The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-09-22

Great Britain than We do here Prices
| In England are lower, and its merchant
marine is very much larger. which gives
us prompt service at reasonable trans
portation rates.
During the past decade Japan's pur-
chases in the United States have aver
aged 100000 year. Even so, our aver
/ age sales to the United States have been
600. as against So. COZ. 600 to Europe.
We have every reason. therefore, TO keep
alive our old-time relations with this
| country. The balance of trade as have
! shown. is in our favor. We sell you $14,-
| 10000 more goods a year than We buy of
you. and there is no reason why both ma
| tons should not increase their trade with
each other. The United States is grow
| ing in population; so is Japan. Our in
! crease is about 10000 annually. Forty
years ago the population of Japan was
II, 100000 1t is now 50.ooo.0oo and more.
Our foreign commerce-that is to say the
| total of our purchases and sales abroad
is s4so.0o0.0oo. and included in that total
are about s15,0OO.O00 Of your raw cotton.
100000 of your kerosene and 8, 900, 900
Of your machinery.
A Great Cargo of SILK.
Il spoke Of a great shipload Of cotton
and flour which reached our country.
.
one of our new liners. landed 81 500, 900
cargo of raw silk in San Francisco not
long while ago. The silk was loaded on
cars and sent by fast freight to New
, York in five days. 1t came across the
Pacific Ocean innas fine a ship as there
is in the world. and then was transported
across this continent on as fine a rail-
road as there is in the world. The story
of the shipment of that silk tells in a
Ia E,l s.,I,
of two of the greatest and liveliest coun-
tries in the world.
Are American shoes worn in Japan"
asked
Not by our peasants or mechanics,
who wear clogs made of wood and san
dals made of straw. Sandals can be
bought as low as cents a pair. There
is only a limited market in Japan for
American shoes. Coarse cottons We
make ourselves and export large quanti-
ties to China and India"
You spoke" l said. ''of the Shinyo
Maru?"
Yes; 1t and the Tenyo Maru were built
by japanese and there are no better or
more modern ships on the Atlantic Ocean.
We have three large transportation COM
panies. One of them made a profit of
8. 800. 900 during the year 1910. Eleven big
vessels of that particular line do bust
ness with Europe and six with the United
States. A steel ship as feet long was
launched this year and will enter the
eattle-Hongkong trade. We have direct
water communication with the western
coast of South America and will carry our
silk, tea and other products to Boston.
New York. and Philadelphia after the
Panama Canal is dug. We believe that
a merchant marine increases the pros
perity of the people and our government
is liberal in its policy toward ship-owners.
giving them subsidies that they may
compete with foreign vessels and thus
keep our freight money at home"
Business Men Once Dishonorcd.
"Anciently." 1 said. the Japanese
were divided into seven social classes:
the Emperor, the mobiles. the soldiers,
merchants and traders. and the criminals
and tramps. Are business men still sixth
in the list?
'Oh. no. We have learned that bust
ness makes a nation great. Formerly
trade with us was not highly respected.
Naturally, the best men either became
soldiers, farmers artists, or. mechanics
Nor had our merchants learned that
honesty is the best policy. Travellers
complained that japanese merchants had
more than one price for their goods. In
unlike the merchants of some other ma
tions. But the old order with us has
passed away and business is as highly
esteemed as anywhere in the world. Our
merchants have adopted modern meth
DDS, and our importers and exporters are
men of high character and solid parts.
The soldier was once a knight with
us. He is still an honored man. but he
does not outrank the financier, the
he frttItr fet
was our first means of living. 1t is still
a dignified occupation. We are careful
and scientific agriculturists. and for
ages have practiced the intensive Guilt |
walton Of our land. 1t is a new thing
in this country. 1 am told. But you
have had fields mile long and a mile |
wide. Many of our farmers, on the |
other hand. have only two or three |
acres. In places earth is carried in bas-
little gardens are laboriously made and |
planted and titled.
But We find that money is gaine1 in |
business and that money raises the peo- |
pie up and makes them strong. We have !
industrial schools and are ,
sending students and experts at public !
expense all over the world to- learn the
latest and best ways of manufacturing |
There is no prejudice against business
men or rich men in Japan. They supply |
the talent and money with which to de-
velop the country. They give work to
our people and build up towns. No coun-
try can be prosperous unless its inhabi-
tants have work, and capital creates
places in which work may be obtained.
Thus little by little wages go up. living i
s improved, and all classes are bene-
ited."
Two Rich Japanese Families. |
Are many business men growing
-ich?"
Rich for us, yes; but not rich for
America. We are buying automobiles and
ire demanding the conveniences and
some of the luxuries of modern civiliza-
ion. There is millionaire class in most
countries We. have such a class, but
t is not large, nor Is 1t dominating. The
-wasaki and Mitsui families are the
vealthiest in the empire. They are land
,wners. bankers, and manufacturers.
rhe latter family Is three centuries old.
rhe former family is hardly more than
fifty years old. The first Iwasaki was
rot a man of means. He began life in
he shipping business and may be called
he founder of our merchant marine. The
reads of both families are barons and.
having done much for the people, are
,reatly respected. Most OF our rich men
ire generous in their gifts to the public,
md there is no outcry against them be-
ause they are rich.
do trusts exist in Japan
THE trust question has given us
10 concern so far, though our brew
,ries-have been brought together into
wo large organizations All the rail-