New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-08-06
'EYTR1DITION WITH JAPAN.

.
The negotiation of an Extraditlon Treaty
with Japan has bcen Il well kept State secret.
The convention was signed ut Toxic Last April,
was recently laid before the Senate and will b.
acted upon at the next session, by which time
citain defects in it will probably have been
rtmcdicd The full text of this Treaty, to
gcthcr with the Presidents Message, appear
on the fist page of to-day's issue. 1t Is re-
man able us being the first convention of thl'
Kind ever concluded by any civilized country
" it'll an A>iatc Power.
The United States in this, as in many other
respects can clam the credit Of being the tllsl
to open Ja]an 10 the cXtci nal influences OF mod
eIn civilization. Admiral Perry iii 1891 OBJ
tanned, by summary means 1t Is tue, concoH
>lon> in matters of trade, residence and cN
territorial rights, which sub cqucntly weJ'
granted to Gnat Britain, France and other
European countries. In eXtiadition the Amcn-
cans again aIc doing pioneering work III tn
Mkadois capital. This convention Will m-
doubtedlv be the inst of II series which Will
blaze. japan on the SINE plane with the mot al
vanccd civilized nations Respecting the Huleu-
der of fugitive criminals. THIS convention
shows how ial Japan his advanced along tn
path of IrOgre>s during recent years. In lo'"
"A Senate Wa, established thee years 1itclwaI'i
provincial and departmental Assemblies Wei,
instituted commercial financial aud cduc;I
tonal reform, have been rapidly int "'luced :
and a National Assembly has been convokcd.
Extiadition is now accepted as "A useful pm
ciple Of American and Europe II comfy 10 which
the MIkado's Government must adapt itS'li.
The convention Itself Is one Of the most clab-
Oi;,tc eXtrlditOn SCHEMES ever negotiated bi
an American dplomtti,t Ine list of crimes /
the longest embodied i'll any treaty OF thu
class, including every dlcnce known to extra
duUn law. Not only are cnunttrcltlng, en-
bczll,ment of every conceivable grade, rap
and even perjury designated but the new cEl..
OF crime covered by the Phelps Ro,ebeiy Con-
vention Is carefully defined as " malicious de
strIctlOn Of OF attempt 10 dc>t"y railways,
trans, vessels bridges. dwellings, public cdliicc~
or other buildings when the act cnd.mgcrs hu-
MN life The definition Is important H. dis
closing the range which international l'glsla
ton respecting dynamite outiaecs Is likely L"
cover. AS Japan Is not a iavoIile pleasure
glOund for American tanbczllcls and criminal
these and Other provisions OF the Treaty have
little practical importance. One American
foleer, it appears hi, taken refuge III JalaI,
and been surrendered without treaty. a.
Francisco criminals in need of foreign All Wi
have to choose IL future between China and the
few cOIal-le,is OF Pol ync-ia where one Euro
penn flag or another is not already dying.
The Treaty contains one Gu ious clause, winch
MAJ Ks a distinct dcpn tue in cNtIddtlon pr.tc-
u,c. This j. y ticle seven which de la e. tina
neither Of the contracting parties Is bound I.
deliver up it's own citizens, and then adds &
curious pclmI>>ive clause empowering ctlc
Power to do 10 at it, own discretion. The prln-
ciplc tlEit eXtrlditon applies to fugitive clIm
inal, from another county l. fundamental 81
lar a. past cxpe icnce goes. But III TN, con
vcntiOn the. l. distinct warrant Or the .urr, II
der of native OF natIll allied citizens TO toIclg
coll Is. This clause deserves to he "a cluil
considered before the Tody il ratified. 1t
Importance will be at once appreciated, If ii b,
taken in connection with the Phcp~-RIsrbr y
Convention If il were embodied III that Treaty,
pcisono coHpliing in this county against LIE
and property in England could he sur cndc. eel
at the discretion of the Government to 10. cIgh
tribunals, even if they were Ane lean ciuz,iL..