The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-10-28
Big FIELD IN JAPAN
Our Capital and Skill APP
preciated in Orient.
SEEKING MORE COTTON MILLS
Opportunities for the American In
weston in FIov-ery ILingdom--PrOp-
erty secure and Labor Cheap-VaSt
Market Awaiting Development.
Anxious 40 Interest Americans.


/ Washington Correspondence Providence JoIrual.
The japanese officials. with the aid Of
commercial experts al home and abroad.
are making serious efforts TO bring 10
the attention Of cotton manufacturers
throughout the United states. and espe-
cially IN New England the golden oppor-
tunities awaiting those who viii establish
/ spinning plants in The FloWery Kingdom
and find there d ripe field for the use Of
their surplus capital and expert knowl-
edge Rhode Island cotton spinners IN
particular should be Interested in what
japan Is doing 10 this regard. and in
( knowing what the situation Is Az official
who has made j somewhat careful study
OF The subject cOurteously consented TO
/ be interviewed by the Journal correspond.
ent. He said.
Manufactured cotton goods amounting
/ in value TO over two hundred million dol
/ lars were imported into the Orient In 1905.
Of which amount the United States sup
Piled about % per cent. while Europe fur
nished nearly all the rest Only 80 per
cent Of raw cotton imported into Japan
was supplied by the United States, the
/ rest coming from Korea. China. and
/ Egypt.
The demand FER cotton goods comes
from a population of over five hundred
millions. embracing Japan. Korea, China
and Manchuria. OF that number. nearly
/ 50 per cent are clothed in cotton fabrics
In Japan and China the uniform color Is
blue. in Korea il Is white The United
States manufactures for the Orient gray
driliings, white sheetings. and high-grade
prints; consequently this country does not
compete with Europe for the bulk of the
trade
Every manufacturer IS supposed 10
know his business. but it would seem to a
casual student of Oriental affairs that
present market Of two hundred millions Is
worth nghtiug for.
An Aggressive Nation.
"Lcng before these statistics were made
public Japan became fully alive 10 the
situation. and that means a great deal In
a commercial sense. No longer must that
country be considered solely as the land
OF lotus leaves, cherry blossoms and
geisha girls. but as aggressive. wide-awake
commercial Japan, q country which has
won TWO wars by force OF arms, and now,
commanding the threshold Of the East.
hopes 70 wasc II successful commercial
warfare by peaceful methods in open. fair
competition with the rest Of The world.
She appreciates the Importance Of her
strategic commercial position: she is am
bilious 10 become as prominent IN manu-
faCtUre and commerce as she is now as a
military power Ia the college CT nations.
Nevertheless. she knows her limitations:
Japan has come out OF an expensive war
burdened with debt. but her people are in
dustrious. patriotic. ambitious. and provi-
dent. What they need now Is capital and
technical knowledge. They will furnish
the market and labor-and knowing what
she has 20 offer. Japan proffers IT willing
~ and generously 70 every American cot
ton spinner or other American manufac-
tUrer with capital Her citizens will
heartily enter into any such enterprise
and will invest TO the limit Of their means
In fact. Japan wants the American. He
has been more closely identified with the
evolution OF the japanese character from
the Oriental 10 the Occidental than any
other foreigner. His ways. manners, and
business methods are simple, direct. and
honest, while his intelligence and ability
commend him 20 japanese admiration.
Invitation TO Americans.
This is no empty. meaningless invita-
ton. It is frank. sincere, and friendly
Therefore. It is for the American cotton
spinner to consider whether he can sue
cessfuIly compete TOR part Of this mar
ket 1T d distance Of thousands Of miles.
beset with fierce domestic labor troubles,
both in the North and South. OF whether
he stands a better show by bodily trans
porting his looms and other machinery 10
4 country where he has a market al hand
anG-can get the cheapest and best skilled
labor 10 be obtained in the world. Japan
has vast population, and her people are
wonderfully quick to learn and become /
skilled artisans after short instruction
Even now hcT railways are operated by
her own subjects. and her limited number
OF mills and factories are manned by na-
tive labor at cost Of not more than ~
cents per day per operator.
But II an American manufacturer es-
tahlishes his plant In Japan he must ex-
pect TO conform TO japanese laws His
enterprise loses its Identity as a foreign
concern. and becomes. IN fact. japanese. /
There is no hardship or injustice thereby
imposed. Under these legal provisions
the foreigner has the same rights and
liberties as any subject of Japan. except
the right OF suffrage The judiciary Is
honest and just; the laws are based on
the old Roman Law. as administered In
Germany. from which the Japanese civil /