New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-23

that Japan hopes ana connuentiy eh-
poets to dominate tho Pacific Ocean,
This 10 tho sort Of thing that Hearst,
in his sngerness to servo tho German
cause, was perpetrating In 1915:
DAY by day We play Jspsn's game.
We work ourselves into . furious rage
of psrtisanshIp over the war In Europe,
which 10 not aimed at rs At all.
Japan steadily pursues her preparation
for war upon u.s."
This is followed up by . typical
Hearst cartoon. representing Japan as
a crafty and prowline cat; also by
threatening letters purporting to
emanats from Japanese subjects.
Again, tho Hearst papers proclaim. ad-
dressing the government Of tho United
States;
'If you should decide upon q course
that inevitably means war with Ger
many, that moment japan would pre-
pare to strike her blow at US =.
and Japan would most certainly for
sake the ALLIES and Join the Teutonie
powers In order to be free to strike her
blow at u.s."
As the entry Of this country into the
war grew nearer and nearer Hearst
continued beating furiously the anti
lap tom-tom. As a specimen of his
genius for prophecy. take this. which
was published early last March:
"The plain probabilities In the event
Of unlikely but still possible disaste,
are that Mexico would take our South.
west and restore II to barbarim, that
Japan would take the Pacific Coast"
etc, etc.
To the country At large the thinner
mann note disclosures. with their self
betrayal Of German plottines In Mex
leo. served as warning against the
perils Of German intrigue and reused
general resentment against the clumsy
Teutonic schemers. Not in tho wsrlike
breast Of William r. Hearsti His re-
sentiment was against Japan, though
that nation had been in no manner
compromised By the revelation. He
resurrects his pet DOGGY. Of an alliance
between Germany, Japan and Mexico,
and calls on the United States to keep
"out of war as long as We can with
honor" (imagine adjusting the nations
destnies to Hearst conception of ma
tional honorD and prepare for "the
eventual war which must come; |. e.,
the war with Japan.
Even after we had ranged ourselves
beside Japan against the Central
Powers Hearst did not hesitate TO i'm
pute. in an editorial Of July 20, the
basest treachery to our Oriental ally:
This nation may yet have to face
alone a combination of the Central
Empires and Japan before the war Is
over"
Whenever Germany's case was at its
worst in this country Hearst shrewdly
trotted out the Jap DOGGY. to divert at
tention from his friend. the real foe.
Thus it was when ruthless submarine
depredations had strained the Amer
lean temper to the breaking point,
Hearst has word Of justification, or
at least of eXpediency, in favor of the
sea-slayers who had been destroying
the lives of helpless neutrals. And. of
course, he ponderously drags japan
into it. lie writes:
THE other day The American said
editorially that We ought not to go too
far in restricting submarine warfare,
because some day We would need to
use submarines to beat of Japan's In
evitable attack"
Which, followed through to its con.
clusion, would seem 10 mean:
Lets not protest against German
murder of our people, because some day
we shall want to murder the Japanese
in the same way"
To the discussion Of the Sussex note
Hearst's most significant contribution
was covertly pro-Germsn and overtly
anti-Japanese:
''The one great war which We are
sure sooner or later to fight will be
With Japan
OF late Hearst's aid to Germany By
keeping up suspicion Of Japan has been
mainly in sneering references and sly
jabs Of satire.