New-York tribune., 1921-02-23
By Nathaniel PETER

Copyright, 1921. New York Tribune Inc
TOXIC, Jan. 20.-The anti-Ameri-
canlsm in Japan, as have said. has
deeper causes than the California
question. 1t is based on the belief
held by the majority Of Japanese that
America is the obstacle in Japan's
progress toward its manifest DESTINY.
An American who .alks to Janarese
with any frankness or even follows
Japanese press comment comes m
against the amazing discovery that he
Is placed here on the defensive. 1t is
not OF Manchuria, Corea, Sbantunq,
the Twenty-one Demands or Siberia be
hears, The accusing nnger is pointed
back at him. 1t is of American cap
ltallstic imperialism" he hears.
Partly by reason of uninformed pub
lie opinion, partly by reason of delib-
crate propaganda, partly by reason of
irresponsible statements by American
politicians, the majority of even fairly
we'll educated Japanese have come to
look upon America as an aggressor
threatening the invasion Of Japan's
rights and ultimately its soil. There
is glib, mechanical quality to the
argument that stamps it as formula.
machine-made higher up, and handed
down for public consumption There
is also in it a fateful resemblance to
the talk in Germany before the war
and early in the war OF England's en-
circling movement to crush Germany
and all that. But gaps are made by
propaganda as effectively as by reali-
ties The results are the same.
Japanese View ofsIt
This was put to ME best by d Japa-
nese friend Of many years. standing at
small gathering at which there was
talk straight from the shoulder on both
sides.
"We read American history" he said,
and we see through its whole course
the process of westward expansion.
You attacked Mexico without warrant
and seized Texas and California. You
stretched your occupation west to the
Pacific and then, although your Mon
roe Doctrine barred all other peoples
from your own continent, reached out
over the Pacific. You gave q pledge not
to annex Hawaii and then annexed it.
You took the Philippines and Corregi-
dor and Guam and then proceeded to
make ir1pregnable fortresses of them
st our very doors. Now you are try-
ing to get the Yap cables that cut
across our communications.
ou not only stretch across the Pa
cific, but step into Asia. We are forced
to send our troops into Siberia on
President Wilson's demand, and then
when we must protect our people and
our interests there you demand that
we get out. You come TO China and
try to GUST US. You stir up anti-Japan-
Ism among the Chinese and incite them
n1llr
lent and unreasonable 70 us because
they know they have your support.
And now you are completing the
construction at Pearl Harbor of one Of
the greatest naval bases OF the world
building the greatest navy and plan
nlng to keep half Of it in the Pacific.
Why, we ask ourselves. Against whom
If not Japan? What is it YOU want
we wonder. We cannot help feeling
1t IS war. We do not want war. We
nave nothing to gain by it. But if you
insist, we must give it to you. We are
a proud people. Our soil has never
been invaded. The Mongols tried and
! 1alied. The Russians tried and failed
II America tries we must die to the
last man to defend ourselves"
Fear American Invasion
Few Japanese talk so bluntly, but
thlS Is what most OF them think. In &
measure it is sincere. Even the more
sophisticated have a genuine fear Of
American economic invasion Of the Far
East with government support that will
give it political character. The sud
den thrush, of American capital and
American business men into China
since the armistice has given color to
the fear. And there is no doubt that
the wave of imperialistic thinking in
America during and after the war has
had its effect out here.
All the talk IN Congress and the
Continued on next paQe)