Evening star., 1904-02-27
4 TALK WITH k0MURA
Japan's Astute Minister for
Foreign Affairs.
OUR TRADE RELATIONS
JAPAN FEELS THAT THIS CoUN-
TRY Is FRIENDLY.
The Use by Japan Of Sugar and To-
bacco From the Philippine
Islands.

United States. Baron Komura, being pres
fdent Of tho Harvard Association of Japan.
has warm spot In his heart for all Amer
leans, while in my case the friendliness Of
the interview was Increased by the fact
that we had sat side by side at Loyal
Legion annual banquet in Washington
While he was minister to the United States.
Although these interviews, which occurred
at his official residence in Tokyo, were en-
tfrely unofficial, the last one was none the
| less remarkable because of the great de-
| Tand upon his time caused by the strained
relations existing between his country and
Russia. While of course these relations
were but slightly alluded to, yet where they
nao bearing upon the position which the
United States was in future to occupy in
the orient, he did allude to them. The last
interview. coming as it did after a talk
with Baron kaneko, which undoubtedly
had been discussed with Baron Komura,
dWelt uIon the subject of the future rela-
tfons between the United States and Japan
as affecting the trade between Japan. the
philippines and China Among the incl
dental topics discussed was the exclusive
ness of the United States in the shipping
trade between the Philippines, Hawaii and
the United States, which he said he re-
gretted, and that word regret" with the
significant smile that accompanied 1T,
meant more than pages of official protest
coming through diplomatic channels.
Japan and Philippines.
During my first interview the baron had
| asked me to look into the possibilities of
the Philippines as a producer of raw ma
terials which Japan desired to manufac-
ture not only for home consumption. but
also for sale in the limitIess markets OF
China. and SO our conversation now
turned upon this subject, and he asked me
enough raw material to enable japan to
embark upon a policy of furnishing manu-
factures primarily oriental in character
which could be consumed in the orient
Most assufedly the Philippines can,"
answered, and then l proceeded to give
him data which convinced him that 1t was
most desirable for his country to enter
into negotiations with the United States
with a view to building up our commercial
relations SO that the Philippine Islands
could be the garden, Japan the factory,
China the market. and the United States
the banker. In discussing these subjects he
gave me to understand that Japan was
fully equipped to increase her manufacture
ing energies, SO as to enable her to do her
part in such a plan, but he wanted to know
whether she would be justified in view of
the condition of affairs as he understood
them in the Philippines.
You need immigration as well as labor
In, the, Philippines, he said, "and that
Immigration and labor will have to be Or
iental as well as occidental to meet the
climatic and agricultural conditions of your
tropical possessions. You need transporta-
ton and capital to develop the vast agr1-
cultural resources of the islands,"
China as Market.
In speaking of China as a market he
complimented the United States very high
ly On its recent Chinese trade treaty the
policy of which, If adhered to- would in
his opinion, insure to the United States the
vast markets of that wonderful empire
/ asked him then as to the possibilities
of the occident and the orient becoming
competitors for the trade of China and
as to the possibility Of China herself becom-
ing a manufacturing nation. He did not
seem to think that China would ever be-
come competitor Of the United States be-
cause the products of the United States
which are imported into China are either
| agricultural in their character or the prod
ucts of agriculture, such as -four, OIL, cot
ton stuffs and woo1ens, and "are those
| products of your farms which cannot be
raised in the orient. Your only competitor"
| he said, rs Russia, and the exclusive oc-
| cupation of any portion of Asia by Russia
| would mean the exclusion Of that much of
| the trade OF your country and a consequent
loss to you. The products which Japan
aims to manufacture are those products
which cannot be grown in the occident or
which If grown there, are grown and man.
ufactured at such a cost to preclude
their sale in the necessarily cheap markets
of the far east.
In the conversation, which followed he
conveyed to me the following thought
which, although not expressed in these
words, left with me this vivid and last
ing impression
Those products of the orient which COM
pete with the products of the occident,
should be raised in the orient, manufac-
tured in the orient and sold in the orient,
and 1t is only in this manner that inevitable
conflict between the two can be ayerted
Where the occident and the orient come
| into conflict. individually the occident may
be supreme; collectively, the oriental forces
everything to his laVa1 cfo ndor ~
Avoiding Competition.
This led me to ask him where, as In
the case of the United States, one country
controls the destinies Of both an occidental
and an oriental race. each of whom raise
similar products. how they could be gov-
erned without conflict Of interest He
expressed himself of the belief that to
tremendously govern the occident and the
orient under one flag laws should be enact
ed so as to prevent the labor and pro-
ducts Of the one from coming into COM
petition with those OF the other otherwise
the laborers receiving the highest wages
must work at the price and accept the
wages paid to those who can produce the
cheapest. ThtS tpaturally brought US to
discussion of the articles capable Of pro-
duction in the Philippines and especially
There are two products of the Philip
pines" he aaid which the Japanese neo.
pie would gladly take and for many years
c.
tion-tobaccoo and sugar"
Japan. it seems, Is establishing a gov
ernment molopo1y in tobacco and It is
found that the eeoacco OF the Philippines
is the best tobacco for the orient because
it can standl a. Roist climate better than
tobacco raised anywhere else This. COUP
led with the exceedingly low cost OF pro-
arrangements With the United states
either by treaty or otherwise, whereby
Philippine tobacco would have a practical
monopoly in Japan and through her wonId
become the tobacco of China. This wouid
develop the philippines with great rapidity.
provided an agricultural class of peopIe
could be induced to settle In those Islands
for its cultivation. The only Competitors
of oriental tobacco would be the tropical
colonies of England, France ana the Meth
erlands. AS to sugar, similar Condition
exists. From the president of the large snrar
refneries in Japan had learned that the
Japanese sugar trust" was able and viii
ing to 90 increase the refinefies as to alb
sor1a all the sugar which tnnsslA ~ --a~~a |