Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-08-04
JAPAN IS TOO HASTY.
Misconstrues Our Declaration Not |
to Interfere in Hawaiian
Arbitration.

Washington, D. c.. July 3O-The Jap
anese government has accepted the offer
made by Hawaii to arbitrate the dispute
between the two countries. The state
department has been informed of the Of
fer and the acceptance. The subject of
arbitration will include not only the diff
fculty over the landing of japanese inn
migrants, but also will include other dis
agreements between the countries, the
most important of which is the sake
tax imposed upon a Japanese liquor
largely imported and consumed by the
Japanese in Hawaii.
The acceptance of the offer of arbitra-
ton, brief synopsis of which has been
cabled to the japanese minister and has
been given to the state department, states
that the Japanese government accepts ar
bitratiOn in principle and is prepared to
enter upon the terms for a settlement of
pending disputes. The formal letter of
acceptance has been sent to Hawaii and
the conditions of arbitration will be con-
tanned therein. Those conditions are
not known here. Pending the arrange
ment Of details, all other proceedings
looking to a settlement will be discon-
tinued.
When the officials of the state depart
ment were informed of the offer and &C
ceptance of arbitration, the secretary of
the Japanese legation here was informed
that until the annexation treaty was con-
Guided the United States would not as
sumo any authority in the matter and
that the present dispute must be consid-
cred as between Japan and Hawaii.
The secretary in reply said he was glad
to learn that such was the position of the
United States, as it would permit Japan
sending two or three warships to Hawaii
pending final action on the arbitration
treaty.
Nj, II,
rather surprised the state department Of
ticials, who answered that the United
States would consider in a different light
an agreement of arbitratio and the
sending of warship, and intimated that
non-interference by the United States in
one case could not be construed as pas
slve acceptance of the latter position.
The japanese secretary was told, how
ever, that in the absence of Secretary
Sherman and Assistant Secretary Day
nothing could or would be said officially
upon the subject and any conversation
must be considered as wholly unofficial.
The sake tax, of which the japanese
complain, is an increase of the duty on
this liquor from 10 cents to 81 per gal
lon. This tax was passed by the Ha-
waiian Legislature and vetoed by PreSi-
dent Dole on the ground that it was
unconstitutional and in violation of the
treaty with Japan, who had rights I'M
der the most favored nation clause. The
tax was passed over his veto, almost
unanimously. only one vote being cast to
sustain the President. The pressure for
taxing sake was from the saloonkeepers
and the manufacturers of liquors, as the
Japanese use this liquor almost wholly
to the exclusion of other beverages.
1t is not expected that the state de-
partment will make more than a formal
acknowledgment of the latest commune
cation from Japan upon the subject of the
annexation of Hawaii, the understanding
being that all future negotiations will be
conducted by Minister Buck and the Jap
anese foreign office at Toxic.