The Japanese and the United States
AYAO HATTORI and Soroku Ebara, Japanese statesmen, are in California investigating, on behalf of their government, the alien land situation. A few days ago these gentlemen addressed an audience of four thousand Japanese in San Francisco. Mr. Hattori, in his speech, said: “ ‘America for Americans’ is used as a slogan chiefly by European immigrants. We do not feel called upon to heed such a cry as this, because we believe in the ‘fatherhood of God’ and the ‘brotherhood of man.’ The Chinese were disbarred first, and nothing much happened. Denis Kearney has gone, but the Chinese are still here. I think this shows that the American people are fair.” Mr. Hattori further said: “We have been taught by the Christian missionaries to ‘turn the other cheek.’ After this, it is regrettable that such a law should be passed by a commonwealth of a nation with which we are most anxious to co-operate. Still we must remember that it is not the United States that is doing this. Only a few states out of forty-eight maintain such an attitude. Responsibility for this rests with only a few irresponsible people.” Mr. Ebara, in his speech, referred to President Wilson as “a beacon light of wisdom,” and cautioned his countrymen to respect American authority and institutions, and not to let the present complications cause unrest or excitement. A few sentences direct from Mr. Ebara’s speech are the following: “Ever since the opening of Japan to the Occident, we have cherished the thought and the ideas brought to the Far East by the American pioneers. . . . Japan’s new ideal inculcates a patriotism which will make its sons fight for the country where they get their living and from whose laws they get protection. The Japanese are loyal and faithful, and they would fight for this country if necessary.” When the Japanese are taught sentiments like the foregoing by her leading statesmen, it is too bad that trouble should be engendered between the two countries. And if men like Mr. Hattori and Mr. Ebara of Japan can co-operate with men who have breadth of culture and patriotism in this country, we are sure that the matter will be settled without any further difficulty. England, which is Japan’s great ally, and has been for years, has debarred the Japanese from settling in much of her territory. She has carried on her negotiations so that Japan is satisfied with this, and there has been no talk of war; and if we can let the statesmen in this country deal with the statesmen in Japan, and keep down the excitement of the Jingo press in both lands, we will doubtless have similar experiences here. Certainly no true-minded American could fail to respond to the high ideals and sentiments of these two Japanese statesmen who are visiting this country for the purpose of relieving the tension.