The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-08-04
JAPAN FOLLOWING FOOTSTEPS
 OF U.S., ASSERTS COUNT OKUMA
Agressions China Comparable United States Policy
 Diplomat Says-Dep1ores Criticism And Declares China Has Long Been Supported By Island Neighbors

San Francisco, August 3-The con 'duct of Japan toward China is tex especially for American un- 1derstanding by Count Okuma, the
 Japanese Premier, in message which has been given to The Asso-
 ciated Press offices here, by pr. Clay
 MacCauley, an American clergyman
 and author, who for many years has
 been a resident of Tokio and an active leader in the American and Japan esel peace societies.
 Count Okuma is said to desire greatly that the American under yetanding of Japan's relations with
 China be clarified in some particulars
 and Dr.. MacCauley, who has enjoyed
 close personal acquaintance with the Premier, undertook to gratify the Iatter's wish by reporting a summary
 of half an hours interview, which he
 had with Count Okuma, through an interpreter. This summary is de- scribed by Dr. MacCauley as a, faithful one, but not an effort to reproduce the counts remarks literally.
 s'The rise of Japan," the Premier began, 'has induced some concern and aroused some unrest in the West. In the histories of nations we see that often, with the genesis and growth of Ia, new nationality, violent aggressions,
 accompanied by various barbarities and sometimes atrocities, have mark I AESAA
 wondered at, therefore, that the rise
 and expansion of Japan have. dra wn 1 to them a suspicious attention in the I West, especially since the passing of 1.-the Chinay-Japan war 20 years ago, nd, now, a world attention is being given to the course of the diplomatic relations that have arisen between I these two countries. But the intelli- gent classes of Americans may easily understand the peculiar position in I. L | I1xy
 movement of events in the Far East. 5FThe United States has gained its I present greatness and power as the result of a long process of annexa- tions of territory by both purchase and conquest. You know that the l bought by your country, and that l Texas and California came to you through conquest. By these acts of l conquest Mexico, directly. must have
 lost greatly. Yet. indirectly, Mexico I has been benefited inmeasureably l faithful neighbor-the United States If, for example, your country had T been indifferent or passive 50 years I lago to what then occurred in Mexico Hhat country would have come under a rule of the French dynasty and the I greed of the ambitious Louis Napo- leon would have been gratifed. Mex
 ico should be grateful for the friend Iship and the helpful protection o1 1 the United States as given to her al I that time.
 Now it is not going too far to say that a very good parallel can be Et drawn between the relation at pres ent5 existing between Japan and China l and that guiding the conduct of the United States towards Mexico in the I past-the only noticeable difference
 being in the relative magnitudes and
 resources of the nationalities of the
 Far East. China has ben supported
 either directly or indirectly by Japar for a long time. Had this not beer the case, the ancient Chinese Empire now the newest repub1ic-woulc
 have collapsed and would have suf
 fered dissolution or partition long
 before this.