The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-08-16

! Japan In the United States. l earnestly
hope that other men and other meth
/ DDS will be employed by Japan in en-
ideavoring to prosecute along legitimate
4 lines her aims and aspirations. which
I will be the more beneficial to her the
( more nearly they approach justice and
/ the observance of agreements In both
spirit and form.
However innocent personally OF
wrongdoing, merely because he car
rfed out I'm the letter and In the spirit
/ Baron Kato's instructions that 'ae Use
his best efforts and "his best en-
! deavors' TO hamstring China through
the. twenty-one demands" and
: wishes Doctor Eki Hioki has out
/ lived any possibility of usefulness at
! Picking. l join with the New Orleans
Picayune that the Elder Statesmen
! will continue their fight against the
I methods which the record proves to
have been both mistaken and most
1 harmful
( A Charge Against Japan.
have gone very carefully over the
records available concerning the ne
gotiations at Picking and the treaties
| and notes arising theTefrom. and
have with great regret been forced to
the conclusion mat the facts consti-
tute a terrible charge against Japan
OF duplicity and unwise use of force.
say this with sorrow, and also with
the knowledge that many of Japan's
most distinguished sons must regret
as heartily as can any American or
Inon-Japanese the treacherous ann
harsh methods employed against
| China in the name of Japan, These
are strong words. but unfortunately
they are more than justified. some
| Japanese. even in official position
have expressed to me personally their
own emphatic disapproval of a policy
which even they believe gravely mis-
taken, II not outside the pale of hon
orable diplomacy. Japan must know
and recognize the truth in her own
/ interest. in the interest of the world:
and the truth is that her official
spokesman did not tell the truth, but
/ falsely accused China of misrepresen-
tation, when the real misrepresenta-
| ton emanated from the foreign office
at Toyko. 1t will be remembered that
all through the months of February.
| March, April and May, Japanses and
! American friends of Japan in this
country were iterating and reiteratina
the advice to suspend judgement until
the facts can be made known, and
then they will see that the Chinese
and American missionaries in China
are telling lies, that Japan is not do
ing anything to hurt China or TO
| hurt American interests in China"
All through the deplorable course of
the now manifestly threatening war
like proceedings In Peking, the Amer
lean people were told TO trust Japan.
She contemplates no aggression on
| China. Her word is her bond"
i "No Ulterior Motive"
4 When she first moved against Ger,
many at Tslngtao. Count Chuma sent
!, a personal cablegram to an American
publication assuring us "as premier
/ of Japan" that Japan had mo ul-
terror motive. no desire to secure more
II territory. no thought of depriving
! China or other peoples Of anything
which they now possess" And he
added:
Il MY government and my people have
given their word and their pledge.
, which will be as honorably kept as
Japan always keeps promises"
!, Japan's official record of her trans
| actions with China, couped with the
other evidence now coming to ligh!
cuts props from under the platform
upon which Japan's friends sought to
!. justify her proceedings before the
|
, sake it is well that the truth be fully
recognized by all Americans. IT, az
seems too certain. the Japanese for
eign office inclines to the view that
duplicity will serve to win ultimate
/ success in modern diplomacy, the of.
ficials of the Japanese foreign office
J are gravely in error. 1t IL the part
!, of friendship to undeceive them be-
3 fore they destroy here and in Europe
, belief in Bushido as a Japanese EN-.
| bodiment of honor unstained. / be-
! lieve that the Elder Statesmen and
: the upright Japanese gentlemen and
| statesmen. whom many Americans
have known and admired, cannot
longer approve this policy that the
{ world condemns But as yet il Is of.
+ fetal; 1t Is the act of Japan: but II
will, l trust. in Japan's own interest
} be soon abandoned
j Assurance Versus Action.
: Count Okumas solemn declaration
r to the American people was made
on August "a of last year. A little
: more than a month later me solemnls
assured distinguished American who
is also a close friend of the Chinese
: president, that so long as he was pre-
mier OF Japan there should be no
aggression upon China, no war with
China.
: No one who knows the circumstances
i can doubt that when Count Okuma
|, made this last declaration he knew
: that 1t would be conveyed to President
Yuan Shih-kai, of China, he declared
! that 1t should be conveyed to Presi-
dent Yuan Shih-kai, of China, and he
! took good care to assure himself late
that he was correctly reported in what
he said in its transmission to the pres
ident of the Chinese republic. 1t is
I important to note this fact, because
when all is said and done the char
lacter of Japan's proceedings can only
be judged in accordance with the
amount of credence which can be given
to Japanese declarations. 1t Is true
that Japan and China did not come
to war. It IL not true that there was
no aggression. Had China been In
condition to fight. does anyone doubt
/ that the demands would not have been
made?
/ If Japan did not tell the truth to
! China, to America. or to sner own al
lies while she was preparing to use
| force, II necessary. and was applying
thumbscrews at Picking, we have a
right to know 1t. Japan is processing
for lis feelings of friendship Ameri-
cans in the Orient question her friend
ship Whom are we to believe, Japan
! -. - lx,