The Washington herald., 1921-03-05
Why War With Japan?

The Senate has indulged in an executive session
for the first time in long while to discuss the
naval program. AS usual, the gist of all that was
said published in the newspapers the following
morning. According to these reports the United
States must have a great navy to prevent war with
Japan
Why is there such acute danger of war with
Japan if it is true there is this danger? Certainly
Japan will not go to war because of the California
land laws With all the fuss that situation, it
is but an incident. Japan's pride may be hurt, but
nations do not war in these days merely over mat
ters of offended pride.
The real cause for this fear of conflict must
be looked for on the other side of the Pacific. 1t
is next door to Japan, and not 5000 miles away.
1t is in Japans belief that only this country of all
in the world will interfere to the point of war with
her expansion to the mainland.
She has just made her first census. 1t shows
that in old Japan there are 56,oooooo people In
cluding Korea. Formosa and Saghalin, there are
100000 This whole region is of the least fruit
full and least in natural resources of that held by
and other power, great small. compared to
population.
Japan proper is smaller than California with
but 100000 population. 1t is mountainous, are
her other island possessions, with comparatively
little fertile land and wanting in coal and metals,
essential to great power whose people would
develop diversity of industries
Japan's struggle is for fertile regions into which
her surplus OF people may go and from which to
draw a supply of those materials essential to her
industries. She find these on the mainland. in
China and Russia. Her expansion in these direc-
tions is not hindered by the European powers; she
rather has their acquesence, if not support in her
territorial ambitions.
Only the United States as she sees it, stands in
her way Her methods as shown in Korea, are
ruthless, even barbarouss She is not overburdened
with conscience as shown in the Shantung case.
Het treaty pledges, as Senator Lodge is reported
have said. may be valueless; they have frequently
seemed to be So,
But is the United States to be the self-consti-
tuted guardian of the Far East, even to the extent
OF war with Japan? China has 4ooooo,ooo people to
Japan's 100000. Shall the United States answer
for her, inherent weakness and inertia? Shall we
continue spend billions for war preparedness to
protect. not ourselves, but China?
If indeed altruistic, so willing to 60 the limit
in blood and treasure for the helpless, we should
not have deserted Armenia. nor halted at member
ship in the league of nations where such problems
might be worked out peacefully. There are dozen
states in Europe and the Near East crying out for
help. Is only China of supreme importance
and alone worthy of our sympathy and support?
There is reasonable doubt that all this gov
ernment needs to do to stop naval building with
complete safety, is to concede Japan free hand on
the Asiatic mainland She could hardly be more
ruthless there than other governments have been
when seeking whom they might devour
Maybe we should not grant this and so permit
across the Pacific friendly nation with power and
riches in the years. to come, equal to our own.
plain terms and California not made the sole goat
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