Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-03-26

There are increasing evidences 10 show
that the Japan rulers regard the United
States better friend 10 their country than
| II e leading European Governments They
are making renewed and persistent efforts
/ to extricate Japan from the bond. which
/ 10 her weakness. were forced on her By
| foreign Governments. No Power has been
50 hard and oyerbearing with the Japanese
a. England. For years England has kept
/ in japan Minister very severe 10 his
pendent nation could possibly tolerate ex-
| cept By extreme forbearance, and the ex
ample Of the English Government in sus-
/ tanning such diplomatic official at Toxic
has been too much copied by other Powers.
4 But the Japanese rulers have not been
/ allow 10 learn what the Necessities Of their
/ people require at their hands, and they are
advancing to occupy the higher ground OF
/ their International rights. The conference
at Toxic two years since proved
/ fruitles-, yet tended to show
the more emphsticaiy the in
.ufferable term. and consequences Of
the British policy. That conference, at
which we're gathered representatives Of
all the Powers having treaty relations
with Japan, was convened by the Japa-
nese Government for the purpose Of re-
yi-ing the treaties. It was ackno~ lodged
on all hands that the humili .iing pro-
visions inserted in the treaties Of ls5s
were unnecessary; there was no doubt as
TO the very earnest desire Of the Japanese
to be- rid Of them, or their Willingness to
make important concessions in return for
their repeal; yet the conference Eat for
weeks, and broke up hopelessly. with
things in a worse tanglc than before. The
chief responsibility for this rested with
England. Had she been willing to agree
to a liberal policy, all the other powers
would have concurred, but her refusal
made the negotiations Of no effect.
/ Now the japanese have abandoned the
idea Of waiting the slow process Of an
agreement amoug the treaty Powers. and
/ have undertaken separate negotiations,
| beginning with the United States as the
most friendly nation. The result is thu.
/ indicated by an intelligent writer ia the
[ London Times:
( II il probable. there fore that in the ne
treaty with the United States it will be found
that the latter has granted to Japan those
rights respecting jurisdiction for which she
bas all alnuu ntgi and thar mi. .I
States citizens will obtain in return right, of
trade aud residence all over Japan, which
have been offered already by the japanese
Government TO all the treaty Powers if they
agreed To the required mo litications To
such an arrangement as this the favored
nation clauses of the present treaties could
not apply this, at least, seems TO be the
prevailing opinion of international jurists
and Is certainly the view long held and de-
Tended by the Department of State it. Wash
ingtOn. Thus American citizens will be
placed IN a position of great commercial adj
vantage in Japan they will be able to travel
sithout passports, to reside throughout the
Interior, carry their wares to the people in
place of waiting at the open port. for the
people to come to them, and will have the
privileges usually accorded to foreigners IN
Great Britain or the United States Mean
while their rivals will be confined to the few
treaty ports, and if they do business in the
interior il must be through American Cit
zens"
1t is plainly the duty of the United
States to maintain the most friendly reli-
tions with Japan on terms of equality and
impartial justice. 1t is sound policy for Us
to make the same efforts to retain the con
tidence of the Japanese Government and
people and to encourage commercial rela
tious with them precisely a. We should with
the south American nations, for they lie
more especially within the section of the
Globe where American IDEAS and interests
should logically dominate.