Omaha daily bee., 1918-10-21
JAPAN H AS NO
WAR AMBITION,
DECLARESHARA
New Premier Says He Will
Make Special Effort to Pro-
mote Friendly Relations
With u. S.
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
Toxic, Thursday, Oct. l0.-Taka-
shi Hara, Japan's first commoner
premier and leader of the Seiyukwai
party, said today in his first state
ment of his policies, that Japan had
no intention nor ambition of agrees
sion or conquest and that the coun-
try had no idea except to be in
proper condition for defense and
that the military influence in Japan
is not so dominant as outsiders may
believe.
Speaking of China, Premier Hara
said he held to the open door policy
of the Lansing-Ishii agreement and
would constantly adhere to the
policy of noninterference in the in
ternal affairs of China. The same,
he said, was true in the case of Rus
STA, where Japan only wished a re-
sponsible>government, whether boil
sheviki or otherwise. Japan, how
ever, would never agree to see Rus
STA dominated by German influences.
In conclusion, the premier de-
clared that Japan's expedition into
Siberia was the result of a consulta-
ton with the United States and the
allies and that Japan had no inten-
ton of taking independent action
in the future. Premier Hara de-
clared that he was amazed, on visit
ing America eleven years ago, to
hear the fears voiced by some
Americans that Japan's military
strength was designed against
America.
Stand on Defensive.
This is, of course, absurd" he
said. History shows that Japan
has never engaged voluntarily in
wars. 1t is admitted that our war
against Russia was purely defensive.
We have no ambition or intention
of aggression or conquest. The
present war shows that our agree
ments were defective and this will
be remedied, but Japan had no idea
except to be in a proper condition
for defense.
"Our victories in the Chinese and
Russian wars naturally led the
Japanese people to admire their
army, and this, in turn, may have
led to a misconception abroad of the
Importance which Japan gives to
ornaments.
THE military influence is not so
dominant in Japan as outsiders may
believe. Our constitution is still
young, and some of Our people may
favor similar form of government
to the German system, but the pres
ent ministry is united in the determ-
nation to secure the constitutional
development of Japan along the
popular lines which the war has so
indisputably demonstrated as the
worlds tendency and the desire of
the peoples of the world.
"The voice of the people must be
obeyed and the press is the great
medium of that voice"
Friendly to United States
He declared he and his colleagues
would constantly labor on the fu-
ture questions arising out of the
present war. Although the alliance
with Great Britain would remain
the cornerstone of Japan's foreign
relations, he said, he wished to en-
phasize that his special effort would
be to promote friendly relations
with the United States.
Please tell that to the American
people as convincingly as you can,"
he said, because my colleagues
and I keenly desire to see Japan
and America brought closer togeth-
er and every shadow of misunder-
standing removed"
Premier Hara produced the i'm
preston that Japan, which for the
last 50 years has been largely ruled
by bureaucrats has entered upon a
new and significant period of con-
stititutional progress, in which pop
ular opinion is more effectively to
guide the nations policies. Begin
ming life as newspaper reporter,
Hara's attainment to the premier
ship is regarded as proving that the
time has arrived when in Japan, as
in America, any citizen can climb
to the places of highest responsible
ity.