Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-06-17
)UCkWORTHANDW ILSONDECISION AFFIRMED
Japanese Leaders Disavow
Military Aims; Say Popular
Sentiment Checks Jingoists
Benedict Analyses Ambitions of Japan as Pre-
sented to Vanderlip Party at Inter
national Conclave

1dbldgaId, Marquis MatSukata, the
two remaining elder statesmen, and
Premier Hara, Foreign Minister
Uchida and Marquis Okuma.
Unanimous were this whole group
IN declaring that the liberal move
ment IN the nation was steadily in
creaslng force; that its intellectual
leaders were utterly opposed to a
policy of military aggression; that
they looked forward to constantly
growing democracy.
Fear Japanese Militaristic.
The elections held while we were
IN Japan returned the Liberal party
victorious, and with the reduction of
the tax qualifications from 10 to 8
yen, the franchise had been greatly
broadened. This, the japanese re-
marked, was concrete evidence of
the soundness of their assertions.
Mr.. Vanderlip and others of his
group put squarely to this group of
statesmen the misgivings of section
of American opinion, and of other
western nations, that Japanese ma
tional ambitions and actions were in
the control of a military clique
which purposed to attain military
domination of the Far East.
The Japanese leaders met this
question with equal directness.
Superficial Observers" said DR..
Soyeda, "are apt to take us as being
militaristic and aggressive. But our
popular sentiment is against such
policies"
Ask Help for Democracy.
They admitted there was group
in Japan that might, were it left to
its own devices, seek further power
through military force. With i'm
pressive earnestness they assured US,
however, that this group, that this
sentiment, did not reflect the moral
and spiritual ideals or the national
aspirations of the Japan of today.
Instead of being treated with sus-
picion and as a dangerous foe about
to strike, their plea is for the same
respect accorded other great nations,
for a willingness to meet in fair dis
cussion of international problems, for
sympathetic understanding of ma
tional difficulties.
please note" said DIR. Soyeda,
that we have been growing more
democratic all the while. Look at
our labor problems and suffrage
questions. The militaristic tenden
cies are the things of the past. We
have no desire for aggressions. We
need your help to progress. We are
not where we were ten years ago;
the times are changing and we want
to continue to attain democratic
PROCESS, economically. We have
signed and become a member of the
League of Nations, and cannot act
toward any other weaker nation in
violation of the covenant of the
league.
To Profit From Germany.
Assume" said a japanese gentle
man pre- eminent in the official cir
Giles of his nation, "that the practical
" unanimous sentiments you have
heard voiced by our leading men in
regard to Japan's national aspira-
tions are insincere, that there is a
concealed cunning and deceit back
of all of these statements, do you
believe that Japan would deliberate
" follow a military policy of aggres-
sion that would be almost certain to
lead her into a war, in the light of
the greatest failure the world has
ever known, the failure of Germany
in the World War;