Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-06-26
The flood Of time Is setting on,
We stand mpon us brink,
Shelley
THE CALIFORNIA LAND QUESTION AGAIN


Considerable speculation must naturally be
aroused as to why the details of the California
land affair discussion between Japan and the
United States are made public at this time Sc
|af as the people of either country know, there
has been no recent development to call for q
Publication of the correspondence between the
two nations through Ambassador Chinda and
secretary Of State Bryan
The conjecture Is sure to be heard in some
0narters that the Mexican situation has led
Iapan TO an insistence upon some action by the
|nifed States to block the operation of the new
california law. This conjecture Is natural on
he part of those who think Of Japan as waiting
ia the other side Of the Pacific for some blunder
1f the United States that will bring on war. To
0pse, the publication Of the correspondence
|obled around the world last night means that
|apan is pressing the point because the ener-
|'es Of Uncle Sam are largely engaged on the
Mexican border
Bnt this is not the most plausible nor the
most reasonable explanation. II is far more
.ely that the California land question has now
cached the point Of a diplomatic impasse.
Even casual perusal of the correspondence
Win show that while the state department EN-
.||lg;izes it's Inability to Interfere with Cal
'ornia so long as California violates no treaty
.Ioyisions, Japan is quite unable to understand
hat state can enact legislation affecting and
|0dangering international relations Ina high
N centralized government such as that Of the
|'kado's empire, sssch provincial legislation
would never be attempted, or, IL attempted,
would quickly he suppressed by orders from
headquarters in Toxic The doctrine Of states'
'th as California, are Unknown in Japan. and
|kpan either affects not to believe that califor-
|1 has the right totnact the land leeislatiDnsin
.0estion, or is sincerely unable to understand in
Mis- respect the structure Of Uncle Sans gov
1ment
Japans arguments of grievance are, Of
.0'lfse, given lacking by the mutual pledges Of
|I'r and equal treatment between the two conn
||'es Between a. literal carrying-out of these
hedges there stands the United States imlni-
ration law under which Japanese Immigrants
Innot be naturalized Thus the california land
.0estion gets hack to the fundamental question
Vt naturalization for the OrientaIs now denied
hat privilege
SO Japan and the United States have reached
place where neither can retract-the one be-
|10se its intense and sensitive national pride
viii not permit ii to brook anything that APP
Itars nationally discriminatory the other he.
muse it cannot but stand by it's constitution
md the states hereunder guaranteed sovereign
lowers
Under these circumstances, the publication
.| the correspondence would seem to be for the
purpose Of eyoking public discussion and plac-
'ng the position of the diplomats frankly before
he people of their respective countries. Sane
Ind thorough discussion may lead the way to a
soIntion Of tremendous international problem.
One thing is noticeable throughout the cor
Itspondence there is nothing on either side to
live the slightest comfort to the iingoists ia
0an's notes are courteous in the extreme and
'hsistent first of all on full study and discus.
sion of the difficult subject There is nothing
like an ultimatum, nor the shadow of threat
TO those who picture Japan as country
|eeming with war preparations, as a country
Swarming with soldiers being drilled for an
Occidental invasion, as a country building bat
fleships to cross the Pacific on a hostile mis-
sion, the calm and careful tone of the cores
Dondence will be Disappointing
There is this to be said, however, that Japan's
pride has been touched to the quick and the tone
81 further negotiations is likely to be a trifle
harper
The Leah Home benefit baseball game yes
|er,lay was the great success it deserved to be.