May 5 - 6, 1915

March 1915 American political cartoon

Wed. May 5, 1915

Warmer but dull and rainy.

Hovelman took me down. Drilled and practiced till 6:30. Home and read. Some lads came to look at my canoe and offered me $25 cash, but I would not take it.

Japan is making unjust demands on China and trouble seems to be coming.

Wiki Note: The Twenty-One Demands (Japanese: 対華21ヶ条要求, Taika Nijūikkajō Yōkyū, simplified Chinese: 二十一条; traditional Chinese: 二十一條; pinyin: Èrshíyī tiáo) were a set of demands made during the First World War by the Empire of Japan under Prime Minister Ōkuma Shigenobu to the government of the Republic of China on 8 January 1915.^[1] The demands would greatly extend Japanese control of Manchuria and of the Chinese economy, and were opposed by Britain and the United States. In the final settlement Japan gained a little, but lost a great deal of prestige and trust in Britain and the US.

The Chinese public responded with a spontaneous nationwide boycott of Japanese goods; Japan's exports to China fell by 40%.^{[citation needed]} Britain was affronted and no longer trusted Japan as an ally. With the First World War underway, Japan's position was strong and Britain's was weak; nevertheless, Britain (and the United States) forced Japan to drop the fifth set of demands that would have given Japan a large measure of control over the entire Chinese economy and ended the Open Door Policy.^[2] Japan and China reached a series of agreements which ratified the first four sets of goals on 25 May 1915.

Thurs. May 6, 1915

Quite Cold.

Had rehearsal all afternoon and a dress rehearsal in evening.  When we opened up our costumes there was some fun - of all the misfits and funny looking things you ever saw - but we finally got fixed up and had a good rehearsal. Home about 12.