Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-09-18
JAPANESE PROTEST
WILBUR SPEECHES
Quasi-0fficiaI Representa-
tions Made on Views on
Pacific Situation.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.
When Curtis D. Wilbur. Secretary
of the Navy. returns to Washington
from the Pacific Coast, he Will learn
that two protests" against his re-
cent activities there have reached
the United States from Japan. They
might me described as "demi-semi-
official in character One of the
protests" was lodged with the
American Embassy in Toxic on Sep
tember II. when the Japanese held a
Peace day as rejoinder to our
Defense day. Peace day" demon
stratorS sent delegation to the
United States charge d'affaireS IN To-
kio. Jefferson Caffery, to protest both
against Americas mobilization day"
and against the "unwarrantedness"
of Secretary Wilbur's recent Pacific
Coast speeches. Mr.. Caffery was re-
quested to transmit the protest to
the State Department at Washington.
but it has not been received there.
Japanese Admiral Provoked.
On the same day another Japanese
protest of a, somewhat more semi
official nature was made by Admiral
Takarabe, the Japanese naval minis
ter The admiral chose the medium
of an interview with an American
newspaper correspondent at Toxic to
express Japans regret at the tone
Of some of Secretary WilburS utter
anceS.
The particular one at which Ad-
miral Takarabe took umbrage was
Mr.. Wilbur's assertion that two AN
tagonistic racial civilizations" faced
each other across the Pacific. and
correlated observation that the next
war" would be fought in the Pacific.
Declaring that there is only one"
civilization in the Pacific, i. e., that of
common humanity, and that America
and Japan share it as a common
heritage, Admiral Takarabe said:
I'm the present stage of human so
ciety we cannot altogether dispense
with armaments, but they should not
be greater than is justified by the
necessity of guarding world civiliZa-
ton. Armaments are the means for
the defense and protection of civili-
cation. for the maintenance of order
and the security Of humanity"
Navy in Mnneuvers.
Whether by accident or design, the
Japanese navy announced. few
weeks after the passage of the new
American immigration laws. the first
extensive maneuverS it has under
taken since the Washington confer
ence. They will begin October and
last more than three weeks. A spe-
cial appropriation of S2,500.00O has
been required for them. The Prince
Regent, acting in behalf of the En-
peror of Japan, will be in direct
charge of the maneuvers. lending
them an unprecedented distinction.
The avowed purpose of the maneu-
verS is to bring home to the Japa-
nese people the fighting strength of
their fleet, as it was left after re-
striction by the 5-5-2 naval treaty.
The operations will extend along the
whole Pacific Coast of Japan and will
be the first battle practice" of the
Mikado's navy since 1919. Five years
ago only 1874 warShipS participated in
the imperial maneuvers. Next month
there will be 1S8, an increase of 54
units. The naval treaty cut down ia
pans battleship strength from II to
6; battle cruisers from Z to 4, and
cruisers from 90 to 16. But the num-
Der of destroyers has been increased
from 81 to 105, and submarines from
10 to &c.
The Japanese fleet, for the first
time, also, will use aviation in ma
neuvers. To no other arm of the naval
service is Japan at present giving
ships which will take part in the
maneuvers will be the 33,S00-ton
Mutsu and Nagato, which are slightly
larger than Americas most powerful
battleships, the West Virginia, Colo
rado and Maryland.
Bring Account OF Speeches.
California newspapers have just
reached Washington with the first
exhaustive accounts of some of Sec
retary wilbur's now famous speeches.
Addressing his home community in
Los Angeles on Defense day, Mr.. Will
bur said:
There has been much opposition
by the pacifists to Defense day. l
am not here to denounce by word or
act any pacifist. But I want pre-
paredness to give these pacifists an
opportunity to live their lives out. 1
say this in all seriousness. We want
peace and will pray for it, but while
we are praying for peace. let us be
ready for war 1 believe that
this Nation was chosen of God for a
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