Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1917-11-02

, experience has mastered the infrIcacies Of
Oriental politics.
1~ HERE may be five or there may be
HH twenty good reasons for the dis
!. !.
HI patch Of Japanese missions to the
I'll United States at this time. Each
| n Eslhut. and all of the five the twenty
| " ~ have been guessed, aDd have, in
| F%1gxIS fact, been publicly discussed But
| rms behind the fve-or the twenty
| ~ NlSf1 there Is one reason big enough to
-sIrSRESl swallow all the rest, and it has
-1szS not been mentioned at all.
Japan comes seeking the friend
ship of the United States because she has not an
other friend in all the world because she occupies
a position of cruel and dangerous isolation Her
statesmen, when they look forward to that day
of the congress of nations which shall remake a
tortured world, know that things stand
they will find at the council board suspicion
where they desire sympathy. They know that
there Is none to whom they turn with any
comfortable certainty of support-unless it be
America Can they win the friendship of Amer
lea, friendship based on mutual trust and liking?
Only such friendship will avail them.
Official Records Ignore Isolation.
The story of the isolation of Japan, of the
paradox of the member of the great alliance
against the central powers who is without a
friend is not to be found in official documents
but its truth is nevertheless indisputable.
When war came, three years ago, the states
of Japan believed that Germany would be
defeated in six months. In other words they
played" the allies to win, and win quickly, and
they acted accordingly They demanded the evac-
uation of Shantung by Germany, they invested
and took Kiaochau, and they made naval dispo-
stionS in the waters of the far East which were
of undoubted assistance to the British admiralty.
The aggregate effort involved was relatively small
but it ranged Japan, as her statesmen thought on
fba win cid md fbav fol fbaro ford
Indifference to the bitterness and the hostility
thus caused in Germany.
Japan's Early Part in the War.
Then, the months went by, with their ever
recurring stories Of German success on land, the
statesmen of Japan were haunted by the fear that
they had backed the wrong horse. Little by little,
therefore, they allowed the ardor of their cham .
pionship of the allied to weaken. The gov
eminent of Japan did not move much as its
little finger when a powerful section of the press
which it exercises complete control became
openly contemptuous of the chances of Entente
victory when the attacks upon Great Britain grew
daily in volume and bitterness when the Anglo
japanese was fouted and strong pro-German
tone became everywhere apparent. Nor did the
government of Japan associate itself-save in
tardy and lukewarm way-with the commercial
against Germany which the allies
certed and carried out. Japan in those days Of
fered the extraordinary spectacle of a country at
feeling Small wonder that, as this condition of
affairs and its inner meaning came home to Great
Britain and France, they grew suspicious and
sentful.
Developments outside Japan not of a sort
to allay this suspicion and resentment. In
Kiaochau and throughout Shantung it soon be-
,ame clear that japan intended a long stay, and
proposed also that much than the lions
share Of the benefit of that stay should accrue to
Ter The British and the French found hundred
little hindrances there-nothing large enough in
my single instance to make dignifed complaint
,ossible but enough all told to exert very pow
rful effect.
In China generally. the allies of Japan had to
ealize that their preoccupation with the conduct
f the war furnished an opportunity which japan
and very cynically took. japanese ag-
ression became more marked than ever. Japanese
emands upon poor, disrupted China were unend
ng The nations of Europe, and with them the
rnited States. could see nothing in this but a
esire on the part of Japan to make profit out Of
he en1barrassments of Others-a selfish and
ust proit said the embittered critics The states
len of Japan were Indifferent to this criticism.
hey saw German victory approaching, and they
ere strengthening themselves against that day.
For they had another card up their sleeve.
hey had before them the possibility-indeed, it
as at one time a probability-that separate
sace would be concluded between Germany and
ussia and that Immediately thereafter Ger
an Russian-Japanese alliance would be con-
uded pact between countries contiguous in
rritory. punderbund to be conducted on the
ltocratic principle to which all were loyal.
MachiaveiIiansm Astray.
And the months wore on, however, and 1916 drew
a close this faith in full German victory weak
led The strategy of the allies was increasingly
berent and effective the Britain they had con-
,mned was making a gigantic effort and was
hieving an unexpected and admirable national
iciency and there was anxiety in the councils of
,l,vo 1rhev had antagoniZed Germany, they had