Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-06-27


WASHINGTON. D. c., June os.-More
than year ago. American residents
IN Japan appealed 70 the authorities
ASKING them 10 curb the hostile atti-
tnde or the vernacuiar press. Strange
~ enough the incident attracted 1T
tie attention in this country London
correspondents gave more space TO the
analysis OF the situation than did tho
Americans, although England IL ~.
ally OF Japan and might he expected
70 avoid delicate subjects, espeCtallv
when they do not concern her directly
For some time now the vernacular
press Of Japan has been engaged In an
aSil'rlon Of grievances against the
United states. The tendency was
strongly IN evidence before the out
break Of the war in Europe on tho
commencement OF Japan's hostiliti.s
Win Germany II grew more virulea,
as u was though; America was 20
ms 20 favor Germany. bat tha, posi-
ton hastily proving unteuahle iher.
was and - a reversal to repes,toe &c.
orsations Of discrimination and inius.
tee IN regard TO the treatment OF the
JapaHsS" in California" SO wrote the
stan correspondent OF tho London
MorninS Post. from Tokyo. in Febru-
AIRY, 1913. whose vi-wpoin, should he
'hat ~ The unprecedented observer R.-
tween Japan and the United states.
England has always been neutra
The Posts report Of conditions ia
important, because shortly after that
date, the open anti-Ancrican stand OF
iA% Japanese press wa somewhat mod
ihed, probably hy reason Of govern
m"nt command. The protest OF Ameri-
can residents in Japan marked ths
climax Of what may or may not have
been an organized campaign 10 stir
ur hostility But that the unsartsfac-
toFN relations between Japan and the
United states still occupy a large place
IN the Japanese mind can readily he
seen from a perusa! OF the japanese
press IN -day.
For inatance the powerful osag.
Ma!nichl declared as lately As Janu-
arV nth last. in the course or Z.
friendly discussion Of the Immigration
question that Japan considers the
gEntlrmen's agreement Itself a. a. hU.
initiating agreement, II thar agree
men, IS to he trampled on. ana the
laws are 10 he passed 70 restrict jap
anese Enumeration. the Japanese ma
ton Will not stand the hufniliation'
And the Osaka Asahi remarked on Feb
ruary that If the American legisla.
tors are going TO take a hostile at,i-
tude toward Japan and the Japanese
the latter Will not he able To keen
the!r patience. Exactly what would
follow In that event was NOT srecI-
fed
Press WAS Openly Hostile.
such urtaranccs are mild They
come after the real storm OF invec,ive
u, SPA, past Tn; steodtiE inereasine promi-
nence of anti American propaganda,
IN" gradual shift from fr,cndliness 70
an attitude ~ question md thence TO
actual hostility. eliminating N state
Of the press that even neutral and dis
interested observers characterized as
"viruient' and alarming" taken to-
sether. form remarkable instance of
the moldns of The public opinion of a
whole nation. This demonstration Of
the power of the press is one in which
Americans have something more than
an academic interest.
II began as far back as seven or
eight years ago The old enthusiastic
approval of the United States began
"a be missed from editorial and public
u,tcrances. as it became increasingly
evident that the United States would
oppose certain points in Japans pro-
gram. The atmosphere Of unfricndli-
ness increased, but for a tim. there
was nothing definite TO crystalline il.
The definite event came with Mr..
knoN's proposal for the naturalization
of the Manchurian railways To say
that such an idea was unpopular in
Japan is putting il mildly. Even to-
day. when the Japanese require an
example of American pertdy, they
and statcsmanlike Manchurian pro-
posal.
From that point the hostile tendency
grew in fashion easy to follow,
though II stil grew slowly. Other is
sues were substituted for the Man
churian railways. the immigration
question and the California land legis-
lation were kept in the limelight for n
season. and still later, the conflict of
policies in China: but always the
United States was held before the
Japanese people in the light of an
terferer In the manifest destiny of
Nippon.
Mischief Has Been Done.
In 1913 and 1914 the attitude OF the
press g6ew more openly hostile, false
charges against the United States de-
nunciations of our policy came faster,
until the whole matter eliminated in
the protest before mentioned. after
which the muller was clapped on. To-
is still suspicious and resentful. it is
hardly openly hostile. But the mis-
chief has been done.
Such n campaign, continued through
years. cannot fail of its effect 1t
must be borne in mind that of the
54,00o.000 Japanese. the great majority
read nothing but the local vernacular
press OF their district-such OF them
as read at ALL. Among the illiterate
it Is the pronouncement OF that Same
vernacular press that is spread by word
of mouth. There is no reason what.
ever for the lower class Japanese to
doubt the literary accuracy OF what he
source OF information about world
events. II they tell him that the
United States is maliciously Interfering
with the eminently just and laudabls