Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-08-07

| EOA ONSI Tic LuISSlOu VI ISCOuuI lSull
and mis- suite to Washington The
hopes conferred IN this special embas-
sage mirror the Two real parties into
| which the nation is divided. Call one
| OF these the GermaniZed, or mllitarIs-
tic, or lingo element, or whatever
name you will to signify the devotees
OF the principle OF the strong arm.
But yesterday II was dominant here
and slgnanzed It's power by capturing
! against Its better judgment the gov
eminent headed by Marquis Okuma.
| But that spectacular victory marked
| its downfall for it could not endure
! the turning OF the limelignt OF the
worlds puOliC OPINION upon its dis
credited morality. But though no
longer ascendant in japan ii is by
no means dead. 1t still controls some
OF the journals.
This element in the nation which
forced Niscount kato to issue the ia
nous Il articles, which wants to hold
kiauchow, is bound to incorporate
South Manchuria formally into the
| empire, and hankers even after the
| control of North China IS the author
OF the phrase, The Asiatic Monroe
| Doctrine, and loves to eXpatiaLe up
on the analogy which the situation
of China and Japan bears to that OF
| Mexico and the United States" And
not few Americans, carried away
by the phraseology, are taking up
these rally1ng cries as though they
were the maxims or political wisdom
as well as OF international square
dealing. They fail to see that the
point Of view represented by these
formulate leave China entirely out OF,
consideration as though she were no
party to the policy they propose.
The Monroe Doctrine was a perfect
ly simple declaration and concealed no
Interior aims. 1t warned Europe that
the United States would tolerate no
territorial exploitation of any Amer
lean state by European power. What
ever corollaries to tnis have been sub
sequently added as in the cases of
Hayti and Santo Domingo, the United
States never claimed that it had the
right to seize territory or foreclose
thereon where it had forbidden other
powers, nor did it claim for itself spe-
cial or paramount interests or spheres
OF influence in North or South Amer
lean states outside of its own do
main. If the "Asiatic Monroe Doc
trine" means for eastern Asia exactly
what the Monroe Doctrine has meant
for America, the United States should
be the first to stand behind Japan in
a declaration that no territorial az,
grandizement shall henceforth be to-
Grated at the expense of China. This
would necessitate Japan's refusing to |
do what all the rest of the world !
would be warned to refrain from do |
ing. That would involve the restora- !
ton Of Kiauchow and end the claim |
Of any foreign power to special or |
paramount interests or spheres of in
fluence in the great Asiatic republic |
As matter Of fact the United States |
never dreamed of limiting in the
slightest degree the freedom of the |
other American countries, the trade |
Of many Of which with Europe far ex.
ceeded that with Uncle Sam.
Il may be we'll to consider for |
moment the actual facts behind this
phrase paramount interest" Which
nation has the right historically to
claim this in China, Japan or Amer.
lea? For nearly 100 years the United
States has been flooding China with
the best it has had to give. 1t has
dotted the country with schools and
colleges, has commissioned thousands
of its most unselfisn and highly cul-
tured men and women to give their
lives in helping the Chinese to a
higher plane of civilization and pros
perity, and Of late it has planned
hygienic campaign of the largest sig
nificance for the nation and is back.
ing this movement with unexampled /
generosity. In addition to this 1t has |
freely educated large numbers of
young Chinese in its choicest towns
and leading universities, and signaled
Its unselfish interest in its neighbours
welfare by returning a large part of
the Boxer indemnity. Furthermore, it
has freely extended to China both
and backing in helping her
rid herself of the opium curse. All
this constitutes a special interest, or
II you will, sphere of influence the
ike of which no other nation can for
! moment claim.
What good has Japan rendered
/
lease Of certain parts of Manchuria or
IN appropriating Germany's steal of
Kiauchow that can for a moment be
with this record of the I
United States?
Is it not time for nations of the al
led group to stop thinking in terms .
If the nineteenth century and to begin {
using the concepts with which the {
world war has replaced these ancient I
symbols?
The only interest or influence in |
lation to which any other has a right I
o lay claim is that created by friend s
y service. The very nature of this :
interest forbids its use in selfish ex- s
,loitation. But the noisy element in I
Japan which is sensitive over the ma I
ions influence on the Asiatic cont. !
lent and which demands that other
covers concede to it special privileges
n that republic, privileges which no '