The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-09-19
WASHINGTON

1t is just possible that the anti
Oriental riot in Vancouver will not
be an evil at all for the United
States. The rough element of
Vancouver, and the rough element
is large, arose on Saturday night
and chased the Oricntals to cover,
Hindoos, japanese and Chinese
alike. The mob laid waste the Ori-
entail quarter, and altogether the
damage was more extensive than
the restaurant riots in San Francis
co and much more violent than the
exclusion Of the Japanese children
from the California schools. One
of the worst features of the case
from japanese standpoint was that
the Mayor of Vancouver refused
either to apol gize or to pay an in
demnity. He probably will do both
before he gets through, for the
British authorities are keen to
smooth over the matter.
The place where the affair touch
es the United States is that the out
break is so similar to the race an
tagonism displayed in California.
But the situation is entirely differ
ent in that there are 10 strained
relations between the governments
of Great Britain and Japan. The
two countries are bound by a strong
offensive and defensive alliance,
and are naturally anxious to keep
their subjects from pulling each
others hair. The British authori-
ties did ali that they could to in
flame the japanese when the trou-
bic was on with this country in
aClifornia. But since the British
Columbia outbreak there has been
every effort to minimize matters
and smooth the thing over. The
japanese government also has taken
the sconcilliatory attitude and there
las been little printed about the
outbreak in the vernacular press of
Japan.
But the fact remains that racial
is al the bottom of the
trouble in each country. The peo-
pie of British Columbia are Just as
much set against the Orientals and
cheap Oriental labor as are the peo-
pie of Oregon and California and
the British government will have
to negotiate an exclusion treaty
with Japan for the benefit of the
Northwest Territory before the
matter is settled. This is the sort
of treaty that the United States
has been trying to negotiate with
Japan and over which there has
been so much trouble. If Japan
now negotiates such treaty with
Great Britain, it will have to do the
same for the United States. Like
wise if Great Britain does not Sc
cure such a treaty, it will mean
trouble between Canada and the
mother country. Relations between
England and Canada have been
strained several times in the past
few years, The preferential tariff
has not suficed to keep up the
trade of England and Canada. The
Newfoundland fishing controversy
with the United States is a continu-
al open sore. and the settlement OF
the Alaskan boundary question a
few years back came near causing
an open break between Canada and
England. So the feelings of the
Canadians are none too cordial to
the Mother Country" and the
Japanese treaty will have to be
concluded to keep them quiet. ia
pan will not want to negotiate an
exclusion treaty. 1t will be sore
thing for national pride and all ad-
mission of inferiority that Japan
will be loath to make. At the same
time, the treaty will be negotiated
because it suits Japan's policy to do
so now. But it will add to the CO.
vert animosity against its paper ally
and when the time comes, as it will
in the course of few years, for
Japan to make her move in India,
she will do it with all the more av-
idity that she feels she has grudge
to pay off in the bargain. Then
the British Empire will find to its
cost that it has been supping with
a party with whom according to
tradition one should use a long
spoon,
*#T
During this week the North Car
olina rate case has been going on in
Washington before special master
who has been taking testimony. It
has not been a DartiCu1arlv inter