Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-02-05
JAPANS PLATONIC VAR WITH germany IS SUBJECT
OF APPRECIATIVE ARTICLE BY AMERICAN WRITER


, men from Fort Arthur fen upon the
Russian right at. Makden besides B.
| lighting contingent, there has been
call for body of 100. Oee Japanese
coolies to intreneh, that feature of
the division OF military labor having
impressed all foreign observers Of the
war in Manehuria.
1t is comforting to any people to
be appreciated. to have their merits
and abilities acknowledged, to be the
honored ally of Great Britain. and to
work with her in military and naval
undertakings: but japan has not at
all lost her head with all the sue
cesses, counting. and coaxing and flat.
terry that have gone on. She knows
she is great power. with a great
navy, and an army second to none in
merciless efficiency and first in hui
mainly and chivalry, and her people
have no notion of mixing in the Euro
pean mess, of marching to the sham.
bles OF Europe, of dying for any other
emperor than their own. Despite Con-
gresham HobsoR's warnings and pro-
phecies and the Vaccinations of the
Picking press and diplomatic wire-pull-
ers and of the American masquerader
| in Toxic, she does not want to and Is
| not going TO war with America. 1t
| would not pay, and Japan is very
hard-headed. practical Japan since the
last war left her the great legacy of
taxes. Japan is not striving to gain
the supremacy of the Pacific"-if that
means so per cent of the commerce
and carrying trade-because she al.
ready has it. end has had 1t without
realizing that it was anything to make
great fuss about.i Four merchant
ships under the American flag are a
| pitiful plea for supremacy" and
| more than this, our strangling naviga-
ton laws, the tyranny of labor unions,
the solidarity of the labor vote will
forever check the United States from
getting any more of the supremacy
AS good neighbors and mutual custo-
mers, the one needing silk and tea
as much as the other needs raw cotton
and machinery and wheat, there is
room and chance for both without
jealousy and crowding and blocking.
If ever there was the retort cour.
teous. Just retribution, and also an
object-lesson that no country can ig-
more, the Japanese have afforded it In
this little war at Tsingtau, cam.
paign that they entered upon with de-
liberation and dignity, with every cour-
tesy and honor to the enemy, without
| boasts or threats. gibes or jeers at
their opponents, and without any in
reference whatever with non-combat-
ants. The whole campaign was con.
| Quoted according to the rules of war
and of chivalry. "Noblesse oblige'' is
easily translated into the way of the
Samurai," and bushido, in working
even in the field, should by contrast
Igive acute heartsearchings and violent
bushes to some in Europe
1t was necessary to destroy the Ger
mans stronghold ON the Asiatic main
land and their coaling and wireless
stations throughout the south seas in
order to protect commerce and trade
and industry. Japan must have wool
from Australia and cotton from Amer
| lea and iron from China to keep her
/ factories running, and silk and tea
j and small wares must go to America
If Japans people are to live and pay
taxes. Her commerce must be pro-
tected at all cost, and, thanks to her
navy, Japanese steamships have cross
ed the Pacific back and forth unhin-
dered, keeping to their fixed schedules
just as they did last year
Japan has said that she will uIti-
mately return Tsingtau to China, ad.
ministering it until the peace confer
ence permits her to negotiate with
China. A peaceful and prosperous,
Shantung, growing beans and silk to
ship by the Japanese railway and jap
anese ships from the free port of
Tsingtau, will pay her best in the long
run, and Japan would gain nothing by,
holding on to Tsingtau. All Europe
grinned and scoffed when we said we
would return cuba after the Spanish.
war, but we did retire, and occupied
and retired from it even second time.
II the meddlers in Peking will only,
cease to stir. strife, China can date
great prosperity from the return of
Tsingtau to its owner, never again to-
be alienated to any European power.
/ In the last months the Germans wreck
ed all the public buildings, the docks
and wharves, and shell fire destroyed
| the great barracks and forts, the wa
fireworks, and the electric light works.
The young forests we're cut away on
the land side to give the guns sweep,
the 40 miles of perfect automobile
roads were neglected, and 10000, 900
/ marks of German taxpayers tribute
have gone for naught German trade
and commerce are paralyzed, perhaps
never to recover, and German mer-
chants, once on the pinnacle of pros
perity, are ruined throughout the Far
East.
Losses by fire in Canada and the