The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-04-13

/ this congestion must be devised. mat
remedy, they think, is to be found only
| in emigration and expansion. 1t is the
solution OF this vex ng problem that
! raises the greatest issue in world poll
/ ties TODAY. Streams of japanese emf
grants were sent pouring into HAWAII,
| the Philippines, Mexico, Canada and
| the Pacific Coast States of the Union.
! The result was trouble. However, the
| immigration question in America now
bids fair to be settled by peaceful di-
plomacy, as Japan was quick to rec0g-
nize the difficult position which 1t oc-
cupied. and set about restricting emil
| grafton to those countries where its
| people were not welcome, and where
there was enough strength to repei
! them But whatever course Japan
| took at the dictates of peaceful coun-
sci, the fact remains that this slight
put upon its citizens has wounded the
pride of every subject of the Mikado.
Therefore the japanese are all the
more set unon solving the problem of
the congestion of their people by the
. other way-expansion. Japan acquired
valuable territory from China after the
war with that country, but the great
powers forced a retrocession. The war
with Russia, caused by its occupation
of the very territory Japan had been
forced to give back to China, and by
Russian aggression in Korea and Man
churia, has placed Japan in position
of predominant influence in those two
countries. In Korea the sovereignty is
virtually in the hands of the Japanese
resident general, and in Manchuria the
Japanese influence is being extended
rapidly. In China proper the Japanese
are making campaign for commercial
and political supremacy, the end Of
which may be a Notwithstanding contro-
versy. Owing to the necessity of pro-
yiding more territory for the support
of their people, it is feared that the
japanese statesmen may insist upon a.
program that will lead to grave inter
national complications.
It was manifestly the Russian pur-
pose to obtain control over China and
to exclude from this vast territory the
other nations of the world. If this
policy had triumphed, Japan would
have been forever dwarfed and its COM
mercial progress stopped While Jap
ans interests were thus more vital, the
other great powers also looked askance
upon Russian aggressiVeness. There
fore when Japan took up the gage and
gave battle, the rest of the world look
ed on and applauded. The exhibition
of skill and valor by the japanese
army and navy in that war was in
deed marvellous, but wonderful as it
was, it did not deserve the extravagant
praise and acclaim with which it was
received. If the japanese had their
heads turned by the success of their
arms, the fault lies largely with those
who fiattered them and exaggerated
their performances entirely out of pro-
portion to their real value.
When the war ended, the treaty be-
tween Japan and Russia permitted
Japan to exercise control over Korea,
but stipulated that the civil authority
in Manchuria should be returned ID the
Chinese, in whom it was rightfully
vested, and that the open DOOR
should be maintained Three years
have passed since the war, and now
it is charged that Japan has failed to
abide by the spirit of its treaty agree
ments, however it has kept to the let
ter, and that japanese aggression in
Manchuria, and even in China proper,
is of exactly the same nature as that
of the Russian. 1t is Charged that
American commercial interests are
more effectualiy shut out of Manchuria
now than during the era of Russian
domination, and that Japan is showing
of a disposition to shut up /
China to all of the other powers. This |
is why the Japanese have suddenly |
ceased to be the "pet children of the !
nations
The American interest in this ques- |
ton is peculiar. The United States is |
the only one of the great powers which |
has not been suspected of designs upon /
a portion of the territory of China. |
When the war between Russia and /
Japan began, John Hay, Secretary of /
State, addressed note to the two !
warning powers and obtained their i
pledges that the fight would be con-
fined to Manchurfa and that other Chi /
aese territory should remain inviolate. /
Thus the United States stands today |
in the attitude of the chief Champion
1f the territorial integrity of the Chi.
nese Empire. The American govern
nent is the only one that any of the
powers will trust in China. and it is
also the only one in which the Chinese
have confidence.
Thus the theater Of the drama of /
world politics has been removed to the |
orient In the cast of players there is
4 AtNh' cCAcA Oh d inherent p1OOu. For
he first time in modern history, an
Asiatic nation, emerging from hermetic
seclusion which had bound it since the
lays when Alexander the Great wrest-
I'd the scepter OF world rule from Asia
las become a figure of commanding
interest. The progress of Japan since
I took on western ways is the most
rapid in the history of nations. But
wonderful as it is, it is not possible
hat in fifty years it could so change
Is to measure up TO the standards of
he Occident acquired through the ex-
Of twenty centuries of blood
Ind struggle.
Japan has adopted Occidental civil
cation as one puts on cloak. Under
heath the white shirt-front of the Jap
anese statesman still beats the heart
IF an Oriental For this reason this
newest and greatest issue in world
politics is uncertain. Ever since civil
cation evolved a code of international
morals. all the great powers have been
have been of the white race,
IND have had a more or less common