The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-07-18
JAPAN AND RUSSIA.
Representative Japanese Gives His
Vlews---Labor Question.

NEW YORK, July 10.-R Kondo,
President of the Japan Mail Steamship
Company, says, in an interview in the
Journal Of Commerce, that there has
been a great deal of exaggeration con-
corning Russia's and Japan's attitudes
both in China and Corea. The sMasam-
po incident, concerning which so much
has been said, is an instance in point
All that there was in that affair was
that the Russians desired to obtain a
certain piece of land in Masampo
whereon to provide shore facilities for
a steamship line to be run in connec-
ton with the Eastern Chinese Railway
The japanese owner of that much talk
ed of piece of land was no other than
/ the Japan Mail Steamship Company, of
which Mr.. Kondo is President, which
{ desires to use il for precisely the same
purpose as the Russian Company.
The incident has absolutely no political
significance whatever. Nothing could
be farther from Japans desire, Mr.
Kondo adds, than to fight Russia, and
! he believes that the same may be said
of Russia's feeling toward Japan
The first question which attracted
I Mr.. Kondo's attention on his arrival in
San Francisco was the agitation
against Japanese immigration. Natur-
ally he took great interest in the mat
ter and investigated the condition of
affairs which had given rise to the agi-
tation. He found some of the japanese
in a deplorable condition. Many of
them had evidently come to this coun-
try under the impression that money is
to be earned without much effort, leav-
ing their homes, where living is much
cheaper by comparison and where they
could lead simple, happy lives, without
any definite idea of what they were to
do on arriving, but with hazy impress
sion that they would improve their con-
ditiOn, just as many Americans go tC
Cape Nome or the Klondike. The dis
appointment in many cases is bitter
r and the hardships which such expert
ences entail will doubtless have a de
terrent effect upon Japanese immigra
ton. The japanese Government ha:
no desire, Mr.. Kondo states, to have
e such immigration continue, as wa,
e shown In the recent restrictive meas
ures, adopted in Japan. On the othe
hand, Mr. Kondo found many employ
ers Of japanese laborers who pronounc
, ed them obedient, honest and hard
e working. That such labor would be o
benefit to this country in district
where labor of all kinds is scarce an
\ where the natural resources richly re
= pay all toll expended upon them, h
: does not entertain the least doubt No
!. can be conceive of anything like gen
: eral opposition in such q country a
Y the United States to the free and volun
: tary coming of useful laborers becaus
they belong TO different race, least o
all when it is remembered that thei
@ number can never be very great. MI
n Kondo does not believe that the Unite
: States would ever take any RESTRICTIVE
: action against japanese immigratio
which could be construed as an affron
|. to Japan's prestige: but if that Shout
e ever be done he thinks it no more tina
l. probable that Japan would adopt re
1 taliatory measures. That result, h
thinks, would be matter of deep re
Q greet in the case Of two nations who's
). friendship has always been so cordia
u and to both of whom even closer tie
!, in the future would be of SO much ad
q vantage.