New-York tribune., 1906-12-08
JAPANESE EMIGRATION.

The forecast Of the probable readiustment Of
some OF the relationships between Japan and
the United States. which was authoritatively
made in The TrIbunes Washington corre-
spondence yesterday. IS reasonable and CRATE
ful TO the sense Of Justice. We had not cred
ited the declarations. so positively made, that n
new treaty, superseding that OF 1894, was TO
ne negotiated. It seemed TOO extraordinary.
and 10 betoken q far more serious condition Of
affairs than was supposed 10 exist, that sum-
mary steps should be taken for the abrogation
or essential modification of q treaty which had
been made for definite term of years. which
had still five and q half years Of that term TO
run. and which contained no provision in itself
for abrogatiOn At an earlier date Doubtless
the two nations would be competent, by mutual
consent TO abrOEate or 10 modify it in any way
II any time But 10 do so would be much
more exceptional proceeding than there now
seems TO be need Of. Especially out Of the
common. if not inevitably offensive would it
be 10 seek in such a way and at such a time
SO 10 modify Il most favored nation treaty as
to deny 10 one Of the parties to it the most
favored nation" status. To change a treaty in
the direction Of closer relations is a welcome
thing To change il in the opposite direction
is q very different matter.
The intimation that the japanese government.
Of its own volition and on its own initiative,
is however entirely acceptable TO reason. We
urged q few weeks ago the consideration thar
il was not to Japan's interest to have many
Japanese expatriate themselves, and that the
JAPANESE government probably regarded such
emigration with disfavOr. That view Of the
case is strongly supported by the present in
rimariOns of Japans intentions, and viii be
completely justified If they are confirmed. The
case is simple. Japan has Z population Of only
45.000OUO, which is not increasing At par
ticularly rapid rate. Il is true her territorial
area is not large, bat II is so large that her
population is only q little more dense than that
Of France not nearly SO dense as that Of Eng
land and scarcely half so dense as that of
Belgium. though because Of the thrift Of her
people she could probably sustain q denser pop
ulation than any OF those countries. Moreover,
there IS the great island Of FOrmosa, which be-
longs 10 her and which contains only a few
Japanese settlers; there is COrea. lying within
sight Of her own shores and under her protec-
ton and control, with Q sparse population and
with enormous natural resources 10 be devel-
oped. and there is the vast eXpanSe of Man
churia for the colonization and development
Of which Japan has the strongest Of reasons.
Common sense would suggest that If any con
siderable number Of Japanese are To depart
from the isles Of Nippon II would be far pref
erable for the empires sake. that they should
go to one of these three countries rather than
10 some remote foreign land.
II IS no Unheard-of thing for a government
10 discourage emigration or 10 seek TO direct
It's course. It would be comparatively easy for
the japanese government 10 do effectively,
because Of the loyal reverence with which the
people Of Japan regard their Emperor. IF the
japanese government pursues such course
the result viii be accepted a satisfactory
solution OF what might become IN awkward
problem. In any case, however, whether or not
Japanese immigration hither Is stopped by the
voluntary action Of the imperial government.
there can be no question as 70 the course 10
be pursued toward the Japanese who are now
in this country. They are entitled. by the most
solemn and supreme engagements Of this gov
ernment. TO all the protection rights and privi-
leges which are enjoyed 10y immigrants from
any other land, and in ALI matters connected
with the administration OF Justice they stand on
an exact equality with natural born American
citizens We cannot believe that anv states VIII
seriously and pprSistently attempt To deny them
such 2 status. though # any should Il would he
incumbent 10 consider what power the federal
government had for the vindication OF the au-
thority with which the states and the people
of the states have invested it. and for the full
filment Of the obligations which II has consti-
| tutonally assumed toward the other nations
Of the world