Arizona sentinel and Yuma weekly examiner., 1914-09-10
AMERICAN-JAPAN RELATIONS

E
 With the entrance of Japan into the world war and with the California land question still unsolved, the Mika- dos empire is again in the limelight and is demanding out attention. One by one, Japan is determined to re- move all obstacles put in her way by Western powers. Fifty years ago Russia snatched Saghalien from Japan -Japans victory over Russia in the sessor. At the end of the. Chino-Jap- anese war the Muscovite empire or dered the Japanese out of the Liao- tung peninsula; ten years later the Japanese drove the Russians out Of the same peninsula. The Kaiser ocuu- pied Kiau-chau after he had severely admonished the Japanese for taking Port Arthur; today the Mikado is re- turning the Kaisers courtesy by lec- turing to him about the peace of the Far East and the territorial integrity of China
 Nothing is settled until it is settled right, and the Japanese obviously be lieves that he is in the right in deal ing with great international problems that involve him. With this in view it is interesting to read two new books written by K. K. Kawakami, a Japa- nese author and journalist in this country. In Asia at the Door," the author discusses chiefly the Japanese question in our country, but the book contains many paragraphs which di- rectly touch the present world crisis. In the chapter on ''The meeting of the Two Worlds he says:
 We of the West are fond of call ing ourselves civilized and intellectual, but to what extent have we purged ourselves of our primitive love of the brutal force? We admire nations that battle and men who deal blows in or der to chastise the unjust, making but lukewarm efforts to right wrongs and relieve oppression before the wronged and oppressed are compelled to appeal to force."
 And, again, in discussing the Mon roe Doctrine, Mr. Kawakami has this to say:
 ''If the meaning of the Monroe Doc Urine must be stretched so wide, may not Japan also be justified in setting up Monroe Doctrine of her own? The Western nations consistently taught the Japanese the dangerous doctrine that Might is Right, and yet when the Japanese are ready to translate that doctrine into their own policy would we connive at such affronts? I think not. What, then, will be the result?"
 And yet the author does not believe that Japan will proclaim a Monroe Doctrine for the Far East and lead the Asiatic people against the aggres- sion of the West, flor she clearly | realizes the impossibility of casting | her lot with the huge inert mass of | humanity that inhabits the Asian con- tinent. She believes that her interest 1 is more closely interwoven with that of the Occident than with that of the | Oriental races, that in temperament | and inclination she has much more in | common with the Western peoples than with those of Asia"
 In "American-Japanese Relations" the author discusses many vital prob lens affecting the reations between Japan and America. We may not aways agree with him in his concu- sions and statements, but it is refresh ing to read such books written fear lessly and straightforwardly by one who is evidently thoroughly conver- sant with conditions in both Japan and this country.