Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-07-04
How About Japan
BY Frederic y. Haskin

The lid is on now, but the pot Is still
boiling.
Almost as remarkable as this state
Of affairs has been the attitude of the
American public. II the English press
ran over with hostile comment, II the
Germans published year book stating
openly that they were planning their
navy with view to possible conflict
with the United States, If the French
press proclaimed that we were block
ing at every turn the manifest mission
Of France, If the newspapers of the Ar.
gentine shrieked that we had imperial
designs on South America and called
on all loyal Argentinas to beware, we
would certainly sit up and take notice;
at the very least we would freely dis
cuss this regrettable misunderstanding
and ask what 1t meant. When the Jap.
anese press takes lines similar to all
of these, why do we ignore the whole
question:?
1t is due largely to the fact that the
American public knows little about it.
News emanating from Japan Is pecu-
liarly under official control because the
great Japanese news-gathering agency,
the Kokusai. which corresponds to tho
Associated Press and similar organiza-
tions in America, and to Reuters in
Europe. is a government controlled in.
stitut.op. The Japanese language is In
itself an effective screen for large
part of what goes forward. ILL.,
q One very significant fact stands out
upon consideration Of the attitude or
the Japanese press and people through
oil hot
~ considered, explains good deal,
and ought to be borne in mind in study
ing our relations with Japan:
The Japanese over estimate the i'm
portance we attach to them and to
their projects, the mass Of the people
has been given totally erroneous idea
of our attitude toward the whole far
eastern question. They see In the
Asiatic continent hot bed of their
vital interests and they somewhat has
tily take it for granted that there lies
Americas most vital and primary in
terests also. t
To characterize such a notion as er-
roneous, Is not to imply that the Unit
ed States underestimates the import
ance Of the principles at stake In Asia.
1t does mean that the Japanese press,
Intentionally or otherwise has not got
the true perspective on our national
views and ambitions and that the
spreading of this misapprehension is a
fertile source OF unfriendliness.
For illustration take the following
from the Chuwo of February 1, discuss.
ing our Philippine situation. "Especi-
ally as America Is now inclining to-
ward Imperialism and is trying to ex-
tend her power to the Orient, 1t would
be q great blow to her to lose the Phil
ippines." And from the very powerful
Nichi Michi, on January 80: America
is Fastening her defense works In or
der to further her ambition in this re-
spect, so that she may overwhelm
Japan with her navy and compel japan
to sit quietly by while she makes de-
tendency of China by means Of her
wealth." The absurdity of such views
Of our ambitions does not make the
statements less harmful in their effect
on the Japanese people. To tell the
Japanese that we have imperial ambi-
tons in Asia is the surest way to stir
up feeling against us. And 1t seems
impossible that the men who wave this
scare head really believe It themselves.
Sometimes the suppositions Of the
press are even more specifically err
roneous, to call them by no harsher
name. For a single instance: 1t was
published in q vernacular paper In
China, while the Japanese were NOV
ing on Kiao-Chao. that America was
sending a fleet to protect China's
neutrality. The Japanese press took
UP the item and wrote red hot editor
ials about It. When the bottom. fell
out of the statement, the matter was
simply dropped. Nothing was done to
correct the impression given the
people. So far as the more ignorant
millions knew, America had sent
fleet, or wanted to send a fleet, and was
only checked by Japanese diplomacy.
The upshot of the whole cloud OF
representation and Misrepresentation
is simply this That Japanese public
sentiment has turned strongly hostile
toward America. Such being the case.
It is important that the American
people realize It, 1t is fact to be re-
membered in all our dealings with
Japan.