AMERICA AND JAPAN.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1972, 31 January 1914, Page 4

AMERICA AND JAPAN.

Relatioss between America, ami Japan appear to have been discussed 1)V ReaK-AdIHKAI. VIiEFXANI) (pf the United States Navy) in a tpirit of pessimism which is difficult to esplain. According to a Washington tnesßa.gi!, lirablished to-day, ho told the Emm ot nepr&soat&tlvps Ownmittes oa NovaJ Afiaira ti«it b iho

event of war between tho two countries, Japan could easily secure the Philippines and Hawaii, and further expressed a, doubt as to whether the Unikd States woultt emerge from the contest victorious. It is report" cd that Admiral Vrebund urged on tho Committee the absolute necessity of tho United State* keeping paee with the Japanese ship-building programme and declared that if Japan once equalled the United States in naval strength tho latter country would be sure to receive a demand for tho abolition of the anti-alien law. It will no doubt be wise to receive this alleged report of what' was supposed to be a confidential. conference with a grain of salt, but even making some allowance £or possible exaggeration and distortion, it makes interesting reading in conjunction, with another recent message from Washington to the effect that the United States was anxious to negotiate a new treaty with Japan in reference to the restriction of im*migration. The statements attributed to Admirai, Vheeuxp possibly over-rate tho dangers which the United States would incut 1 from a conflict with Japan, but thoir main value is to pointedly emphasise tho fact that no nation can afford to wantonly ttam.pl© upon the prejudices of a. foreign Povfter, even though full and free relations between the two i may be impossible. There is undoubtedly strong fcelinp iii the United States agains-t unrestricted Asiatic immigration, and California (the State immediately concerned) has made ft abundantly plain that it has serious objections to any, invasion of the kind, At. tno same time it would be a foolish pol' icy to stir up prejudice and arouse race-hatred when quite: possibly tho United States can secure all that it can reasonably expect by treating Japan upon an equal footing and concluding a.friendly arrangement. At all events tvery effort should be made to promote a peaceful settlemeat of this nature,, asd that apparently is tho line of policy which the American Government is adopt* ing. ABiiiiiAii VnEEuiXD, it he has been correctly reported, takes up an alarmist attitude which the known facts of tho casts do not warrant The two countries have a matter to arrange in which their interests ai'o to a great extefit opposed, but to suggest that war is the only possible solution is to take an an duly pessimistic view. Some natural resentment may be felt in Japan at the restriction of Japanese immigration, but when the matter is discussed in a reasonable spirit the responsible rulers of the country arc bound to recognise that conflicting national ideals and racial factors make a measure of restriction inevitable. The feeling which was aroused in Japan by the outburst of race-hatred in California some time ago scents to a great extent to have died away and there is little feariof war between the two countries so long as similar demonstrations are avoided.