knows just what war a
There is perhaps no nation in the
world today that deplores the horrors
of war more thai Japan. because no
other nation better knows what war
means.
America does not posses this dread.
full and dearly purchased knowledge.
Tor her people have had no real war
except for many years.
l am well aware, of course, that
there are multitudes OF good American
citizens who view war as I and nv
country do and who are doing what
they can to make their influence felt
among the lighthearted majority. The
fact that n of Americas greatest
and most successful men has at an
immense outlay established the Carr
negie peace foundation proves the ex-
istence of a right and powerful moral
attitude towards war among the Amer
lean people. Nevertheless. frequent and
unseemly references to the possibility
of war betwen Japan and America
continue to mar a certain type OF
American newspaper representing. no
doubt. the party to whom most OF my
criticisms applies. But I beg to as
those to whom my words apply
that IL war is ever forced into being
between Japan and the United States.
it will not have been due to any real
grievance. but will be simply the ap-
palling result OF the ignorant and ~
ing urnors circulated and famed 10
blaze by that section Of the Amer-
lean population now 30 fertile In
~jingoists. .sgs# ss43A5s d
Material Is Small Part. @
America in the midst Of her grea4
wealth and prosperity looks upon her
great and increasing fleet. manned ~
gallant officers and men with pride.
yet hardly stops to think how really
small a part is played by ships. ON
pared with personnel. in q moderu
war. The tools are important. O1s
course. but almost nothing compAra4S
with the spirit and efficiency Of thoee
who handle them. 1t seems to me that
there are some Americans who think
1t would be as easy fortheir MAG
nihcent battleships to win a sea neht
as it was for the great white 1ee8
to make its way around the world =
few years ago.
Russia, with her big Baltic neo&.s
learned this fatal mistake only when
II was. alas, too late. Perfection az
material equipment and the latea&I
thing In outward material ara not
the decisive test In assuring victoF3ss
1t Is something spiritual not mateyt14s
that, after all. makes the real soldfQ4aa5$
And 30 I tried to assure my AIn41@s
lean friends that The very last thtm1
my country wanted was war. and te4&R
the very last country Japan would
wish to clash with would be her Q4$
and sincere friend, the United 9Na4<l
II America has any waritke coaooI