The Washington herald., 1922-03-12
By SIR pHILIP'oIBBs

Pacific beyond the sunlit highway
of the Golden Gate. 1 understood
more clearly than before the enor-
nous interest of the American peo-
pie of the West in the political fu-
ture OF China and Japan. In the
East of the United States, as In Great
Britain, the problems of the Pacific
the possible menace of Japan, the,
evolution OF China, seem rather re-
mote in their interest and to have no
immediate bearing. upon ones own
daily life and business concerns. The
discussion seems only of academic
Importance like theories of men who
look far into the future and estimate
the peril of the rising tide of color
Or the possibility of racial revolution.
But here in San Francisco. the gate
way 10 the Orient, men and women
of American civilization find them
selves being jostled in their own
streets by Oriental competition, are
aware OF Oriental types and customs
and industrial activity. and secret
vices OF Eastern life. creeping into
their midst stretching out tentacles
to get a grip on their soil. taking
possession of houses and farms and
streets. The peaceful penetration of
Japan, the danger of Chinese inn
migration, the increasing pressure of
the East upon the West, is no mat
ter of mere visionary talk among
people Of California who find Oriental
labor underwriting their own indus
try, and buying up farms and orange
groves.
Think War Only Postponed. =
was surprised by the excited
way. the passion even, with which
the Washington conference and its
results. as l listened to them in the
smoking cars of trains between
Seattle and San Francisco or in the
bedroom of my hotel where a little
group gathered one evening to put
me wise" The, general feeling
seemed to be that the Washington
conference has only postponed. for a
time and inevits BILE conflict between
Japan and the United States, and
has indeed revealed in a binding
way the absolute resolution of Japan
to obtain a stronghold on China and
to dominate the future of the Pacific.
Other men with whom | talk ed did
not agree with that conclusion, but
believed i'm the common sense of
Japan. in the business sanity of the
japanese people who know that a
war between themselves and the
United States would end in economic
ruin. however long it lasted, and
whatever initial success might be
gained by their navy. This was the
view of a thoughtful and CHEEKY fell
low who took me for a spin in his
little "flivver" through Golden Gate
Park, along the Preside. and to the
edge of the great sea. glorious in
sunshine which seemed like a blessed
"a Al.
of Calgary and Edmonton. Every
now and then he stopped his machine
so that I might get out and admire
the view which l did with a sense of
ecstasy because of that sunshine and
that beauty, but always at such mo-
ments he continued his argument
about the relations between Japan
and the United States.
Looking at the matter in a cold
blooded way" he said during one
of these halts, "it would have been
good thing for the States, and
especially for the Old World. If we
had declared war against Japan
soon after the armistice. 1t. would
have readjusted the present eco
economic CHAOS. We should have
spent billions Of dollars in foreign
markets and wiped out the inter-
national debts, so that the Euro
pean nations would recover and
America would regain her GUS
toners"
Would Not Accept Idea.
I told him that as a man pledged
to work for international peace
could not accept the idea of a
bloody war as the. best means of
securing the economic recovery of
the world. and he grinned and said,
I'm only talking theoretically"
He made a sweeping gesture to-
ward the coast line. the rocky coast
of California, with its green slopes
and little coves where white-capped
waves were playing-then to the
range of mountains stretching
away to distant dream-like peaks.
War with Japan."' he said. "A
queer kind of war anyhow. They
could never make a landing here.
How could troops-thousands of
miles from their base - march
through mountains like that? How
could a Japanese fleet operate in
the Pacific as long as we Held Dutch
Harbor? They might take the Phil
ippines-probabl would for time,
and there would be an awful squeal
IN Jne OnlIeu states. But II "ouiu
not be a long war, with aeroplanes
and submarines doing individual
heroic stunts to keep up the pres
tiEe and spirit of the American
people. IN the end the Japs would
be down and out-utterly ruined"
81 hope to God it never happens!"
said. barring my head in the sun
shine and rejoicing in the loneliness
of the Pacific sea.
He Erinned at me again, with
thoughtful far-seeing eyes.
Perhaps it won't. but you never
can tell"
Other talks 7 had like that. with
other men. A different kind of talk
II was with a tall Irish detective
six feet three. with a friendly smile
and quiet watchful eyes-who took
me through Chinatown, which he
knows in all it's cellars, and secret
getaways" as he called the mar
row alleys and hiding places be-
tween the houses.
You would be surprised how the
Chinese are getting rich here. These
little shops and houses don't looR
much. The Chinks live in crowded
quarters and like to get as far from
Underground cellars. But they are
doing big business. aDd their mer-
chandise is pretty considerable. It's
the policy of peaceful penetration"
DO they give you much trouble?"
I asked. a.
He told me of blood feuds be-