Tokio, March 18.
The Hon. Saburo Shimada was elected Speaker of Japan's House of Representatives because of wide popularity and a reputation for strict honesty, coupled with frank and outspoken criticism of all things which he considered antagonistic to the interests of his country.
Mr. Shimada is a newspaper man, having been identified with the "Tokio Mainichi'? as President for many years. He visited the United States in 1910 and has a broad conception of the foreign relations of thiy country. having travelled throughout Europe in the years 1887 and 1888. Mr. Shimada is also an author, having written in the Japanese language "The History of the English Constitution," an essay on "The Revision of Treaties," and other important works. In an interview he said:—"The newspaper reports emanating from China," are calculated to. estrange a certain sentiment in Japan from English sympathies. dents and newspaper writers in that country have not been at pains to create any impression that the British community of China regarded the Japancee in a friendly light. Hence, there has come about a sense of uneasiness among 4 certain class of newspaper readers. But this in no way affects the Japanese public 20, far as the vast majority is concerned.
"The Japanese like the British people, and they uphold British ideals, The people of this country, as a whole, regard the AngloJapaneso Alliance s a great factor in the future welfare of the Jcountry, as it has been of great benefit in the past. In times like this, however, too great care cannot be taken, and I most sincerely hope that our infuential friends in Great Britain and British friends here will use every endeavour to clear up misunderstandings and direct the course of their own ma tionals in China in more kindly channels, while they may rest assured that we of Japan will way, nor at any time, falter in our fidelity to all our engage ments and to all our friends.
"There is no disloyalty here, bat there 2 sensitiveness to superficial trifles that ought to receive the attention of the thinking classes.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.