The Washington herald., 1909-04-05
JAPANESE OFFICIALS
TO BE FETBD HERE
HikOjiro Wada aud TOkutarO
>akai Reach City.
DENY CALIFORNIA QUESTION"
Emigration Falling on, Says EXPO
sitiOn Commissioner, ne Japan
Needs Her Labor at Home-COnf-
dent Relations with This Country
wm Continue 10 BE AmIeable.

Two distinguished japanese officials on
an important mission arrived IN Wash
Ington last evening and will spend week
here. They are Hikojiro Wada, director
general OF the Tokyo Exposition. and To-
kutaro Sakai, one Of the Rnperis! Japa-
nese exposition commissioners. They viii
be extensively entertained IN Washing
ton In both Official and social circles.
They arrived IN this country ten days
ago from England, and have spent the
intervening time in New York. where
they have been lavishly entertained by
people prominent IN financial. Industrial.
commercial. and social spheres.
Mr.. SakaI. who Is graduate of Har-
ward and speaks English with huency and
elegance. will be in this country for two
months. Both he and Mr.. wada viii
visit the Seattle Exposition before return
ing 10 Japan
Took Part I'm Welcome 20 Fleet.
One reason for the unusual attentions
paid 10 these gentlemen in New York lies
in the fact that they took an active part
IN the work OF entertaining the American
fleet and the American visitors In Japan
last October.
Mr.. Sakai came 10 this country on a
confidential mission with Baron Kaneko
during the war with Russia. and returned
again with Count KomUra after the
Portsmouth peace conference.
Secretary Knox will give a dinner to-
night in honor Of the two japanese COM
missioners.
Tomorrow night they will be guests
al a large dinner AT the White House.
On Thursday night the japanese Am
bassador is 70 entertain in their honor.
On Saturday night the United States
commissioners TO the Tokyo Exposition
are 10 give them a dinner.
"No California Question"
Mr.. Sakai. in the course OF a talk last
evening at the shoreham Hotel, said:
since my arrival in New York I have
been interviewed by many newspaper
men, and among the many questions
there Is one which has always been pro-
pounded. They ask me What do YOU
think Of the California question? To US
japanese there Is no such question as
the California question. and there is no
cause whatever for any apprehension.
The question. as 7 understand IL. is OF
Japanese immigration. This Is fast dis
appearing. because japanese immigra-
tion to California is decreasing.
More Of our people will return from
California 20 Japan than 90 10 Calf
fnrnia. as the natural outcome Of tho
changed conditions since the Russian
war. We have now a bigger sphere OF
influence; We have 10 develop Formosa:
we have to send japanese TO Korea.
which Is under our protection; We have
large interests in Manchuria, where cur
labor is very much needed, and. more
over, the northern part OF Japan. Hok-
kaido, has TO be exploited and developed.
Japan Needs Her Labor.
Unfortunately, Japan. is poorly favored
10 compete with Europe in the fields Of
commerce and industry. Our capital Is
scarce and dear. We have not had much
experience in handling machinery. II
Japan sends the one thing in which IL
excels-cheap labor-to build I'D the IN
dUstries Of other nations. that means the
loss OF the one advantage we possess. So
don't see why there should be any ap-
prehension OF trouble, for there exists
no reason for It.
THE statistics OF the last thirty years
show that the trade between the United
States and Japan has increased about
hundredfold. I don't see why II can
not increase twenty or thirty times more
in the coming few years. when we IN
derstand each other better"