HUMPHREY IN ERROR, ASSERTS TAKAHASHI

President of Washington State Japanese Association Replies to Detroit Speech of Congressman on Defense.

OBJECTS TO MAKING HIS COUNTRY FOOTBALL

Willing for More Ships, Great Fleet on Pacific -- Would Welcome Fortifications and Merchant Marine.

That the address delivered by Representative W.E. Humphrey in Detroit last Friday, "Seattle and All Coast States at Mercy of Japan," has caused some consternation among the Japanese people in Seattle, is evidenced by the following statement from C.T. Takahashi, president of the Washington State Japanese Society, which is in a measure a reply to the congressman's views. His statement follows:

"Representative Humphrey's address which appeared in The Seattle Times was a great surprise to me. I entertain the highest respect due to the congressman, inasmuch as he is a trusted servant of this state. In fact, he is our representative just as much as he is your or the rest of the people of this state. So far as his address concerns the need of developing the American ocean commerce on the Pacific and the consequent necessity to subsidize the ship industry. I am heartily in support of the congressman. But when he attempts to bring the results desired at the expense of putting Japan and the Japanese in a false light, respecting many points which he tries to illustrate by misleading statements which may affect the public mind both in the United States and Japan. I believe it is my duty as a loyal resident of this state to offer a few suggestions in way of explanation which I have no doubt the congressman himself will appreciate.

"Congressman Humphrey stated in that address:

"Few knew how near we were to war over the San Francisco incident. It was only averted by conceding to Japan her demands. An American citizen could not attend Japan's schools, but Japan demanded that Japanese be permitted to attend our schools and this demand was granted. If an American citizen goes to Japan he must reside in the foreign quarter, but Japan demands that a Japanese in this country be permitted to reside where he wishes, and this demand is granted. Why? Because we were then, as now, utterly helpless upon the Pacific!"

Says Humphrey Misinformed.

With all due respect to Congressman Humphrey, I am constrained to declare that he has been grossly misinformed as to the real facts of the matter. There was no war contemplated by Japan on account of the San Francisco incident. The demand that was made at the time of the incident of the Japanese children in schools of San Francisco. The Japanese there never asked for any special privilege. Taking America as a civilized nation, a guiding star of Japan since the days of Commodore Perry, and a closest and warmest, a godfather-like friend of Japan and the Japanese, my fellow countrymen there, as naturally expected, appealed that their children be given equal opportunity to be educated in the public schools the same as the children of other foreigners who reside in America.

"That an American citizen could not attend Japan's schools, of which he speaks, is entirely untrue. The Japanese schools are just as much open to American students as they are to Japanese. Mr. Charles J. Arnell, first secretary of American embassy in Tokyo, was educated in one of the law schools in that city. There are a number of others who are following in his steps. Nor is it only in the higher institutions that the Americans are enjoying the benefits of Japanese educational system. In Yokohama and other seaport cities, there are any number of American and other foreign children attending the public schools there; and they are not doing it in a half-hearted way, either.

American's Rights in Japan.

"Now as to the rights of American residents in Japan, the congressman omitted to mention that what he referred to "was true away back in the days when the foreigners demanded by their own choice a right of exterritoriality. Many years ago, this right was abandoned by the foreigners themselves, and now they can go and reside wherever they wish throughout the land of Japan insofar as they comply with the laws of the country.

"If is unfair for Congressman Humphrey to charge Japan with having forced the demands of the Japanese in this country by a threat, as he implies when he says America granted these demands because we were then, as now, utterly helpless upon the Pacific.'

"It is true, I admit, that Japan today has more merchant vessels proportionately than America. But it is absurd to say that, because Japan has so many more vessels than America, therefore Japan will be able to use them for a war with this country.

"As I said before, I am heartily in favor of having a great American fleet of merchant marine established on the Pacific. Furthermore, I believe that it is unfair to concentrate all of the American battleships on the Atlantic Ocean.

Coast Should Be Fortified

"We on the Pacific Coast have our lives and properties to be protected. For this purpose, our coast should be fortified by naval and army defenses. It makes no difference to me and to my countrymen here, whether the enemy be Japan or some other power; we do not want war to ravage our coast, destroy our lives and our properties. In this respect, we are one with all the rest of the people in the Pacific Coast states, save the professional agitators. We, therefore, welcome a gigantic American fleet of war vessels on the Pacific. We desire the coast defended by fortifications.

"Just one thing more. What Congressman Humphrey is after is a big fleet of merchant vessels on the Pacific. When it comes to that, we are heart and soul in favor of having it here. By all means let us have it here."