The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-28
TRADE WAR BEGINS
IN THE. FAR EAST

ment Of finance and one shat has been
maturing for years. Even the war was
not allowed to interfere with it. The
most careful attention has been given
to details. Picked young men have been
sent to almost every land, to suck the
brains of the outside nations; technical
schools and institutes have been estab.
hshed and new methods forced on the
people. Special efforts have been made
in view of the coming struggle for Chi
ma, the one potential market Of the
world. Hundreds of young men We're
sent to the Shantung province, with dl-
rections to learn the language and make
themselves as Chinese as possible. Last
year, at time when it seemed that Ja-
pan wanted all her sons most. hundreds
more were spared for this. The hrst
lots are now scattered all over China.
A few weeks ago / heard Of the death
of one Of them on the Tibetan frontier.
The commercial policy Of the Japan
csc leaders has been based on certain
fundamental principles. The first care
was to prevent foreign merchants from
obtaining any permanent hold on the
land. To ensure this no foreigner rs
permitted to own any land, no foreign
er Or foreign company can own or WORK
mines, or become members OF the STOCK
exchange, or own shares IN railways,
shipping companies. Japanese indus
tries are being built up by, the most
liberal direct payments and by nigh
tariffs, but great care is taken that
these payments go to Japanese and not
to foreigners. Every endeavor has been
made to limit foreign control OF ship.
ping, and to keep the coasting trade
over Formosa from China British ships
were prohibited from engaging IN
coasting trade there, and for some time
until pressure was applied from Eng
land, were not allowed to trade between
Formosa and Japan. - e = -. =
These limitations are more or less
common to other nations. But JapaI
also struck out lines OF her own. D1recd
laws were passed against undertaking.
profitable Undertakings in, foreign
hands have been acquired. by making
them government monopohes. The IN
surance laws. Of 1908, which for time
drove many of the leading INSURANCE
companies out of Japan, is q type 81
the one. The monopoly plan has beef
applied to tobacco and camphor am
salt, and is proposed to be applied t.
sake and to sugar. The tobacco, trad
largely under American control, a pow
erful branch of the American Tobacco
trust being there. The duty was raise!
time after time, but the foreigners still
held their own Then the government
declared that it would, take the manu-
facture into it's own hands. The foreign
ers were bought out, and Japanese pu
in their places. ..~.~ - = .--f. ~.
Unexpected Korea. ~
Korea affords another illustration
| While the Japanese have actual powe
| in the hermit kingdom, they continu
to do things in the name Of the nativ
emperor, who still has his court, an
retains a show of ruling. Korea, as
we'll known, is full Of vast unexploite
wealth, most Of it's land being i'd
For years foreigners have tried to Of
tain concessions for working this lam
but only occasionally have succeeded
Last year the Japanese minister 8
Seoul presented a formal request to tt
Korean emperor that all the waste lane
of Korea Chat is to say, two-thlrds {
the country, including practically a
the mineral wealthy should be nhande
over to a Japanese company almost /
a gift. The Korean people rose again
the proposal, and such a storm of ID
nunciation wax, heard that for the TIN
the. plan was witt ID ratTn. But everyoI
understands that it is to be Tenewe
, and pushed thru soon: The America
.. minister. protested against it.. The ia,
: anese government consequently brougi
pressure to bear in Washington. an
soon afterwards the minister was wit
drawn. -