Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-21

| we have available territory of our own to
meet the demands Of our increasing nopu-
lduoh' although the emigration of the jap
anese is not as yet directed to those pa rts
OF the empire. Take Yeso and Formosa FOR
Example. The japanese government has
I Systematically endeavored to develop the
with fais % those countries, ii has met
49,, 49,. IdiI success. but the climate In both
territories has been an obstacle IN tbair
| Iapld development and that esnacIallv in
| sc oUi t niosa, where the most desirable parts
VI tAe island are unhealthtf,il The go,,
eminent is improving sanitary conS,,1ovs.
.neIe ana IN time Formosa will he a desir
and faroio Vi reSfuence for both Japanese
| which has res. me same may be said of Yeso.
muic l mas dndeveloped resources and ,xbiSRR
TIli support large population Tbera ,,,i1
49, oe an outlet for a certain Mari az o,,r
J Ian ptua On me Asiatic continent. Many
| tiP VIII settle in Korea and in +ha
other adjacent regions on the sane 1913 ,s
% di me clnzens and subjects of other na.
,Tra, ana such settlement will be to the
dueantage of the countries inasnucb es o,,r
people are naturally peaceful ana q9 ~
| they co. Hs Wherever
Formosa in 1904.
you speak of Formosa, Mr.. Takahira~
saio L. What is the condition of thas
| colony today"
fofmosa is rapidly improving" replied
minister Takahira. Since II became a
part OF the japanese empire it's revenue
mas been Increased by COO per cent. II
mas been charged that our government
mas done nothing for the DEVELOPMENT of
the Island nor for the betterment of its
people since 1t became a part of the en-
pre- Thls is not true. In connection with
| IL l cannot do better than to quote WHAT
the Rev. w. Campbell, Scotch mission
airy, who has lived In Formosa MANY veara--
saSs. ne writes that in considering For
"a
ihe JaDanese took possession of II in 1904
lIey round the people everywhere In arms
aealnst them. and that they had to fight
thelr way from north to south before they
could establish a settled government A
soon as this was done they sent out sur
Veyors ana scientists TO report on the re-
sources of the newly ceded territory A
complete census of the population was
taken in 1897 and at this time 800 miles of
ROADS were made and a tramway line con.
structed from Takow to Sin-tek This was
followed by the building of railway from
helung to Takow, about half of which IS
now open for goods and passenger traffic
Three cables were laid down connecting
formosa with Japan, China and the Pes
Galore Islands, and a telegraph and teie-
phone system so improved that Immediate
communication is now possible with every
important inland center. There are now
100 post offices in Formosa and at the
close of 1899 122 government educational
institutions had been established of which
Id are Tor natives. There are ten gov
$1,000 patients are annually treated with
out charge; and at the same time free
vaccinations and other sanitary precau-
tons have become so general that the
dangers of smallpox and the plague have
been much reduced.
japan and the United States.
The conversation here turned to the re-
lations between Japan and the United
States and l asked his excellency as to
how his nation regarded us. He repliedt
1T is not saying too much to declare
that no nation holds higher place In the
Japanese estimation than the United States
This Is not alone because it was the Unit
ed States that opened Japan to intercourse
with the western world, but also because
during the whole of that period. which
may be termed the transition period IN
Japan's national life, the United States has
consistently and disinterestedly been the
helpful friend of our empire. AS YOU know
one of the most important events in jap
anese history since the time of the restor-
alton was the conclusion of treaties where.
by Japan gained foothold of perfect
equality with all other nations This mark
ed an epoch in the history of international
relations between the east and west, and
no nation did more in assisting Japan to
bring 1t about than the United States"
You have been singularly fortunnata"
continued the minister, Tin your represen-
tatives to my country, and / caI them
to mind. names stand forth which am
sure VIII always have a foremost place
In the history of Japan. Commodore Per-
ry, Townsend Harris, John A Bingham
and others I might mention, are names
to conjure with in my country because they
represent in its fullest sense that con.
siderate and helpful kindness that has al
ways been shown in the conduct of the
United States for Japan. 1 feel certain
that as American enterprise extends
farther and farther across the Pacific to
those countries which now offer the best
fields for its energies, the Industrial, COM
mercial and financial interests of the two
nations will be woven more and more
closely together. That this result may not
be long delayed is. 1 can assure you. the
ardent wish of the great mass of my
countIymcn."
FRANK G. CARPENTER.