Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-10-01

.ur people are made to believe thai
| lie United States is preparing to at
ack US. 1t is most amusing. | hav
many American friends and of cours,
We discuss these things. AL of a.
now that there are all reasons for
both nations to be friendly. The
whole body OF this talk would be
ridiculous in the extreme if it were
not that such reports lead to the
maintaining OF expensive fleets, to the
building OF coast defcnses. | have
had some experience in war costs,
think, and | know what such foolish
ness means in money.
Il sincerely believe these reports
| have German origin, since German!
has never wished US we'll and woul'
like to see us in difficulties with thC
United States, but the United State
and Japan are TOO far away from eacl
other to have the same jealousies tina
exist among the nations OF Europe
with neighboring frontiers.
"On the other hand, there has
sprung up large commerce betweel
the United States and Japan, and ii
has steadily grown since the present
war, since we have been unable to
buy in European markets many sup
plies formerly obtained there. With
both countries prosperous, our buying
has led to return buying in silks and
many other articles on the part OF the
United States. Our own foreign COM
merce, export and import, reached an
average Of $700,000,000 yearly before
the war and | expect it to be better
now.
Discusses Philippine Question.
at has been stated we want the
Philippine islands. 1t is far better fol-
Japan to have the United States de.
Jelop those islands. She is able to
spend the money needed to do it and
we are not, and it is fine thing for
US and our trade to have peaceful and
prosperous neighbors, no matter who
they are, 1t is one of the economic
errors of the present, for instance, to
suppose that the losses OF Europe are
the gains of the United States and
Japan, because they happen to be sell
ing supplies. We are sure to feel those
losses i'll Europe in the end.
Now for the Russian treaty and
Japan's attitude towards China. 1t
has been freely stated that the Japan
csc are unfair and dishonest in bust
ness. will admit that there is a
good deal Of truth >in this, so far as
concerns us in the past. 1t must be
remembered that when the United
States and European merchants began
to trade with us, silver was worth
about one-fifteenth as much as gold
among them, whereas, with US, it was
worth one-fourth as much, by our
coinage act These merchants took
advantage of this situation and ex.
changed their silver for gold. Our
people here got the idea that foreign
ers were tricky and it may be said
they retaliated in kind, as a matter
of self-protection. Latterly, however,
we have started our young men to
commercial schools and they have
learned international ways OF doing
business, and | feel sure in the future
we will no longer suffer for a con-
dition which grew out Of miscon-
ception as to what business meant. De-
The Russians and the Japanese
have learned and we'll understood
since the unfortunate war of l904-05
the / ional characteristics of each
other, and gradually we have become
quite friendly. The new treaty merely
puts this spirit on paper, and is not
inimical either to English or American
interests in China.
Explodes Alarmist Report.
Let me right here explode the old
alarmist report that the Japanese want
yellow-race domination of the east
I'm sorry to do it, but the facts arr
that the Chinese are too proud to ally
themselves to little people like ours,