San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-07
QUAKE BRINGS
JAPS AND US.
MUCH NEARER
NewEra Of Friendship Com
pares With That of
Perry's Time.
OLD SCORES BURIED
Expressions of Gratitude
From Island Empire
Are Interesting.
OLD SCORES BURIED
Rx DAVID LAWRENCE.

Copyright, by the San Antonio Light.
Washington, ID. C., Sept. Japan
and the United States have entered
upon a new era of friendship com
parable only to the sincere faith and
trust which the two nations had for
each other i'm the days 81 Commodore
Perry.
While the relief work attendance
upon the earthquake is being under
taken without thought of the future
and only with the idea of aiding
people in distress, there is no escap-
ing already the discussion of the Ell
fects ON japanese and American
peoples of the generous contributions
being ma}e through the American Rel
Cross.
Talk of war with Japan only a few
years ago was now dismissed as aD'
surd or fantastic.
1t is true that with the conference
on limitation of armament, more
people were willing to accept the
Japanese position as that of Il friend
" nation, but it was difficult to an
alyze how far the alleged pretensions
of the japanese were swept aside.
Today Washington breathes differ
emily about Japan.
Not merely has the Island Empire
been reduced in strength so that eve.
the 5-5-3 naval program could be re-
vised downward to help offset some
of the losses of the Japanese navy IN
the tidal wave, but the feeling of the
: two peoples for each other will have
entirely changed for the better before
many months have elapsed.
The action of America will no douDj
precolate to the far corners of Japan
1t may even have far-reaching ef
feet on Japan's supposed attitude TO-
ward the Philippine Islands.
The question of independence there
has been wrapped up to some extent
in the problem of getting the Japa
nese to agree to respect the sover-
eighty Of a proposed republic.
American trade with Japan has
been growing BIZ leaps and bounds il
the last few years.
Business men have worked unceas
ingly to convince the japanese that
!. the American people were friendly to
4 them.
The demonstration of American
friendship at critical moment IL
.Japan's history proves more concluS
lively than years of speech-makina
that there is an underlying sympathy
for Japan unchanged in substance
since the days of Perry.
Japanese Are Grateful.
1t Is interesting to observe the ex.
pressions of gratitude coming from
the japanese.
Those who have been working tC
improve relations between Japan anC
the United States are gratified at the
response from all parts of America Ia
the needs of Japan.
1t is almost beyond their expecta
tons.
Tie United States government has
with a swiftness not unlike the riss
of the country to an emergency with
in Americas boundaries.
The lessons of organization whlct
we're learned during the European
war stand in good stead and the gov
eminent departments are functionins
with reference to Japanese relief il
manner reminiscent of war times.
Officially there will be the usua
exchange of thanks between the Japa
nese and American governments.
But the japanese here and through
out America feel now that something
deeper has been manifested than Of
ficial friendship striking evidence
of the real feeling of the American
people toward the japanese people
5000 miles away.