The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-07-03
Council Explains HozV
Red Cross War Fund
VIII Be Spent
GERMANY ANTI-JAPANESE
PROPAGANDA IN AMERICA
Cry Ethel Watts Mumford of the
Vigilantes.)

Do you realize that Germany has
spent millions upon millions to
create ill feeling between the United
States and Japan? Not only of re-
cent years has this been the case.
Germany's efforts to make America
fight her battle goes back a decade.
Ten years ago her aim was to force
a war between her two greatest
trade rivals in the Pacific-why not
I; would have cleared the seas for
her 1t would have destroyed the
commerce of two great nations, and
left Germany the unquestioned arbi
ter of trade in the whole Orient, with
England bad second to be reck-
oned with later. Twelve years ago l
travelled with an alleged scientific
expo dtion" of German professors, all
CT them military experts, on their
way up from Central America and
out to the Hawaiian Islands, their
ultimate destination Japan.
in California their activities con-
sisted of a newspaper campaign of
interviews, all Of them fomenting an
ti-Japanese feeling. There was
plentiful outflow of money. All that
was wanted was publicity and more
publicity.
1t was from this same group of
pseudo scientists that the fairy tale
of sixty thousand Japanese soldiers,
employed as laborers in Hawaii,
rady to rise and seize the islands
at moments notice" emanated. 1t
was started in the German clubs of
Honolulu and sent broadcast back to
the United States. where, most un-
fortunately and most foolshly, it
was believed. | was in Hawaii dur
ing the entire year when this Ger
man propaganda was sweeping over
America, and l have good cause to
know it's source and it's untruth One
member of the expedition who was
a constant visitor at our house, fire.
quenty expressed his hpe of "awak
inG America to her yellow peril" and
in Il second breath would launch on
glowing descriptions of Germany S
future in the Pacific. That scientific
expedition was but one of the thou
sands that succeeded each other, all
working for the one end.
In Central and South America the
German clubs were, and | have no
doubt are today, nothing more nor
less than military centers. Teutor
activities in California are uncea5-
ing. and they very nearly accom-
plished their purpose. If it had not
been for the widsom of the Chief
Executive and the unheard of for
,bcarance of Japan, the melted pub
lie might have bought Germany's
supremacy at the cost of their own
gold and blood.
Are you anti-Japanese? Are you
a believer in the Oriental menace:
Stop a moment and ask yourself
why?
Realize this, Japan does not want
our Pacific islands. They are too far
away and would serve no purpose of
expansion. Her great coast line,
her broken formation, require ia
pans navy for defense. Her natura,
ortlet for population is north,
Through Korea, which she controls.
to the great grain fields of Man
chura, which she needs and even
trajly will have, and which Germany
was determined she should not pos
sess, for it brought her too close to
IChina, upon which which Germany
had cast more than a longing eye.
Germany has been busy with her
Ianti-American work in Japan also.
but Japan and the majority of the
japanese realized it. Unfortunately
the American public has let itself be
dCoed. Many otherwise well-in-
formed people have allowed the in :
sidious seeds of suspicion to germi-
nate-not realizing that the accent
is on the German. Are you anti
Japanese? | repeat-stop moment.
and ask yourself why?