The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-12-07
RODERlCK 0. NATHESON, Editor
The Far East

II HAkGES winch are multlplylng from re-
~ king, Toxic, Washington and London, that
t gsfo9 y2tt btslS4s Ra t. he i Us
ed States and JRtan,, the propaganda, being. int
stgated and financed from Berlin must be borne
in mind-even If they be disbelieyed+tn reading
the various dispatches purporting to deal with
Japans designs upon China, the anxiety of the
Entente to perfect arrangements to bring China
into the alliance the friction which is supposed to
he developing between Japan and Great Britain
and the other like items which have been cir
culating. o., a., al .,4...7 a.. ~. n ,..,, ,,,,,
1t would be excellent business for Germany il
Japan and the United States could be brought into
collision over China. Even a diplomatic ruffle
would help, inasmuch as the United States and
Japan are the two countries from which the Allies
are now drawing huge stocks of munitions
anything could happen to induce either or both
to keep their powder at home for an emergency
the gain to the cause of the Central Powers would
be immense. AT the same time, with japan hiotR
a war partner of the Allies friction the PacIiir
would tend to throw the United States into active
friendship with Germany. The latter Power,
therefore, has all TO gain and nothing to lose by
promoting trouble.
For this reason very probably, the Picking des-
patches keep alive the question Of Japanese 'as-
gresson Chna-wards. knowing that the United
States is very much concerned China's fate
1t is fact that Japan. 10 all practical effect, has
declared a Monroe Doctrine for Asia, saying in
substance that "the principal cause OF trouble in
China has arisen from the various concessions,
political and financial given to other Powers by
China whenever she desired money. These con-
eessions were made use of by such powers to for
ward their own interests which more often than
not clashed with ours. That meant we were cou-
stantly involved in difficult negotiations with for
eign powers. Our interests were at stake and we
have already fought two wars on that account.
We desire to aid in eliminating possible factors
of friction when the war is China is IN
capable of defending herself, 50 we will take that
responsibility upon our own shoulders"
And after all is said and done, our Monroe
Doctrine for Central and South America IS The
same thing, for very much the same purposes. In
the beginning, when President Monroe issued lis
ultimatum to the world, it was primarily for the
protection Of the United States and the interests
of the United States, just the Japanese doctrine
toward China rs for the interests, primarily Of
Japan. Nations rarely moved through
altruiSm.
Our interests in China are the interests Of our
trade, while our interests in the Americas is the
protection Of our borders Japan's interest in the
Amer icas is the interests of her trade, while her
interests in China is both trade and self-protectiCn
While insist upon the Monroe Doctrine we
cannot logically dispute Japan's claim of predom-
nance in the Far East, and it would the height
of foolishness for this ma ion to be hoodwinked
into disputng a doctrine in Asia for the benefit
OF the one European Power which has consistent
ly questioned our own Monroe Doctrine, as late
as during the very recent near-embroglio in Hayti
Hearst and his enue-only crowd would have
America believe that Japan is threatening the
United States when it announces the hegemony
OF the Orient and Hearst sermons, based on the
dispatches of subsidized agents in Picking are 10
be expected for long while to come. But there
is probably just much truth in the pcklng
specials as Hearst prints them, as there is m the
Specials which the yellow journals print under
a Honolulu date line, and we here know just how
much that is.