The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-07-21
NEW ERA FOR JAPAN
Today Marks a Turning Point
In Oriental History.
COUNTRY OPEN TO FOREIGNERS.
New Treaties With United States and
European Powers Place the Jap
anese Nation In IA Greatly
Exalted Position.

new treaties with United States and
European Powers Place the Jap
anese Nation In Greatly
Exalted Position.
WASHINGTON, July ia new
treaty between the United States and
Japan goes into effect today, at which
time also new treaties between Japan
and nearly all of the countries of Europe
and some South American republics also
go into effect, an event of farreaching
Importance in the relations between ia
pan and the United States, as it does
away with the treaty methods which
have been in vogue for nearly so years
and substitutes an entirely new method of
procedure. The same is true in the rela-
tons of Japan with other countries. TAX
en- as a whole, the many new treaties
which go into effect today place Japan
on an entirely new footing with the
world at large, as she is recognized for
the first time as an equal in every re-
spect.
Mr.. Jutaro Komura, the present Jap
anese minister at Washing ton, gives the
following interesting outline of the more
important features of this arrangement
He said:
point in the diplomatic history not only
of Japan, but of the oriental countries in
general. 1t will be the first instance in
which the western powers have recog-
nized the full sovereignty of an oriental
state. This action of the enlightened ma
lions of Europe and America shows that
if any country is ready to assume full
share in the responsibility and affairs
of the world at large these old and en-
lightened powers are ready to admit such
a country to full comfy among nations.
So we regard the advent of this treaty as
a very important step not only for Japan
but for all the nations of the east.
1.-THE countries with which Japan has
made new treaties are the United States,
Great Britain, Germany, France, Russia,
Austria, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium,
Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway,
Switzerland and Peru. All of these go
into effect today, except those with
France and Austria, which are deferred
until Aug. 4. With most of these coun-
tries Japan had treaty relations before,
but they were crude and unsatisfactory.
ITO understand the change it Is neces-
sary to look at the condition under the
old treaties. This was essentially based
on two principles-frst that foreign resi-
dents in Japan should enjoy the privileges
of extra territorality-that is, they
should be amenable to the laws and jul
risdiction of the consul of their own coun-
try and not to japanese jurisdiction; sec
ond, that foreign residents in Japan should
be confined to certain open ports, outside
of which foreigners could not reside, own
property or engage in trade. The result
was in effect about Is or IS systems of
courts in Japan for the purpose of try
ing foreigners who commit offenSes in
Japan. Furthermore, most of the powers
claimed that japanese laws were not
binding upon foreigners, For instance,
take our quarantine law. While 1t pro-
tected us as against our own people there
was no protection in the case of an in
fected foreign ship. The only exception
to this refusal to recognize japanese law
was the United States, which recognized
from the first the binding force of the
japanese law.
zone of the bad effects of this system
was that foreign residents had entire inn
munity from taxation while the japanese
paid all the taxes. All this has now dis
appeared, and foreigners have the same
privileges as we'll as the same obligations
as the Japanese citizens, no more and no
less. The first step in the new system is
to put an end to the old fiction of extra
territorality, by which foreign citizens
were judged by different standards from
japanese.
1.-The second essential thing is the
opening of the entire interior of Japan to |
foreign residents and trade. Until now
there have been only five treaty ports,
Yokohama, Nagasak, Kobe, Hakadote |
and Nigata. In these places foreigners
had been able to live, to purchase proper
ty and to trade, but outside of these they |
could not even travel without a special |
permit. These five places are an insig |
nificant part of Japan. Hcnceforth the
entire interior of the empire, with its
populous cities and inviting fields of in
dustry, is thrown open to foreigners. |
They may live anywhere, engage in any |
kind of business and will be assured of |
the same protection to life and property |
that is given to the japanese.
"In bringing about the new system of |
treaties Japan naturally feels most |
friendly toward the United States be-
cause she always has shown a most sym
interest in Japan's desire to
adopt modern methods and to deal on
even terms with the rest of the world.
The messages of several of the presi-
dents have spoken in most friendly terms
on this matter, and so as the government
and people of the United States have
taken such friendly interest under the
old system | hope and believe that the
United States government and people
will take a most friendly interest in the
carrying out of the new treaty"
A Years Railway Casualties.
ny NCIJINGTnN I,,l,~ UNbn ,onor+ |