New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-27

tories from permitting any OF their warships to
enter the Dardanelles
There is but little danger. on the other hand Of
any appearance in Japanese waters OF Ottoman
cruisers. For the last occasion which the Sui
tan dispatched one of his men-of-war TO Japan for
the purpose of conveying a special embassy to the
Mikado the machinery broke down route, and the
ship got stuck half way for want of fuel of the
coal merchants the ports where It touched being
willing to supply coal on credit, and neither the
commander nor the amba ssador having sufficient
money 10 purchase it for cash
The quarrel between the Sultan and the Mikado
is rather amusing one. 1t is the subject of
what are known capitulations. The United
States and other Christian powers enjoy extraterri
torial rights and prerogatives IN Turkey That Is
20 say, their citizens are exempt from The jursdic-
ton Of tho Ottoman tribunals and amenabIe only
TO courts presided over by their own consular off,
Gals This means that the Christian powers regard
Turkey and those other Oriental countries where
capitulations are in force barbarous states and
as not sufficiently civilized to be permitted
to exercise any authority, legal otherwise
over foreigners. In fact the standard works of in
ternauonal law mention the doctrine applying
not only to Turkey, but also to China, Persia
Morocco and other barbaric political communities.
Until a few years ago Japan included In this
list of 'barbaric communities but, becoming alive
TO the humiliation which its existence implied, she
managed by dint Of a great deal of diplomacy to
emancpate herself from this foreign imperium
IN imperio. and to-day the jurisdiction Of her
courts extends over all foreigners within her
borders, aliens having longer any exraerritorial
rights and the consular tribunals having been abo-
ished.
It is 10 Uncle Sam. by-the-bye. that Japan is
chiefly indebted for this emancipation from the
derogatory obligations imposed upon other nom
Christian states. and which places her the level
of the civilized powers. fact which her people
would do well 10 bear in mind at the present mo-
ment
With a complete disregard Of tho arguments
which she put forward to the humiliating nature
Of the captulatons Japan now insists in impos-
ing them. as far as her subjects concerned,
upon Turkey. The Mikado demands in the most
peremptory manner. the same rights and preroga-
tives as those enjoyed IN the Ottoman Empire by
Great Britain France. the United States and other
Christian powers. Tho Sultan will not hear OF
making any such concession 10 Emperor Mutsu
H!tO. lie bitterly the presence of the for
egn consular courts in his dominions and the i'm
munty Of foreigners living in his dominions from
his authority. imposed upon him by treaty ohli-
cations of ancient date. And he has not the slight
est intention OF subjecting himself to any further
indignities OF the kind least of all by monarch
who is Oriental. non Christian and polygamous
like himself-namely, the Emperor or Japan
whose domestic arrangements very much the
his own, a vast harem forming part and
parcel of the imperial household at Toxic. On the
other hand the Mikado sees in the attitude Of the
Sultan in the affair refusal to acknowledge the
pretensions of Japan be of the great powers
of the world, the level of Great Britain, Ger
many. the United States etc.
MARQUIsE DE FONTENOY.