Evening star., 1937-12-15


fquences it may haze for American
japanese relations are discussed
here by retired chief OF stat OF
the United States Fleet, 1Oho made
the 19O7-8 ,UorId cruise ordered
bp President Theodore Roosevelt as
i, "shop of force" against the Jap
nnese He 1uds later commander
. OF the Yangtse River patrol, OF
phich the Panay ,pas unit. He re-
tired from dctipe service in 1886.
BY REAR ADMIRAL STIRLING.
NEW YORK, Dec. Is (N.A.N.A).-
The tragedy of the Yangtze River, in
the course of which the United States
gunboat Panay was bombed and sunk,
may actually serve to draw the United
States and Japan closer together. 1t
has become obvious in dispatches from
Toxic that the japanese people are
not in sympathy with the acts of the
Japanese military, and this pointed
display Of lack of sympathy may
have a restraining influence upon the
men in uniform.
However, it still remains a fact
that the japanese military are not re-
sponsible to the people. The nations
armed forces are divorced from gov
ernmental control and are directed by
q group of super-patriotic military and
naval leaders with no other curb than
the veto of an emperor, who, by train
ing from childhood, has been taught
to venerate and obey the mandates of
his aged and wise counselors.
Thus the Yangtze tragedy still seems
almost as momentous and full of dire
consequences as was the blowing up
of the battleship Maine in Havana
Harbor, disaster which was the
''last straw" that brought on the war
with Spain in 1898. A relevant object
lesson may be found in the manner
in which President Theodore Roose-
velt met Japanese threat to the
United States.
Became Truculent.
In 1867 the Japanese government
became truculent, at least diplomati-
cally, in response to certain acts OF
the American people, notably the jap
anese school question in California,
and it seemed to solle that the United
States and Japan were slowly drifting
into war.
TEDDY" Roosevelt, with his usual
mpatience, decided that the place for
the United States Fleet was in the
Pacific, to be ready in case the 'hot-
bloods" in Toxic suddenly decided
upon war The fleet, Is battleships
and few destroyers, sailed around
South America, through the Straits
of Magellan to San Francisco. BY the
time the fleet reached the Pacific
coast Japan had calmed down and
al danger Of war was over.
However, Teddy" never started
anything he could not finish, and, by
his order, the feet continued on its
prepared voyage around the world.
The 16 battleships were in the pink
Of condition for battle, but the fleet
lacked destroyer guards and supply
ships. When it sailed westward it
was not war fleet, but peace"
heet, designed to provide ocular proof
to the world and the japanese that
the United States Navy was a we'll
organized, drilled and effective fight
ing fleet. The feet visited both Japan
and China and the personnel were
most enthusiastically entertained by
the governments Of both nations It
did a world Of good for peace in the
Pacific.
Does Not Desire War.
1t is an axiom, most appropriate at
this time, never to make threat
unless one is prepared to back it up
fully and successfully. This Nation,
although deprecating the actions of
Japan against China, and her ruth
lessness in slaughtering Chinese with
out a declaration of war. does not
desire to be drawn into a war where
her vital interests are really not in
volved.
Yet, should conditions in the Orient
come to such pass that the Nations
security in the Pacific as law-abiding
Nation and competitor for trade in
China be seriously jeopardized, then
there Is no time to be lost in placing
the fleet and its outlying bases in the
Pacific on secure footing to prevent
them from being taken by surprise.
Japan may offer the fullest apology
and compensation for the destruction
Of the Panay, but that cannot bring
back to life the innocent men killed,
nor give satisfaction to the people of
the United States and cause them
to believe that the bombing was
something that could not have been
prevented. AS matter of fact, it is
difficult to call this an unavoidable
accident. The airmen of all civilized
forces are always instructed, in sheer
self-interest, to make sure of their tar
gets before bombing.
Thousands ENDANGERED,
From the beginning of this unde-
clared war, especially when the 10
cality shifted to the International Set
tlement Of Shanghai and the mouth
OF. the Yangtze River, the bombing
by japanese airmen against the Chi
;nese has put in mortal danger tens of
thousands of the citizens of MANY
Western nations, including the United
States. The presence of Japanese
sswarships in the Whangpoo River along
the Bund of the foreign concessions,
attracted and encouraged Chinese
'airmen to show their skill in attempt
ing to pick off an enemy warship with
bombs, even though a miss did mean
. risk to foreign warships anchored
near the target and great loss of life
In the settlements.
< When the Japanese Army advanced
upon Nanking, British and United
States gunboats were directed to safe