The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-07
A Real japanese Invasion.

While residents of Honolulu have been
discovering a Japanese military force
among the immigrants to Hawaii, and
various persons in the Philippines and
California have been watching mystic
rious Japanese subjects suspected OF
s~ketching the national defences, the
Treasury Department has been dealing
with a real yellow peril" Of a purely
commercial, not military, nature. The
matter concerns directly the printing
trades, and it was brought to the atten-
ton of the Government first in the early
part of this year, when CoRTEZ +. Cox Of
Rochester wrote to the Secretary Of the
Treasury asking that certain pamphlets,
consisting of extracts from the Bible in
English. set up and printed in Japan,
might be allowed free entry into this
country. This request the Department
could not grant, and it ruled that the
pamphlets were dutiable at IS per cent.
dd rdlorem under paragraph 4O3 Of the
tariff act, which covers books of all
kinds"
The situation is explained fully by
Mr.. Cox in a letter to Secretary Roof Of
the Department of State, under date Of
November %, in which he says:
4" The Christian workers Of this city desire your
advice on an important matter. VIII II he possible
TO have the tarln laws so modined as to admit Telig-
ious tracts composed OF select portions OF the Bible.
printed abroad, free
" Owing to the great advance In printing we are
ba,-tng n 1tftle hoohlet made nm NJ select nOrfIons
of the Bible printed in Yokohama. Japan. There
will be a duty OF IS per cent. on those brought to
this country. They are to be given away in mis-
slonary work. Those intended for foreign coun
tries will not be brought here owing to our tariT.
We wish to turn over at Yokohama TO the Young
Mems Christian Association Army and Navy de-
partmcnp those intended for the army and navy
in the Philippines. They do not wish TO receive
them there. as they know the booklets will be sub
feet to a duty of IS per cent. at Manila. We have
never felt the real force OF this law until now.
Unless we can have this duty taken OF the issue
OF religious tracts In this country will have to be
reduced one fourth. All other kindred societies
will be alike affected"
The booklets are admitted free Of duty
by Canada as religious tracts" and the
DUDllSlPTS are dIAlOus W nave a Suiilldl
allowance made for them by this coun-
try. Christian teaching by way Of
japan, a mont Christian nation, is at first
glance startling, but the physical pro-
duction of the pamphlets is a purely
commercial affair. In that aspect the in
cident is OF more than momentary inter-
est, in so far as it shows that the tariff
alone keeps Japanese publishers from
forcing a complete change in the trade in
this country. The international commit
| tee of the Young Mems Christian Associa-
| ton testifes to the satisfactory character
of the Japanese product, saying that the
booklets ARE very well put up" that
the print is clear, although some bind
ings were frayed and in some cases the
trimming was e American job
printers have been known to turn out
work not faultless.
The request for free entry is unlikely TO
be granted by Congress, but it brings to
attention the industrial activity Of Japan,
and that country's enterprise in search
ing for and obtaining business. The
real Japanese invasion, the yellow peril"
that must be considered seriously, is 10
be on commercial lines and not in the
| shape of IN army of fighting men.