Evening star., 1920-12-09
u. S.-JAPANESE WAR
| REMOTE, IF EVER,
| KAHN TELLS HOUSE
Only AgitatorS in Far East
Could Bring 1t About, De.
cIares Representative.
CALIFORNIA ISSUE BASED
ON LABOR QUESTION ONLY
Denies Race Prejudice and Urges
Military Training in Discussing
Treaty Negotiations.

Treaty Negotiations.
Discussing the Japanese question
freely and frankly in a carefully pre-
pared address delivered today in the
house. Representative Kahn of Cali
lorna, chairman of the military COM
mittee. declared that America honed
Always to avoid war, and that if "the
statesmen. the publicists., the poll +
ticians. the agitators and the dema-
gogues Of Japan" really wanted war
with the United States they would be
the ones to bring 1t on and not the
Americans. H.
MI. Kahn said he knew that he
Soiced the earnest hope and the wish
OF every patriotic American that peace
between the two countries may con-
tlnue perpetually."
But the world said he. has only
recently learned that we are not too
proud to fight; nor are We afraid to
ngnt when we are forced into war"
The military committee chairman
| took occasion to reaffirm his belief
that universal military training
policy would best safeguard the coun-
try, and added:
Has No Fear Of War.
nave no fear that there will he
war between Japan and the United
states in my lifetime. nor even the life.
time of my sons And / am thoroughly
satisfied that il my country remain
measurably prepared there will be no
difficulty between the two nations at any
time"
Mr.. Kahn briefly reviewed the history
Of the relations between the United 1
States and Japan and with regard to :
the Japanese immigration problem In
California, now the subject of treaty
negotiations between the two govern
ments, said students of international law
everywhere had recognized the absolute
right of any nation to regulate imni-
grafton as it deemed best. Even Jap
anese students were familiar with uni
versally accepted decisions on this point.
he said, and added: .-,.,
1T is. therefore, most unfortunate
that constant agitation regarding
these matters is maintaSued by our
| neighbor across the Pacific, hecatse the
final effect OF such propaganda snd agi-
nounced hatred Of America aHd Ameri-
cans. among the masses in Japan.
/ This is decideday unfortunate con-
| dition- Of affairs Indeed, ! say it is a
| S66f may result. unfortunately, In grave
| difficulties between two heretofore
| friendly nations.
1 OChAEU AAACA0h ECl80ANNs
The speaker said many public ON.
cials in JAPAN as well as political
agitators, had tried to make the
world believe" that opposition to the
immigration of Japanese laborers
into the United States was based
upon racial prejudice
I'VE of the Pacific coast deny that
this is the case" he declared. No
objection has ever been made to the
admission into this country of Japa-
nese professional men. of Japanese
financiers. or Japanese religious teach
ers or leaders, or bona fide Japanese
merchants. or Japanese students. or
Japanese travellers. The sole objec-
tion is to the laboring class.
Whether the undesirables be farmer
labQrers, skilled mechanics or un-
skilled coolies, l contend that the OBJ
lection is purely an economic one.
: Japan herself is doing to the
laborers of China and Korea what
she claims is racial hate or prejudice
when done by US to Japanese labor
ers."
| Representative Kahn called atten-
ton to newspaper dispatches quoting
Count Okuma, head of the Japanese
Peace Society, as having said that il
the United States restricted Japanes.
immigration by statute instead of by
voluntary action of Japan the latter,
ra ather than suffer such prejudice T.
her prestige; must resort to force"
Surely" Mr.. Kahn said. "the heau
not advocate the taking up of arms
against the United States. as indicated
in the newspaper articles"
A8itators Crowd Japan.
From his reading of Japanese his
tory, Representative Kahn said, he
was sometimes inclined to believe
that there are many more political
agitators and denlagogues on the
other side of the Pacific than we can
possibly find in our own country"
Happily" he continued, I'VE in
America are not worked into a frenzy
of excitement by purely political hap
penings."
Mr.. Kahn recalled the recent Incl
dent at Tientsin, where American SOL
diers had been found in the Japanese
police station by the American consul
general wounded and beaten when
"the japanese officers denied any
knowledge" of their whereabouts.
This incident, he continued, was in
fair way of amicable adjustment be-
tween the governments. adding:
'sThe American people have never
become excited over the anatr. You
hear no threat of war on the part
of American statesmen, politicians or
even demagogues.
japan After Race Powers.
Publicists and authors reported, the
California representative said, that
Japan was making every effort to
mite the yellow races; that Japan
,nEar such program hopes and
exnects to be the leader of such
race amalgamation: that she is striv-
ing in every way to acquire and
maintain the hegemony OF the yellow
nations"
,ho,,t the world-old conflict between
the white races and the yellow n and
.n .Ie s;ncarelv hope not But it is q
onestion i sihenre Which the statesmen Of all
IHiberty-ioving, democratic nations and
PEOPLES will do. well to study and
hear constantly in mind"
KAT0 SAYS JAPAN CANNOT
FolIAl NAVAL PROGRAM