Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-06-27
HOW ABOUT JAPAN,-JI
BY FREDERIC J. HAskIN

u f1AShIN |
plans of the empire. love ., u,h,oh
Is with him not only IL matter OF mn.
t.!otihni. but "A religion. he accents the
statement without question
N",Hlns mas been done to d.spel the
III! tSS.oh mus created. While actual
Indictment o! hostility has abated the
PUBIC mind is left with the to,,u,
erroneous Impression that America va,
CARDS herself as tho enemy Of Jansn
y strong public sentiment has been
worked up against the United stsrss
Inc ia Is now on but the not ia s,ul
boiling - s''''
americas Attitude Is STRANGE
Almost as remarkable as this stat.
OF aiairs has bees. the a,t!tude Of 10
American public II the English nret.
ran over with hostile comment. 81 ~.
'-fHa ms published yearbook stating
openly that they were planning ,neir
navy with a view 70 ooEsinIa eo,at.,
with the United States II the Ererrh
press proclaimed tina, We we're bloct
iHS Z every turn the NANTES, -nissto,
81 france II the newspapers az n.
- genuine shrieked that We had Inv,
p"!ial designs on South America ana
la!!eH on all loyal Arsentinos to be.
"ar'' we would certainly sit up and
'hHe notice a. the very least We
""N'H real discuss this --g.e,,at,l,
miENrderS standing and ask uhn, 4,
means When the JapanHse pres.,,r
uA|s similar 20 all OF these why Do
We ignore the whole question?
u Is due largely 70 the fac, ,ha, ,ne
American public knows little about :,
Ne"s emanating from Ja?an is re
'uHsf!N under official control. because
NJ Ef"a' japanese news gathering
'seHcN The E."kusal. which CORRESPONDS
20 the Associated Press and s,n!la,
"rea nizaiLoHs IN America and 10 Reu.
'sf IN EVropc. IS Goverrrl-n,.csr.
'r"li"d institution. The Japanese Inn
gusse IS IN irs.slf an .mrctiv. scraan
'or la's" part OF wha' goes forward.
one Ner" significant tact stands ON,
upon consideration ~ m .,,.,ud. a.
the Japanese press and r=cpl+ through
a! ineE= years. II is one that rr5-
er!y considered. EXPLAINS a good 6ea!
ana ought - be horne ~ rlind in
studying our relations with Japan
The Japanese over-est;ma,e the in,
nortanoH We attach 10 them ard to
ths!r projects. inc mass o: The peopl.
has been given a totally erroneous idea
Or our attitude toward the whole Far
Eastern question. Thev see in tho
Asinric continent hot-bed of their
vital interests. and they somewhat
hastily take it for granted that there
lies ,rcrica's mos; vital and primary
interests also
To characterize such a notion as err.
ed states urd-restimates the mport.
anos ~ the principles at stake In
ASIA IL does mean that the Japanese
press, Intentionally or otherwise, has
got the true perspective on our ma
nal Views and ambitions and tina,
N" SPREADING of this nlisa pprehens;on
is fertile source OF unfriendliness
Our Ambitions Misunderstood.
For illustration. take the following
from the ChnwO n Eahr,,r,,
cussinE our Philippine situation
Especially as America is now inclin.
ing toward Imperialism, and IL trying
TO extend her power to the Orient, II
would be a great blow TO lose tho
Phiiippin"s And from the very pow
erful Nichi Nichi. on January 80:
America is fastening her defense
works in order to further her ambi-
ton IN this respect. so that she may
"verwhelm Japan with her navy and
compel Japan 10 sit quietly by while
she makes dependency 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 neonlc
TO tell the Japanese that we have i'm,
perial ambitions in Asia is the sures,
way To STIR up feeling against us And
II seems impossible that the men who
wave this scare-head really believe II
themselves
Sometimes the suppositions OF tho
press are even more specifically cr
roncous. to call them by no harshel
name. For single instance: II was
published III a vernacular paner i'm
emma while the Japanese We're NOV
ing on kiauchau, that America was
sending fleet To protect C.hina's reu-
tral!ty.~ The Japanese press took I'm
the item and wrote red hot editorials
anout IT, When the bottom fell out Of
the statement, the mater was simr1y
dropped Nohing was done TO correct
the impression given the people So
iar as the more ignorant millions
knew, America had sent fleet. or
wanted to send "A feet. 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,
II Is important that the American peo-
pie realize it, II is a fact to be re.
membered in all our dealings with
Japan.