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Show AMERICA AND JAPAN. One of the most disturbing phases of our international relations during the past few months has been the ap-I ap-I parent outburst of jingoism in Japan, : chiefly directed against the United I States. There have been reports of in- tensive propaganda against the Unit- ed States to the effect that this country coun-try was Japan's foremost enemy of the future and that all efforts should be made to prepare for a war between j the United States and Japan. During the past few days, however, there have been some reports from the Island Empire that are a little more , assuring. Press dispatches from Tokio i indicate that Koki Hi rota, the new Japanese foreign minister, favors a j program of better understanding with ; the United States and increasingly . friendly relations between the two ! great nations. Some dispatches credit him with the intention of working for a non-aggression pact between Japan and the United States. At the same time, in an interview in New York City, Count Soyeshima, noted Japanese liberal, is quoted as having told newspaper reporters that-war that-war between the United States and Japan is "unthinkable and impossible.", The count has been an advocate of j friendly relations between our country and his own for many years. . I Im commenting on statements cred-: ited to the Japanese war minister, ' General Araki, to the effect that Un-' cle Sam was befriending China to the detriment of Japan, and that the presence pres-ence of our fleet in the Pacific was precipitating a crisis, Count Soyeshi-,ma Soyeshi-,ma is quoted by the New York Times as stating: Such talk is calculated to appeal for public support of Japan's huge military mili-tary and naval expenditures. Araki likes to talk, but he does not believe all he says. In a three-hour conversation conversa-tion with him just I left he talked of peace. But the presence of the Atlantic Atlan-tic fleet in the Pacific lends itself to just such jingoism. I myself know that it does not constiute a threat, but because it is so easily made to look otherwise the Japanese would be much ' relieved if the Atlantic fleet would return to its home waters." The Count added that the real : threat to Japan is communist Russia and that war between Japan and the United States would result not only in a general conflict but in the bol-shevising bol-shevising of the entire world. Certainly it is to be hoped that there is to be now a turning point in the relations between Japan and the United States and that these are to become more friendly. Certainly Uncle Sam wants no trouble with the Island Empire and , will do what he honorably can do to avoid it,.. Perhaps in the not distant past some of our policies in the Orient, hnvp hrpn in- clined to create friction between Japan Ja-pan and the United States. These policies, however, are not now being actively pushed, and it is to be hoped that in the future our activities in the Orient will not endanger the good relations re-lations between Japan and the United States. |