The Washington weekly post., 1899-06-20
AMERICAN TRADE IN Japan.
Kentare Kaneko Here TO Tell Us About
His Country.
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Froz n. ysw Tafk TslbuH..
Rentaro Kaneko. life member OF the
japanese House Of Peers and Minister OF
State for Agriculture and Commerce IN
the Ito Cabinet. was IN New York. and
vas the guest OF the japanese Consul
General al luncheon st the LAWYERS
Club. Mr.. Kanek0 was graduated from
Harvard University in the class OF IS.
and came 10 this country to be present al
the commencement exercises OF Har-
ward. when he viii receive the LII ID.
degree. He Is a small man. who looks
many years younger than he Is. speaks
English fuently, and Is an ardent cham
pscn Of close commercial relations be-
tween his country and the United States
81 have no settled plans,'' he said. but
II Is nv intention to do something during
nv visit here toward enlightening the
American people as 10 the importance OF
our country as a commercial field 10
some extent this Is already known, but
the majority of the Americans are unln-
formed on the subject, just as our people
are ignorant of the true conditions that
prevail here There are still thousands
of Japanese who are otherwise well in
formed who look upon the United states
as a Puritanical country, which Is De-
hind European notions in the matter OF
Business. and still the American trade
Is growing wonderfully Four years ago
We imported from the United States Sle'-
90 worth of cotton, and last year We
imported 8, 10000 worth. English steel
and machinery were used exclusively IN
japan until few years ago, but the
imports last year from the United States
in these articles amount to upward OF
g. 600 600. American flour TO the amount
of 100000 came to Japan last year. ana
so | might name many other important
items of commerce, but this is only the
beginning.
America and Japan are coming clos
er and closer into commercial contact,
and the United States is already the
best customer for our raw silk and teas.
All this has taken place despite the fact
that the nations are strangers, and DO
not understand each other. The japanese,
when he talks about machinery, has Man
chester. England in mind. and Germany
| is his model of commercial matters, but
we shall endeavor 10 make the true
coalitions known to our people and our
conditions to the people of this country
''The treaty of 1853 ends this month, and
on July IT the new treaty with the Unit
ed States and Europe goes into erect. BY
the conditions of this treaty Japan will
be admitted to the family OF nations with
sovereign power and with former re-
strictions removed she will stand on an
equal footing with the great powers Of
the world. At the threshold of this
transition l am glad to be here so that
I may tell the people of this country
what we are doing, and to take back with
me information about the United States,
which, by the occupation of the Philip
pines have become our close neighbors.
We should be friends, and by working
harmoniously there is no reason why the
two countries should not control the
Asiatic commerce within a few years.
We want Americans TO visit our coun-
try, we want them TO study our re-
sources, and invest their money there.
There are large sums of money locked up
here which could be invested to mutual
advantage in our country. This will be
understood better when travel TO Japan
increases, and why should il not in
crease? Europe and America are SO
nearly alike that they are less interest
ing to the traveller than our country.
True, the European has TO Niagara Falls
and no East River Bridge, and America
has no ruined castles or antique church
es. but in neither part of the world can
one see what is presented in Japan, where
nation is now waking up from a tWen-
ty-fiVe-hundred-year slumber, gTasping
willingly the ideas and the customs of the
most enlightened peoples. Free schools,
religious liberty, good government. mod
ern army regulation. and progressive
| commerce are some of the features of
Japan of to-day. Whatever money can
purchase, no matter if it is armies, ships.
or schools, Japan may have, but the
economic questions. a Thorough under
standing of which is essential. can be
mastered only by Investigation. This Is
as true of the United States as it is of
Japan, and | hope that our affairs Will
be investigated and studied by the peo-
pie of this country, to the end that they
will appreciate the value of Japan as a
commercial ally in the struggle for the
As.atic trade"