The Washington herald., 1907-04-14

vengeance. This feeling is spreading TO
China. Recently Wang Hon Chen visited
the leading Australian cities at the head
Of an imperial commission appointed by
the Pekin government with the object of
securing some modification of the ex-
elusion Of Chinese immigrants. He failed
In the object Of his embassy. But. during
the course Of his visit, he and his fellow
delegates gave expression 70 some utter
anees indicative Of the views now pre-
vailing in China and ia Japan. "We
claim, remarked one OF them, TO be the
equal, not the inferior. Of the white man.
Another Of them intimated that the aui-
ance OF Japan with Great Britain would
be supplanted ere long by one between
Japan and China, which would be the
strongest ever known, and when that
came to pass there would be no state that
would dare to treat either Chinese or
Japanese children in the fashion adopted
by the California authorities. Mean
While trade between Japan and Australia.
which ten and fifteen years ago was
quite considerable is virtually al a stand
still There is already an economic run
ture between The Commonwealth and the
Mikado's empire. Popular sentiment in
Japan may ere long develop this into
something sttiI more serious.
While the attitude Of Canada toward
japan and China IS not quite so uu-
compromising as that Of Australia and
OF British South Africa, save perhapg on
the Pacific Coast. yet the sentiment Of
the government and ef the people in the
Dominion Is distinctly in sympathy with
these other dependencies Of the British
crown. and the Canadian representatives
al the forthcoming colonial conference in
London may be relied upon 10 support the
demands OF Australia, New Zealand. and
South Africa, 10 the effect that the i'm
periat government shall not enter into
treaties with foreign nations giving them
the right to claim an entry into the
colonies against the latters wishes and
to the injury Of their interests. Moreover.
an endeavor will be made by the colonies
IN question 20 secure a modification of
the existing treaties in this sense. There
is but little likelihood. however of their
being able TO accomplish anything Of the
Kind, since it would involve a break of
the understanding between England and
Japan. There are some, indeed. who are
Of the opinion that the issue Of Asiatic
exclusion from Australia. South Africa.
and Canada, viii prove the rock on which
the entire colonial conference will 20 TO
pieces What the attitude Of the British
government win be in the matter has
been pretty well outlined by the solicitor
general-that is 10 say, one Of the princi-
pal law officers of the administration
when in discussing the question Of treaty
rights in the House Of Commons the other
day he declared that these rights, posses
sed through treaties by foreign powers.
We're paramount TO any exercise Of Iegis-
latiye power on the part Of the colonies.
and n any statute of a colonial iegisla-
ture was Inconsistent with a treaty con-
cluded with a foreign power By the i'm
perial British government il was, ipso
facto void That IS the attitude of the
English government Ia connection with
the difficulty between Newfoundland and
the United States. and that too. must
necessarily be, according 10 the pre-
nOuncement in Parliament Of the solicitor
general the position of the imperial gov
ernment with regard 30 the rights con-
ferred upon Japan by treaty with Great
Britain, conceding the same free ad-
mission Of her citizens t6 British ter
ritory as Is enjoyed by the subjects of
King Edward IN the dominions of the
Mikado. Inasmuch as the colonies are un-
alterably opposed tG this, and since Aus
traiia and New Zealand regard their very
existence at stake in the matter. It looks
very much as if the forthcoming col
onial conference win have the effect Of
bringing 10 crisis the question Of Eng
lands relations to her colonies and of
her relations TO Japan.