Evening star., 1919-08-24
BY CARL w. ACKERMAN.
OF very long ago I travelled
r through various parts Of
China, Korea and Japan.

NJ tuIoukn various parts or
China, Korea and Japan.
Last winter / was a corre-
spondent with the Japanese armies
and an accredited Representative with
the Chinese detachment in Siberia.
wa in neither country long enough to
become prejudiced. I talked to Ameri-
can and allied diplomats. japanese.
American and foreign business men.
searching for an answer to the puzzle
OF the far east, will Japan and the
United States have trouble over
China?"
There Is no denying the fact that
trouble has been brewing in the orient
for many years. No one who has been
across the Pacific recently can mis-
take the indications Chinese and
Japanese newspapers speak openly
about 1t. Almost Immediately after
the close Of the European war secret
service men of all nations were sent
to the far east. Our Navy Department
has just dispatched portion of our
feet to the Pacific. Shantung is given
more consideration by the opponents
OF the peace treaty and the league Of
nations than any other provision re-
lattng to Germany, our recent enemy
Why? That question is readily an
swered. The trouble center" of the
world has shifted from the Balkans to
China. and the great powers are pre-
pairing for a settlement.
*.* *s*
But the real problem which the
American people want to know, be-
cause they have been kept in igno-
rance for so long by the government
and press is, what is at the bottom
of these Japanese-American mis-
understandings?"
Because I am a newspaper man I
would be the last one to criticize the
press of this country, but throughout
my journey in the extreme orient l did
not meet single American, British,
French or Italian correspondent who
did not complain that he could not
interest" his editor in Chinese-Japa-
nese news. Every man l met repre-
senting the leading newspapers and
press associations Of New York, Lon
don, Paris and Rome declared that he
had "orders'' to "cut down" his re-
ports. These men thought there was
a press blockade" against China and
Japan, and I thought so, too, until 1
returned to the United States, and
then I learned that the fault was not
that of the editors and publishers but
of the public. "The people are not
interested in Chinese-Japanese squab-
bles," said one editor. "China and
Japan are SO far away" said another.
that the reading public is not inter-
ested in the situation out there" we
have tried to print news from Toxic
and Pekin,". stated a well known pub
Usher. but the people will not read
the dispatches. They don't under
stand the situation. Some day when
the public interest centers in those
countries we will be able to print the
reports of our correspondents. But
not until then"
Fortunately, however. with the
Senate discussion Of the Shantung
question public interest has at last Gf
we may believe the editors, and /
know we can) "centered" on the far
east. but because daily and weekly re-
ports have been lacking for SO long a
period very few persons know what is
at the basis of the trouble in the
orient.
Before presenting this analysis /,
shall quote Japanese diagnosis, as
printed recently in an editorial article
Of the Yomiuri, one of the leading
caily newspapers of Toxic. (Translat-
ed by the Japanese Advertiser, July
1Ay
Though regrettable," writes the
Nipponese editor. "it Is a fact that
there is great misunderstanding be-
tween Japan and the United States
and that this misunderstanding is in
creasing In magnitude day by day.
Our regret is all the more keen when
we note that both countries are guild
ed by their sense of sympathy toward
China.
Americans say: China overthrew
the Manchu dynasty: she has estab-
lished republic and. is conducting a
great revolutionary movement in every
( respect Of national life. On the other
hand. Japan does not like this state Of
Z anafrs and is taking every opportunity
70 bring pressure to bear on China in
order to hamper the latter's develop
I ment Japan's object is to annex
China and reduce 400, 900 Chinese
to slavery. Japan has annexed Korea
and has obtained unrestricted control
Of Manchuria and Mongolia, and she is
now trying to convert Shantung into a