Evening star., 1916-06-29
REPLIES TO ASSERTIONS
Of HASK|N As TO JAPAN
J. Selwin TAFT Answers Several
Statements Made in Refer.
ence to Nipponese.

To tie Editor of The Star:
l must confess to having read with
a good deal of surprise Mr.. Haskln
articles under the caption How About
Japan. What is the object. l would
like to ask, in writing at this time
series of syndicated articles on the ir-
responsible authority of the yellow
press of Japan? Such articles tend to
impress the American nation at large
that the people of Japan are endeavor-
ing on the one hand to organize a de-
liberate campaign in Japan to arouse
an anti-American sentiment, and on the
other hand to cultivate in this country
a sense of false security which shall
lull US to Sleep in order that we may
be taken by surprise and be easily
victimized by ''fiercely inimical ana
heavily armored little empire"
If such a charge had any real foun
dation in fact and the conditions were
as stated, the wiser course to pursue
would be to lay the proofs before the
State Department and not to throw
more inflammab1e material into COM
bustible situation, and in that way
precipitate the events which we should
prevent.
No Censorship, Is Claim.
Mr.. Haskin says that these utter
ances of the yellowest section of the
press are in a sense authoritative be-
cause. to quote his language, every
japanese paper has been passed by the
official censor" which "obIiges us to
give different reception to news from
Japan" That country is full of yell
low journalism. and if that statement
were true it would indicate a very
grave situation. Mr.. Haskin has, how
ever, been misinformed and I state
without any fear of contradiction that
the Japanese government exercises no
censorship over the local press. to
which Mr.. Haskin refers. This state
ment can be verified in this country
by application at the proper quarters.
and it serves to show that Mr.. Haskin
is writing about a condition which the
Japanese government is itself power
less to prevent and which. I may add,
is as deteStable to the japanese states
men as it is painful to ourselves. This
situation Is not. however widely diff
ferent from that existing in Europe and
In the United States, and as for the
latter / would suggest to those who
call the statement in question that they
examine the cartoon on page % of the
issue of June gath of the Saturday
Evening Post.
Refers to Growing Population.
Mr.. Haskin supports his views by
certain striking figures. to which
would like to refer. He says: Japan's
population is increasing "at the unbe-
lievable rate of almost a million a
year" Well, what of it? Her neighbor.
Russia, who has also some slight in
terest in that section OF the globe, is
increasing her population at the rate
of nearly seven millions a year, while
our own grows at the rate of upward
OF million and a half. Surely. If in
creasing population is factor to be
considered. Japan is not the country
to be afraid of. The European war
which will probably end within another
year. viii leave Russia with several
millions Of well equipped veteran SOL
be ample food for reflection in the
orient. yet we are feeling no concern
about it at all. and rightly so.
Danger Held Not Imminent
Mr.. Haskin refers to the population
of Japan as being BAT to the square
mile and adds, IF there is no safety
valve, sooner or later the boiler is
bound to burst" This danger is not at
all imminent. The United Kingdom
has population of $50 to the square
mile. and Belgium. before the war. had
671. Neither of those countries lacked
emigration facilities and opportunities
of the very best, and their state of con-
gestion was therefore. presumab bly,,
from choice. The fact is, in the case
of industrial nations, such as those
countries have become, and which
Japan Is fast becoming, the figures
which alarm Mr.. Haskin have no spe-
cial Significance at all. Apart from this
assurance. If a dangerous state of con-
gestion really did exist in Japan. !
would suggest that within their own
empire, in the north and in Manchuria.
she has by no means exhausted her
opportunities.
Extension of Navy.
with reference to Mr.. Haskin's some
what serious statement that in Japan's
yearbook "They were planning their
navy with a view to possible conflict
with the United States" I have this to
say: Apart from the fact that the
yearbook is not published by the
government at all, but by Prof. Take
mob. which would prevent its utterance
on such a subject being official. l may
add that in the yearbook for 1915. now
before me. the only remark touching