Faow Our-OWN Coxnesronvenr San Francisco, May 15.
Japan's action in Shantung has again brought China very much Into the nows in this country. At first, seemed that people generally—"at all events on the Pacific Coast—
(were inclined to believe that this was an unjustified attempt on the part Japan to grab territory from the Chinese, but when the facts, so far fas they could be ascertained, began filter through, Americans as a whole found that they had somehow! dost a very large share of that {instinctive sympathy they have always expressed towards the chinese people, ""Where may not be much direct Gyidence as to who actually pro-woke the assault, and upon whom. the heavier blame is to rest, but, as don dp the news reached this coast, it appeared as if the whole Kuomingtang force had suddenly removed to the United States to engage in propaganda. Kuomingtang scribes Francisco disseminated on a. nation-wide scale information to the effect that none but the Japanese were to blame, Kuomingtang despatches were sent to every news-Paper in the country, long' before the cabled news of Baron Tanaka's invitation to the diplomatic representatives of the United States, Great Britain, France, and Italy to hear the Japanese account of the Msinan affair. Tt is not strang in no particulars did the and the Japanese versions agres. he Nationalist propagandists would have got much further with the American people had they admitted, for example, that certain Nationalist regiments got out of hand and made tthe attack upon the Japanese troops before they could be controlled. The American public, has been ich have almost become chronic, relieve the terrible conditions shut it would appear now that Americans as a whole do not regard the Chinese as the simple, unoffending, kindly souls that they have or'so long thought them to be.
Many Americans are awaking to tthe fuct that China is getting less money from America for missionary Purposes, that she receives less Bointedly favourable comment in the Government despatches and publications, ard that some of the outstanding politicians of the country, have assumed somewhat of a rightabout-face towards China during the Inst two years. 'The last few years have witnessed a long chapter of irritatingly open incidents spelling utter disregard of foreign feeling, 'Americans are wondering whether the Chinese, whose honesty' is enti above reproach, who have enjoy ed the reputation in this country for being the finest people on earth, are actually as they are painted.
Whatever happens, China have to realize that she is ing herself from the sympathy of people, and in this} ese troops fired the were generally the gators of the _unfortunate debacle, a further effect in this country among the masses will be a tendency to sympathise with! Japan.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.