The National tribune., 1906-12-06

of self-governmsnt We are building
roads. We haven for the immeasurable
| good of the people. arranged for the
/ building of railroads. Let US also see
to 1t that they are given free access to
our markets. rThis Nation owes no
more imperative, duty to itself and man
kind than the duty of managing the
affairs of all the islands under the
American Flag--the Philippines, Porto
Rico and Hawaii-so as to make 1t evil
dent that itris in every way to their
advantage that the Flag should fly over
them" De
The President declares that American
citizenship should be conferred on the
citizens of Porto Rico.
| He asserts that the needs of Hawaii
are peculiar. and that every aid should
be given the islands. and our efforts
| should be unceasing to develop them
| along the lines of a community of small
| freeholders, not of great planters with
| cOolfe-tilled estates Situated as this
Territory is. in the middle of the Pa
| cific," he says, there are duties imposed
upon this small community which do
not fall in like degree or manner upon
any other American community.
Jnpancse Relations.
Not only must we treat all Nations
fairly, but we must treat with justice
and good will all immigrants who come
here under the law. Whether they are
Catholic or Protestant. Jew or Gentle,
whether they come from England or
Germany, Russia. Japan or Italy. mat
ters nothing. All we Il INC. a right to
question is the n ;rs $ conduct. II he is
honest and upright in his dealings with
his neighbor and with the State. then
he is entitled to respect and good treat
ment. Especially do we need to re-
member our duty to the stranger within
our gates. 1t is the sure mark of a low
civilization, a low morality. to abuse or
discriminate against or in any way hu-
initiate such stranger who has come
here lawfully and who Is conducting
himself properly. To remember this IS
incumbent on every American citizen,
and it is of course peculiarly incumbent
on every Government Official whether
of the Nation or of the several States.
Il am prompted to say this by the
attitude of hostility here and there as
sumed toward the Japanese in this
country. This hostility is sporadic and
is limited to very few places. Never
theless, it is most discreditable to us as
people. and 1t may be fraught with
the graveSt consequences to the Nation.
The friendship between the United
States and Japan has been continuous
since the time, over half century ago.
when Commodore Perry. by his expedi-
tion to Japan. first opened the islands
to western civilization. Since then the
growth of Japan has been literally as
founding. There is not only nothing tol
parallel it, but nothing to approach it
in the History of CIVILIZED mankind. ia
pan has a glorious and ancient past.
Her civilization is older than that of
~.
Nations from whom the people of the
United States hive chiefly sprung. But
so years ago Japan's development was
still that of the Middle Ages. During
that so years the progress of the cOun-
try in every walk in life has been a |
marvel TO mankind, and she now stands
as one of the. greatest of civilized Ma
tions; great in the arts of war and in
the arts of peace great in military, in
industrial, in artistic development and
achievement y japanese soldiers and
sailors have shown themselves equal in
combat to any of whom history makes
note. She hay produced great Generals
and mighty Admirfils; her fighting men. |
afioat and ashore show all the heroic !
courage. the iinqTcstioning, unfaltering
loyalty, the splendid Indifference to
hardship andaaeath WHICH marked the
Loyal Roninsa. and they show also that
lIlty pOSStSS TIRE iIi6Hc iucdI VI pau iiol>
ism. Japanese artists of every kind
see their products eagerly sought for
in all lands syThe Industrial and cons
mercial deveI0pmeht of Japan has been |
phenomenal; greater than that of any
other country during the same period. |
At the same time the advance in
science and philosophy. is no less mark
ed. The admirable management of the |
Japanese Red Cross during the late
H. a,aia ND !, Nff fI,nt
Japanese officials, nurses and doctors
won the respectful admiration of all
with the facts. Thru the |
Red Cross the japanese people sent |
over 100000 to the sufferers of San |
Francisco, and the gift was accepted |
with gratitude by our people. Th"
courtesy of the japanese, nationally and |
has become proverbial. To
no other country has there been such
an increasing number of visitors from
this land as to Japan. In return Japan.
ese have come here in great numbers.
They are welcome, socially and intel /
lectually, in all our colleges and insti-
tutions of higher learning, in all our
professional and social bodies. The
japanese have won in single genera,
tion the right to stand abreast of the
foremost and most enlightened peoples
of Europe and America; they have won
J.
exertions the right to treatment on a
basis of full and frank equality The
mass of our people cher
ish lively regard and respect for the
people of Japan, and in almost every
quarter of the Union the stranger from
Japan is treated as he deserves; that
is, he is treated as the stranger from
any part of civilized Europe Is and de-
serves to be treated. But here and there
a most unworthy feeling has manifested
itself toward the Japanese-the feeling
that has been shown in shutting them
out from the common schools in San
Francisco, and in mutterings against
them in one or two other places, be-
cause of their efficiency as workers. To
shut them out from the public schools
is a wicked absurdity, when there are
no frst-class colleges in the land, in
cIuding the universities and colleges Of
California, which do not gladly welcome
japanese students and on which Japan
ese students do not reflect credit. We
have as much to learn from Japan as
Japan has to learn from US; and no
Nation is fit to teach unless it is also
willing to learn. Thruout Japan Amer
leans are well treated, and any failure
on the part of Americans at home to
treat the Japanese with like courtesy
and consideration is by just so much a
confession of inferiority in our civiliZa-
finn