The Washington times., 1920-09-26
JAPANESE WAR
PERIL GROWING
Official Washington Secretly
Worried While Publicly De-
claring All Serene.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS.

International News Service.
Underneath a calm exterior. offi-
cial Washington today views with
concern the growing feeling Of hos
tility against the United States In
Japan. Daily dispatches from across
the Pacific. describing the increasing s
, agitation among the Mikado's sub
/, jects, are being watched by a dis
quieted ofYicialdom here where many
admit the situation contains more
than q touch Of menace.
Foley OF SILENCE
The policy OF the American Govern
men Is that the less said for the pres
eht about Japanese American rela-
tions the better, but an increas sing
number Of people here were found to
agree with Richmond Pearson Hobson,
who declared America is sitting on
a volcano, asleep"
Also II II observed here that con-
trary to the American policy Of
silence. advices reaching Washing
ton from Tokyo show that prominent
Japanese officials, members OF the
highest nobility. and influential men
throughout Japan generally are openly
talking war. Though stopped by the
police In some instances. this inter
vention merely served still further to
emphasize and advertise such talk.
NO CAUSE FOR ALARM, 10 CLAIM
Government officials insist there In
no cause for the slightest alarm.
This II equally true whether among
Amsrican offietalA or at the Japanese
embassy, where IL was stated Mat
whatever question: may actually be
pending between the Uptted States
and Japan, the nnal adjustments will.
In no case. Justify any OF the startling
predictions which may have been put
forward.
Though neither side to the contro-
versity will speak OF the progress. or
the lack OF II. realized during the
pact several weeks. during which
time the question has been constantly
on the tapis, IL IL known that moth
ing 10 being left undone by either
| side to effect a settlement
The differences between the United
states and Japan are two-fold. The
issue now uppermost Is that Of Jap
anese immigration and the legal status
| OF the Japanese. already settled In
California. The other question. dor.
mant for the present. though ulti-
mately the real one. concerns the en-
/ s''b S"poHVSC poktSy WIG It ~ E<0oN-
TO SETTLE LONG DISPUTE.
On November the voters OF the
State Of California, by referendum.
will decide whether proposed
a;nendment to existing laws shall
stand. entirely prohibiting the leas-
ing Of land to aliens. This 10 merely
! the latest aspect of a dispute between
California and the Japanese going on
for neatly two decades, but which
has grown more acute with the years.
| Alleged violations of the famous
"gentlemen's agreement" between the
United States and Japan are also
charged by the Californians, the
! agreement being that Japanese labor
ers are not to be granted passports
to America by the Government Of ia
pan.
Many minor questions are involved
in this dispute, like that Of one
school for both Japanese and Ameri-
can childrcn land owned by Amer
ican-born Japanese children. but con-
trolled by their foreign-born, hence
alien parents.
DISCUSSED ONLY INFORMALLY.
SO far as known no formal notes
have been exchanged between wash =
ington and japan on the immigration n
question, though Ambassador Shide-
| hara' and State Department officials
have had many Informal discussions
OF the matter.
As to Toko's policy in the Orient.
brought to the fore through the oc-
cupation by the Japanese OF the
northern half Of the Island Of
SAX khalin, this has been the subject
for three notes.-the initial one from
this government to the government
OF Japan, Japan's response and the
American retort to this repiy--but to
date none OF these notes has been
| made public.
Meanwhile both governments de-
clare there IL nothing to become ex-
cited over, insisting everything will
be settled in due time and In friendly
o.