The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-07-01
Words of High Authority.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright, 1917 By Net0 York Erenin0 Post Company

gave America, England, and
France something to worry about
which a year ago would have been
dismii'sed as unthinkable.
To infer from this that the
United States believes Japan may
some day listen to German pleas
for a separate peace would be to
impugn the good faith of Japan,
something that has been in more
ways than one attested by the
blunt refusal OF the Tokyo gov
eminent even to receive peace
overtures instituted by Berlin
government upon one occasion
during the past year.
But the average American. while
impressed by such Incidents
which, by the way. from the Jap
anese point OF view, should have
been given far greater publicity
by Japan in this country-i3, never
theless. looking askance at japan.
wondering why she is keeping her
big armies at home. what she pro-
poses to do with her Increasing
military resources, and conjuring
up all sorts OF thoughts about de-
signs that Japan may have on
China in connection with that al
legged readiness to push for a para
mountcy in the Far East-and
this at a moment when attempts
by the other members OF the en-
tente to conserve their equities
could lead to an impairment OF
the solidarity Of the allied cause
itself.
How much all Of this is due to
the successful spread of anti-Jap-
anese propaganda by German
agents in the United States San
not be estimated. Certainly, the
newspapers OF Germany and some
of the German-language press IN
this country have omitted few Up-
portunities to create suspicion and
antaGOnism in the American
mind against Japan.
The .ote TO China.
When the United States failed
TO consult Japan about the recent
note to China, the Incident took
on an Importance far more than
1t deserved not because the State
Department for a minute intended
to precipitate a discussion OF
r'ar Eastern politics with Japan.
but because the japanese newspa-
pers seemed to lay surprising en-
phasis on an Insignificant affair.
Distrust by one nation OF anoth-
er is cumulative. Governments in
their diplomatic relations assume
that each is sincere and ACTING in
good faith, but the peoples. less
restrained by diplomatic finesse,
have their own opinions and views.
Yet these very suspicious and
privately entertained doubts must
be removed In order that the
friendship between countries mag
be real instead OF artificial. And
IL Is absurd to argue that real
friendship between the Japaneso
and American peoples Is forever
impossible because OF racial -
ferences.
This is absurd. because IL is I'M
American and contrary to the fun
damental spirit OF our people. Is
not oUr feeling of friendship for
the Chinese real? Does not AmerI-
ca nevertheless. for economic
reasons, bar out the Chinese i'm
migrant? There is a genuine feel
ing OF thoroughgoing friendship
in the United States for the Chi
nese which can be made as deep
and lasting on our part for the
Japanese. America is herself n
big melting pot. II Japan is dis
trusted or disliked. II Is not be-
cause OF race or color. but inner
ent faults in the diplomacy OF the
respective governments or faults
in the dominant PHILOSOPHERS Of
the respective nations.
MilitRrism as "A dangerous
philosophy has been too often ex-
planned TO need discussion here.
Yet underneath the distrust OF
Japan haTbored by many Ameri-
cans Is the conviction that the
japanese are a military people,