The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-05-11

! must conform to international ethics III
business as well as to international law
in war,
Official representatives of western
nations in Japan are now beseechlng
their governments to send competent
experts in politics, business and eco
Monies to this country to make a study
of conditions and ascertain, If possible,
Just where the private business enter
prise of japan leaves off and where the
government control begins. Such an
investigation must, of course, be con-
Quoted with great tact and diplomacy.
Indeed, it is by no means sure that
Japan viii consent to the inquiries be-
ing made. Yet the diplomatists OF the
Occident believe that the matter should
be probed. This leads to a serious sit
uation. the end o. which may be the
overthrow of peace and the drenchIng
of the Orient in another deluge OF
blood.
The japanese government declares to
the world that it will take steps to
stop the dishonest japanese traders who
initiate foreign goous and steal for aign
trademarks. Nothing could be fairer
than the way the government officials
talk about it, and nothing could appear
to be more sincere than the expressions
of regret from the government. And
yet at the verv same time govern
ment manufacturing concern, operated
by the government, owned by the gov
eminent, and enjoying complete mo-
nopoly, is turning out an imitation of
a British American product, stealing
even the initials of the American COM
pany to brand the package. This par
ticular brand of goods has wholly driven
the foreign article from Japan by viz
tue of the monopoly, and the japanese
government, not an individual dealer,
but the government itself, is trying to
force the .renuine article out of Man
churia and other parts or China by of
fering the imitation at cheaper price.
This is an instance of a government
monopoly. But what no one can tell
with certainty is how many other man
ufacturing concerns, apparently con-
trolled by private capital, are really
linked with the government through
the Imperial Households private share
holdings. And no one can know
whether it is an entirely Independent
concern, or one in the trust, which is
doing some of the things thatsare caus-
ing so much commercial trouble in the
Far East.
The Occidental interest in the work
ings of this gigantic trust is not con-
fined to Chinese or other extra-Japan-
csc territory. In Japan proper, where
the sovereignty of the government caa
not be questioned, foreign capital feels
the weight of the japanese "system. -
In the first place Japan has no money,
and has never had money This may
account for the desperate efforts it is
making now to get money, honestly if
possible, but get money. The internal
improvements in Japan have been built
with foreign capital Railroads and
street railways lead the list, of course.
The government owned part of the
railways from the beginning having
constructed the first line European
capital owned the rest. All at once,
without warning or by your leave, the
government takes over the private rail
ways at its own valuation, paying for
them with government bonds which
were worth nothing like their face
val;ie
Since the government railroad mo-
nopoly was instituted the shippers have
been subjected to great inconvenience,
the railway equipment is being run
down, and the system is being MIXED
of every penny of surplus revenue for
the benefit of the impoverished national
treasury. The treasury is empty be-
cause of the enormous expenditures be
ing made on military. and naval expan-
sion. While this goes on, and the Jap
anese groan under the heaviest taxes
ever imposed upon the people of first
class nation; while the government s
credit is strained to the breaking point,
and national financial disaster is in
sight; while all this goes on, the con
Germs in which the Imperial Household
owns stocks continue to declare divi-
dends of from fifteen to twenty per
cent, and the people make up the de
felt