The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-04-26
Foreigners MAY
own JAPAN Land
American Director of Hospital
in Tokyo Corrects Some
Printed Misstatements.
MOST JAPS ARE HONEST

To the Editor: Having lived and work.
ed in Japan and among the japanese
for the last fourteen years. l would be
doing less than my duty If 1 allowed
certain inaccurate statements which
have recently appeared in several of our
leading American newspapers to go I'M
challenged.
Under Japanese law there are at least
two methods whereby foreigners may
own land I'm Japan. The first is by the
right of superflcies. This gives the title
clearly and legally to the purchaser for
999 years. The only possible restriction
on this form of ownership which might
arise would be if a mine or oil were dis
covered on the property. That is, as the
title indicates, the owner, under this
form of purchase. has all rights to the
use of the surface of the ground. He
may build on it, use il for agricultural
purposes, or use ii in any other way that
he likes. Should he ever find a mine or
oil on il some special arrangement would
have to be made with the government
The second way for foreigners to hold
land in Japan is by the forming of
"shadan." This is a group of three or
more foreigners, legally Incorporated and
constituted 20 hold land in simple any,
toned in the articles of incorporation.
There are several "shadans'' now exist
ing in Japan and holding extensive tracts
OF land all through the country. As al
ready stated, full title to the land Is
given under the laws regulating the
formation of the ''shadan," or juridicai
person, and the land is held permanently,
For all practical purposes the title to
land for 1893 years is permanent pos
session.
1 myself own land under the title Of
superfices and have many friends who
hold land under the same form.
Therefore, the statement that foreign
ers cannot own land is not true and
should be corrected.
Find Japanese Honest.
The old statement that as a nation
the Japanese are not honest, we fire.
quently see quoted in American papers.
This statement Will not bear anything
like honest investigation. AS a physician
l have come intimately into touch with
thousands of Japanese in the last four
teen years i'm all walks Of life, and /
certainly have found them quite as hon
est as Americans l have dealt with in my
own country. if not a little bit more so.
i is surely a fact, which cannot be dis
proven, that graft and dishonesty on the
large scale as we know it here in Amer
lea does not exist in Japan in any cir
cles.
The old story that japanese employ
Chinese in their banks because they
cannot trust their own people is abso-
lutely untrue and silly.
Recently, willie on the California coast,
l was told that the Japanese were over
running the whole of the State, and it
was intimated that unless certain legis-
lation was instituted they might some
day own all of the State. After careful
investigation ] cannot find that they
own as much as 10000 acres. What is
10000 acres in a State of 15S, 260 square
miles, containing 1O1, $50. 400 acres? and
it has taken them twenty-five years to
acquire this much. The problem from
that standpoint does not seem very
alarming.
Japs Oppose Immigration.
1t should be remembered that Japan
has her own recent possessions to col
onize. and does not favor, but, quite the
contrary, strongly opposes her citizens
coming to America. | was anxious to
assist a japanese to come with us to
America two months ago that he might
pursue his studies here. Though l tried
for two weeks to get him a passport, l
failed to obtain it, and ii was the Japa-
nese government which prevented his
ccming-this because Japan a few years
ago assured America that she would limit
the emigration of her epople to this coun-
try as far as she could within certain
lines. And Japan is keeping her part
of the agreement, as well as the spirit
Of the compact.
The aggressive attitude of the Cal
ifornia politicians back of this move
ment to enforce discriminating and Of
fensve land legislation is one of the
most deplorable sides of the question,
They frankly state that the bills are
anti-Japanese, and they lose little OPP
rortunity to make themselves offensive
and discourteous. This race prejudice at
titude and crude handling of the problem
has done more than anything else to
excite and antagoniZe the Japanese peo-
pie, and il is only to be expected.
If any anti-Japanese bill passes the
California Legislature the results will
be most deplorable.
I lis is an international question and
not a States rights question.
Tokyo cannot deal directly with Cali
fornia in this matter, but California can
enact laws. which, if passed, will, at
the very least, seriously impair our
friendship with Japan, our commercial
relations, and conceivably may involve
the two nations in war.
To allow or coUntenance discrimina-
ton against the Japanese will be a high
ly discreditable act on the part of our
nation, irrespective of the opinion of
California as a State.
This creates very serious condition
of affairs, and il is high time We have
laws enacted whereby our national gov
eminent be empowered to enforce treaty
rights as well as make them. The pros
perity and peace of all the United States
are surely more important than compli- |
ance with the race antagonism of one |
small part of it.
II. r. TEUSLER. Director
All tippa1