Arizona republican., 1910-01-11
Japan Less Friendly.

| tralize the Manchurian railway-that is. to relieve" Japan of responsibility for its operation and place the line 1 under the joint control of Japan, Russia, Great Britain. Germany and
 the United Sattes-is not approved at TokiO, according to Sundays cables from Japan. If the Japanese news papers reflect the views of the gov- ernment, Japan will hold that the
 naturalization of the Manchurian road
 was assured by the Portsmouth treaty.
 that Japan is observing the terms of
 the treaty in good faith, and therefore there is no occasion for the powers
 to take any steps in the matter.
 The Japanese press insists that the
 'open door" into Manchuria is still
 wide open, and that Japan is offer
 ing no obstruction to traders Of other nations. There seems to be no doubt that in a technical sense Japan is observing the requirements of the peace treaty she made with Russia at Portsmouth-she has not officially interfered with the open door into Manchuria. But according to Ameri- can and other foreign mercantile houses which formerly enjoyed a prof. itable trade with this rich Chinese province. Japanese houses have ab- sor5ed most of the trade with Man churia, by very simple method. Borrowing leaf from some American railways book, the management of the Manchurian railway operates the line under. freight tariffs that read alike for all; but through a system of rebates and other concessions to Japanese shippers. the Japanese trad CTS are enabled to monopolize the business.
 It is obvious that the acceptance of Secretary Knox's proposal w !d place the traffic affairs of the road on an entirely different footing.
 The dispatches of the last day O. two. to which we have referred. do not quote the latest expressions of the Japanese press, but their spirit is doubtless in line with the recent trans lations made by the Literary Digest. For example, the Yorodzu, an influen- Tnl Aailx nf r,lr
 quiring. respecting American criti- cisms relative to Manchuria, What can we do to satisfy such a whimsi- cal peOple?" which question it follows with these comments:
 We have done nothing wrong in Manchuria- We have never deviated an inch from the principle of the open door; instead. our work in that coun- try is calculated to become a material asset to that principle American journalists and authors are taking pains to create among their country men an impression that we are jug gling with the open door, and are covertly hindering American trade in Manchuria- But such accusations lack specifications. nor are they based up- on any substantial evidence If they would only plainly point out what the so-called discrimination is, We should be but too glad to rectify our mis- takes. We read in, for instance Thomas Millard's America and the Far Eastern Question: which seems to have been received in America as most authoritative book on the sub ject it deals with, that Japan is flood ing Manchuria with her emigrants. who are brought there at the expense of the government, and that Japanese goods are carried into Manchuria att special rates both by steamer and rail- road. This is the nearest approach to specification, but in the same book the author unmistakably admits that no evidence is to be found to support these charges. As we firmly believe that we have done nothing prejudicial to the open door, it is up to our accusers to prove, and not merely to assert, that we are insincere in advo- eating that principle"
 We are assured that these express sions reflect the views of the Japanese press generally. There seems to be a disposition among our Japanese friends to believe that the traditional friendship of Americans for the Jap anese no longer exists, and the devel- ! opments in connection with the dis 1 missal of Minister Crane from his | position of minister to China are cited | in proof of the assertion that America l is playing mysterious game against |