Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-07-04
II. Between Friends.

II. Between Friends. ".
Washington, D. c., June 80. More
than a year ago, American residents in
Japan appealed to the authorities, ask
Ing them to curb the hostile attitude
OF the vernacular press. Strangely
enough, the incident attracted little at.
tention in this country. London cor
respondents gave more space to the
analysis OF the situation tlan did Am.
orleans, although England Is the ally
of Japan and might be expected to
avoid delicate subjects, especially
when they do. not concern her directly.
For some time now the yernacular
press of Japan has been engaged in an
agitation of grievances against the
United States. The tendency was
strongly in evidence before the OUT
break Of the war in Europe; on the
commencement Of Japan's hostllities
with Germany it grew more yirulent,
as it was thought America was going
to favor Germany. but that position
hastily proving untenable there was
and Is reversal to repeating accusa-
tons of discrimination and injustice
in regard to the treatment OF the Jap
anese in California" So wrote the
staff correspondent of the London
Morning Post, from Tokyo, in Febru-
airy, 1915. whose viewpoint should b.
that of the unprejudiced observer. Be-
tween Japan and the United States.
England has always been neutral.
The Posts report of conditions is i'm
rortant because shortly after'that date.
the open anti-American stand Of the
Japanese press was somewhat modi-
fed, probably by reason of government
command. The protest of American
residents In Japan marked the climax
of what may or may not have been
an organized campaign to stir up hos
tility. But that the unsatisfac tory re-
lations between Japan. and the United
States still occupy a large place In the
Japanese mind can readily be seen
from a perusal OF the Japanese press
today. gr,s ~ -. 4
For. instance, the, powerful =. Osaka
Mainichi declared as lately as Janu-
ary q last, in the course Of friendly
discussion of the Immigration question
that Japan considers the gentleman ,
agreement itself as a humiliating
agreement. If that agreement is to be
trampled on, and laws are to be- passed
to restrict Japanese immigration, the
Japanese nation " Ill not stand the hui
initiation And the Osaka Asahi re.
marked on February. that III the Am
erican legislators are going to; take a
hostile attitude toward Japan and the
Japanese, the latter will not be able to
keep their patience. Exactly, what
would follow in that event was not
specified. ~ 80
Such utterances are mild. They
come after the real storm of invective
is past. The steadily increasing prom
inence of anti-American propaganda,
the gradual shift from friendliness to
an attitude Of question and thence to
actual hostility, eliminating in state
Of the press that even neutral and dis
interested observers characterized as
"virulent" and alarming taken to-
gether form remarkable instance OF
the molding of the public opinion OF q
whole nation. This demonstration OF
the power of the press is one in which
Americans have something more than
an academic interest ~
Such a campaign, continued through
years, can not fail of it's effect. It must
be borne in mind that of the fifty-four
million Japanese, the great majority
read nothing but the local vernacular
press Of their distnct-such Of them
as read at all. Among the illiterate, it
Is the announcement OF that same
vernacu1ar press that Is spread by
word of mouth. There is no reason
whatever for the lower class Japanese
to doubt the literal accuracy Of what
he reads in his papers. They are his
only source of information about world
events. II they tell him that the Unit
ed States is maliciously interfering
with the eminentlyS just and .laudable
plans OF the empire, love of which is
with him not only a matter Of patriot
ism but a religion. heaccepts the state
ment without question.
Nothing has been done to dispel the
impression thus created While actual
Indictment. Of hostility has abated, the
public mind is left with the totally err
ron eous impression that America re-
CARDS herself as the enemy OF Japan.
A strong public sentiment has been
worked up against the United States