KANSAS CITY JAPS
HAVE NO FEAR OF WAR.
NOT A CHANCE, SAYS CHIEF
COOK OKAMOTO.
Japan Not Prepared Financially and
Anyhow, She's Not Looking
for Trouble
Little fear of a war between the United States and Japan is expressed by George Okamoto and Frank Morimytseu, two Japanese of Kansas City who own a restaurant at Ninth street and State Line. They have been keeping in touch with the developments of the trouble in California and other Pacific coast states.
It is only a war in the newspapers," said Okamoto yesterday afternoon. "The Japanese and the United States are friends and friends do not fight. Japan is not ready for a war, even if she wanted one. The people of Japan are not going to become greatly offended by what one state has done. They will not hold the whole country responsible for the acts of one state's legislators.
"In the first place, there will be no war between the two countries because there is no cause which has yet been seen. The bill before the California legislature would exclude the Japanese from the public schools cannot become a law. That is the only thing which the newspapers of this country can base a cause for war upon. As to the feeling in Japan upon the question, those high in authority and the higher class of people do not consider it possible. It is the lower, laboring class which is trying to stir up war and which is very much excited over the reports which come from the United States.
NOT SCARED A BIT.
"We think nothing of the fact that militia is gathering in California, nor do we think that the fleet in the Pacific is to be used against our country. A little fuss don't mean a fight. Of course, our people are keeping their eyes and ears open and their mouths are shut."
Morimytseu agrees with his associate in regard to the probability of war, calling it all newspaper rot.
"Japan hasn't the resources for war at this time," said he; "she has not recovered from the losses of the Russian war either financially or sociologically. Japan wants peace and is going to keep it as long as she can possibly do so. President Roosevelt is with us and is trying to keep down the disturbance in California. Our people do not want war and it's foolish to talk about such a possibility."
