The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1914-09-25
JAPAN IN THE LIMELIGHT

With the entrance Of Japan into the
world war and with the California
land question still unsolved, the Mix
ADDS Empire is again in the limelight
and is demanding our attention.
One by one Japan is determining to
remove all obstacles put in her way
by Western powers. Fifty years ago
Russia snatched Saghalien from ia
pan; Japan's victory over Russia in
the late war restored it 10 its former
possessor. At the end Of the Chino
Japanese War the Muscovite Empire
ordered the japanese out Of the Lao
Tung Peninsula; ten years later the
Japanese drove the Russians out Of
the same peninsula. The Kaiser &C.
cupied Kiau-chau after he had severe
ly admonished the Japanese for taking
Port Arthur; to day the Mikado is
returning the Kaiser's courtesy by
lecturing to him about the peace Of
the Far East ard the territory integ-
rity Of China.
Nothing is settled until it is set
FLED right, and the japanese obvious
ly believes that he is in the right in
dealing with great international prob
lens that involve him. With this in
view it is interesting to read two new
books written by X. X. kawakami, a
japanese jauthor and journalists in
this country. In "Aisia at the Door"
(Fleming II. Revelle Co.. price $l.50I
the author discusses chiefly the Jap
naese question in our country, but the
book contains many paragraphs which
directly touch the present the present
world crisis. In the chapter on "The
Meeting Of the Two Worlds" he says:
1--WE Of the West arc fond of call
ing ourselves civilized and intellec-
tual. but to what extent have we
purged ourselves Of our primitive
love of brutal force? We admire
nations that battle and men who deal
blows in order to chastse the unjust,
making but lukewarm ecorts to right
wrongs and relieve oppression before
the wronged and oppressed are COM
PEELED to appeal to force"
And again in discussing the Mon
roe Doctrine, Mr.. Kawakami has this
to say;
"lf the meaning Of the Monroe Doc
trine must be stretched so wide, may
not Japan also be justified in setting
up u Monroe Doctrine of her own?
The Western nations persistently
taught the japanese the dangerous
doctrine that might is right and yet,
when the japanese are ready to trans
late that doctrine into their policy,
we would connive at such acronts
/ 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 Aisiatic people against the aggres-
sion of the West, "for she clearly
realizes the impossibility of casting
her lot with the huge, inert mass of
humanity that inhabits the Asian
continent. She believes that her in
terest is more closely interviewer with
that Of the Occident than with that
Of the Oriental races, that in temper
ament and inclination she has much
more in common with the Western
peoples than with those of Asia"
In Observation-Disclosures Relations"
(Fleming II, Revell Co., price $1,000
the author discusses many vital prob
lens acecting the relations between
Japan and America. We may not
always agree with him in his conclu-
sions and statements, but it is re-
freshing to read such books written
fearlessly and straightforwardly by
one who is evidently Thoroughly con-
versant with conditions in both Japan
and in this country.