Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-06-26

WASHINGTON. D. c., Juno 25.-Has
the European war. along with the
guerrilla lighting Iii Mexico. served TO
turn American attention from tho is
sue most vital to American weil-being
vital. even, TO American safety? Have
We become 50 absorbed in the Euro
p"an drama that we stand all uncon-
SOUS whilc IN the Orient a stage is
set Tor drama, where we may no
longer be spectators, but leading play
frS with a life-and-death interest In
u" issue Of the plot?
That such 81 tho case is tho sohor
opinion OF some of the kcenes. and
most experienced students OF the Far
Eastern situation. Their reiterated AS
scfuons az To tho dangerous state of
"""'S III Inc East arc causing Amer
iCahs 10 turn their eyes inuu!r-
!"E!y across tho Pacific. in spite of
many assurances from other author!-
~, VINO Fid!cuie any talk OF serious
trouble as 81 hybrid creature Of the
J.ht;o and the yellow press.
IL is hardly possible for any Euro
Pe"h country long TO keep secret the
STATE OF It's public opinion toward the
united states. Take the case OF Ger
many 'or instance. when. from time
TO u'ne' there arises the question OF
"'Ihi"s" relations over points OF in
t"Fha'lonal Law. y score OF corrcspou-
dents Keep us posted on every new
shade OF feeling in the German ma
tonal mind. We know how. the Gcr-
man people receive our SUGGESTIONS
and offers almost as soon as we know
now the American nation M n whole
regards them. 1t would be i,nnossilI.
for Germany. or any other E:,,rouc,,
nation. I" adopt "a national attitude.
That would take us by surprise. with
Japan the case IL fundamentally and
fatally different
Japan is nation that speaks a
language 80 totally different from
ours that IL Is an immense task for
AN American I" learn II, and one that
comparatively fcw undertake. Japan,s
written word Is built on a system bas.-
ca!iy opposed 10 our script; it IS even
harder for AN alien TO master than
the language. AZ n result. Americans
who speak Japanese arc few and far
between: Americans who read It few
CT and farther. Add TO this the fact
that Japan has to-day the strictcst and
most effective OF press censorships.
and two facts become evident.
First. that behind tho wall of an
alien tongue, rc-entorccd by the cen
sorship. almost anything might be go
ing on in Japan without our knovl-
edge: and second, that whatever does
get published in Japan. even in the
''ycllowest" section of tho press, has
a certain smack of the authoritative
that a similar uttcrancc in this COM
try would lack. because every Japan
csc paper has been passed by the OIL
cial censor.
The significance Of this state of af-
fairs as applied to tho United States
lies in the fact that il obliEes us 10
give different reception TO news from
Japan. which at first glance seems al
most incredible. than we would give
to similar news from any other coun-
try. II we were told that public SEN
timent in Germany or Russia had
shifted in few years from friendly
attitude to one violently hostile: that
this change was being deliberately en-
couraged by at least Il section of the
government, and with sinister purpose
we would be justified in laughing.
When the Same charges are made by
men of high standing, they are
made, against Japan. then it is time
for us to do some serious thinking.
1t is charged. and backed up by
numerous quotations from Japanese
vcrnacular and English papers, that
there is a deliberate campaign going
forward In Japan to arouse anti
American sentiment throughout the
nation. 1t is no news to Americans
that there has been an increasing lack
of cordially in JapaneseAmerican re-
lations. but that affairs have come To
the point where the United states is
conceived in the popular mind as
Japan's active opponent and logical
enemy does come as news, and news
of somewhat startling character.
1t is fact that. except along the
Pacific Coast and certain tracts of the
Rocky Mountain region, American feel
Ing toward Japan has vacillatcd he
tween Il rather sentimental sympathy.
an honest admiration and n great in
difference. On the other hand Japan
has never regarded us with indincr-
ence. We have, from the beginning
of her modern era, filed 4 much larger
place in her national outlook than she
has occupied in ours. Americans were
concerned primarily with domestic ar
fairs, and then with concerns touch
ing other nations on the American
continent. and European powers. Ash
attic municipalities trailcd along Il poor
third. In Japan's scheme of things.
the United States often occupied first
place, and never sank below a rank
OF high Importance. At the same time,
the merciless logic of conflicting ne
cessities several times forced us across
the path of the island empire. and
made us appear to her people in the
light of a barrier between them and
their destiny.
Even now, the United States remains
in two stands Numerically opposed 10
tho wishes and policy of Japan The
solution Of each Of these dcadlocks, II
has heen significantly and explicitly
stated. is merely postponed. The pres
ont status in each case has been def