Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-18
Ambassador Chinda Urged
That Nothing Be Done to
Hurt Present Relations.
REPRESENTATIVES HERE
TO ASCERTAIN FEELING
California Anti-Alien Land Law
Prompts Investigation by Busi-
ness Interests.

| the government of Japan or it's citizens
at home or in this country to impair
the present trade conditions between
Japan and the United States is the basis
of an argument that is being presented
in Washington today to Baron Chinda,
| the Japanese ambassador, by representa-
tives of the commercial interests of ia
pan. who have been touring the United
States to ascertain the feeling of their
fellow-countrymen on this subject.
These representatives are DR.. j. SOyedo
and Tadao Kamiya of Toxic, vino arrived
at the Shoreham Hotel Monday night,
accompanied by George Shima of Berke-
ley, Cal, and H. Abiko of San Francisco,
two Japanese residents in California. The
party spent most of yesterday in COM
pany with the Japanese ambassador, din
ing at the embassy last night. and are
continuing their conferences today.
DIR. Soyedo and Mr. kamiya have
come to the United States as repre-
sentatives of the Associated Chambers
of Commerce of Japan and of the ia
pan-America Affiliation Association the
latter an organization newly formed to
bring about a good understanding be-
tween the citizens of the two countries.
DR.. Soyedo is a retired banker of
Toxic, and Mr.. Kamiya is the secretary
of the Toxic Chamber of Commerce.
Sent to This Country.
when the misunderstanding arose
between groups Of citizens of the Unit
ed States and Japan as to the Cali
fornia anti-alien land legislation" DR..
Soyedo said to a reporter for The Star
fn6o ay,,iy nd I GU OF
by the Associated Chambers of Com
merce of Japan to come to the United
States to ask the Japanese residents
here to have patience in regard to the
situation in California until such time
as the differences between the state of
California and the Japanese people can
be Strengthened out.
I'VE have visited various communities
in the United States, and we have no
where found that the feeling against the
California legislation among Japanese is
as high as some journals of the yellow
press have tried to make us believe. We
have condoled with the Japanese who are
affected by the legislation. and have
everywhere found that it has been re-
ceived with the best possible spirit.
'TheSe things We have told and are
telling to our ambassador in this cOun-
try. We were not invited to make this
Investigation by our government or any
representative of it. but Japan's CONNER
cial interests in the United States are so
important that the associated chambers
Of commerce of our country deemed 1t
prudent that our people at home who
are interested in trade and commerce
should have first-hand reports of the ac
tual situation in America.
In turn we felt that the Japanese am
bassador to the United States should have
the benefit of our information and we
are giving it to him. We have been able
to personally visit the various points in
the United States where controversies
have taken place between japanese and
Americans. and the ambassador has not.
No Attention to "Yellow" Press.
Business men in Japan pay no more
attention to the yellow press there than
business men in America do to the 'yel-
low press here. 1t is a crime to talk
about a possible conflict between the two
countries. for if agitators should bring
about the possibility of such thing
Japan would be greatly harmed.
In the first place, We are having
hard time in Japan trying to make ends
meet to pay for our two big recent wars.
The people are beginning to put money
into the savings banks. and trade and
commerce are again beginning to get on
substantial footing. Trade and peace
are what We want. and We canot have
them if lingo talk is paid attention to
in ether OF countries.
The facts are-and the leaders among
the Japanese people. as well as major
ity of the people themselves, thorough
~ understand them--that Japan and her
people are most grateful to the United
States for I. number of reasons one
of our best traditions is that CT Com
modore Perry, and the way be taught
us to expand our commerce and open
our ports to the trade of the world.
Grateful to United States.
In Japan we are grateful to the
United States because this country has
so freely opened it's schools, colleges,
universities and other educational insti-
tutions to -. visiting Japanese
students Our boys Nave come to this
country, acquired knowSedge and taken
it home to Japan. where 1t has been
of the utmost benefit i'll the development
Of our country. We cannot forget that
Taught in America is a complimentary
phrase with us.
In addition. the United States placed
us on a footing with the powers of the
world when it admitted us to an equal
part with all civilized countries in the
revision Of our treaties. Also, the
United States remitted to Japan the in
demnity we had to pay at the time we
tried to close our ports. and. more than
all we had the diSintereStec help of the
United States which resulted in the
Portsmouth conference and the settle
4
ALI its horrors and expense.
For these things Japan regards the
United States as country to be looked
up to- as one looks up to a teacher.
But there is another and a highly
practical side to the argument of why
no misunderstanding should be allowed
between the two peoples.
we import nearly $50. 1000 900 worth
of raw cotton each year. most Of which
comes from the United States. We get
some from India, but the United States
cotton is the kind of cotton that is
most wanted in our mills Our textile
mills have been our most wonderful
Japan cannot afford to allow any
mar or impair this source of supply for
these mills.
I'VE import kerosene oil in enormous fig
ures from the United States. We must
have it. because the oil fields in Japan
are not large, and we must have your
machinery, il Japan is to continue to
grow and expand. What We want is
trade and peace. and these are the things
we are telling our ambassador. as well
as our countrymen. urging upon the lat
ter patience and a belief i'm what we
have always found to he the high ideals
and helpfulness toward the japanese of
the Americans.
Dr. Soyedo. who talks English as we'll
as most EngliSh-Speaking people, and
Mr. kanIiya. after sightseeing in Wash
ington, will leave in a few days for New
York to sail for home. He said today
| that his report to Baron Chinda ended
Il