394 THE CLASS STRUGGLE ARMED PEACE ON THE PACIFIC 395 when the Japanese in the Manchurian war showed themselves so formidable in conflict with one of the great powers of the world, the West not only began to fear that its old military, superiority over the East might be lost and that the white man might have to fight for his liberty, if not for his life, against the yellow man, it also began to concentrate its fears upon the Japanese as the Prussians of the East. Western America feared for itself, England feared for Australia. That is how the matter stands at present. And further, We are extremely glad to have the Japanese on our side in the war just as we were extremely glad to have the Russians. But no sooner did the Revolution in Russia set us free to express our real feelings towards the fallen government of the Czar than it was published to all the world that we had dreaded it even more than we had dreaded the Kaiser. Now must not imply that we feel towards the government of the Emperor of Japan as we did towards the government of the Czar, but do most earnestly warn our Japanese friends that only in so far as Japan makes itself felt in the East as a socially advanced state will it gain the confidence of the Western allies.
He urges Japan to avoid the horrors of capitalist imperialism and concludes with the following very good bit of advice. Much of the prosperity of Japan is due to her power of follow ing western example; but that prosperity will be her ruin if she does not study the fate of Europe for warnings as well as examples.
But let us see how the Japanese themselves look at these matters. Marquis Okuma, the late premier of Japan, in answer to the following question put to him by McClure: Is the peace of the Pacific better insured with or without a strong navy on the part of the United States? answered thus. have always entertained doubts about the principle of armed peace; it has caused the present war in Europe.
The idea of keeping peace with armed force seems quite dangerous. If the United States intends to take care of her interests in the Pacific by the use of some naval force, it will be alright but the idea of armed peace has already proved a dangerous thing, and after the war hope such ideas may change.
My impression is that Japan stands for the same idea as the United States. have no objection to American naval expansion, but such an idea as protecting China with the American navy may cause an uneasy feeling in another country, with the apprehension that if such an idea extends a little further it may be regarded as a sort of menace. The result will be an unnecessary conflict. An old fashioned diplomat old Marquis Okuma, and this round about way of opposing armed peace in the Pacific is aimed at any policy of militarism in the United States.
Japan is really extremely suspicious of the true aim of the present military and naval policy of the United States. In regard to the relations between the two countries, the old Marquis said with his own peculiar sarcasm, As to Japanese exclusion, it might be an apt suggestion just for a joke, that just like everybody else, so we should send a similar mission to America to preach the same principle of humanity.
There is a champion of the Asiatic Monroe Doctrine in the person of Tokutomi, editor of the Kokumin Daily; the late Prince Katsura rewarded him as a faithful supporter of the bureaucracy and of imperialism by making him a life member of the upper branch of the Imperial Diet. He is most conservative, but very intelligent, his work is widely read and exerts a great influence among the people in spite of his prostituted pen. Up to the time of the 90 he was a progressive liberal and had a great following among the Japanese youth, but now he is conservative and imperialistic which may seem strange but is not such a rare occurrence even outside of Japan. Incidentally, he is financially independent on account of his life membership.
Tokutomi said to McClure: The mission of the empire of Japan is summed up in the pursuit of the Asiatic Monroe Doctrine. By an Asiatic Monroe Doctrine mean that the affairs of Asia should be managed by Asiatics. Tokutomi wants to break the arrogance of the white man clan. He