Evening star., 1925-11-22
BY HENRY W. TAFT.

President OF the Japan Society and former
PRESIDENT OF the American Bar Association.
Prince Asaka of Japan recently
made speech at a dinner of the ia
pan Society of New York, in which
he said:
we nave always admired the mar
Velous power and efficiency of the
American people. Combined with your
traditional idealism and moral vision
such power and efficiency are mold
ing great Nation whose chief aim is
| know, the establishment of an en-.
during peace upon this earth. That
lofty aspiration of yours we of Japan
share to the fullest measure. and here.
in we see a common bedrock upon
which, L confidently believe, we can
build a firm and indestructible struc
ture Of peace and friendship for all
time to come.
Japan highly prizes the friendship
of America-a friendship that is
marked by great historical events and
that has never been found wanting in
time Of need"
Is Close to Emperor
The princess. who was present at
the dinner, is the sister of the present
Emperor of Japan, but as they We're
travelling incoSnito. official notice was
not taken of the princes remarks. But
Eis close relationship to the japanese
imperial family gives d special siGni-
ficance to his expressions of friend
ship for this country. They have as a
historical background the Washington
conference, the participation of ia
pan in the League of Nations, and her
entry into the World Court, all attest
ing the desire of the Japanese people
to do their part to preserve the peace
Of the world. In spite of her remote
geogra phical position, Japan has never
put forth the plea Of isolation, but
since she became one of the three
great powers of the world, she has
always joined in the promotion of
measures designed to avoid a recur-
renee Of the dreadful cataclysm of a
world war.
Still in the relations between Japan
and America, it is clear that a cloud
has been caused by recent immigration
legislation. In this country. sincere
belief in the necessity of protection
against excessive immigration and
some prejudice against alien races,
and in Japan, national pride, wounded
by the classification of her people as
an inferior race, have led to individ-
ual expressions of an inf1ammatory
character, tending to affect friendly
relations.
Not Representative.
But these expressions probably do
not in either country represent the
kind of public sentiment which ripens
into governmental action; and it may
be confidently asserted that the intem-
perate expressions in some localities of
IRRESPONSIBLE politicians and profes-
sional baiters of the Japanese, have
not and will not prevail to change the
desire of the American Nation to live
in amity and peace with the great
island empire. Furthermore, 1t is
probable that the expressions Of Prince
Asaka more nearly represents the pre-
yailing Japanese sentiment than the
statements of some Of his own COM
patriots whose reaction to our immi-
grafton law has aroused their resent
ment.
The peace of the Western world
rests largely in the potential effect OF
co-operation among the English
speaking people. While England and
America continue to cooperate in the
Western Hemisphere, there cannot be
another World War; and in the East
ern Hemisphere peace will prevail
so long as England, America and ia
pan maintain their present entente
l1cordiale. That they have agreed to dc