Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-05-11
BARON kATo's ATTITUDE.
Honolulu. Hawaii. May 70.

Honolulu. Hawaii, May 10, 1915.
Editor Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
Sir: In Your issue of May S no
tice an article entitled Japan Baffled.
In that article. think you in I'd vertent.
~ do an injustice to the temperament
Of the present minister of foreign af-
fairs. Baron Kato. You say "Kato's
policy has had altogether too much
of iron and too little OF the milk OF
kindness in il to suit either the world
or the calm thinkers of his own coun>
try" The writer OF this article has
been intimate with kato from his
young college days. As a young man.
he was calm. thoughtful, sedate and
cOnciliatory. He is far from a jingo.
Although young man as compared
with Japanese elder" statesmen. he
has had more political experience than,
perhaps, any other man in the EN-,
pire. He was ambassador to England
for four years. and was recalled to
go into the cabinet at home but re-
! manned in the cabinet but a short
time and WIS appointed ambassador
to England second time.
While in the cabinet the first time,
he was so moderate and conciliatory
that the opposition charged him
with being subvertant in his diplom-
acy.
About year ago, was entertain
ed at dinner at his house. After din.
ner, we got into a corner, together
with the late lamented H. W. DENIM
son and talked over domestic and for
oi on of mt Iaf en-, ho nir
| told him | wished to talk and ask
him questions and he could either an.
swer or not as he saw fitting l felt
at liberty to do this because of being
an old instructor of his He answered
and commented upon all the questions
that / put to him concerning the Japa.
nese internal and external policy.
questioned him about the taxes paid
by foreigners in the old open ports as
being merely nominal They pay a
nominal ground rent and nothing
on Improvements great or small on
this ground. The Japanese govern
ment loses hundreds of thousands of
dollars every year by this arrange
ment. 1t is legacy from the old open
ports domicile of foreigners. found
in Yokohama buildings that cost from
one to two hundred thousand dollars
without contributing one cent to the
government either local or national.
This is the rule in all the old open
ports, to wit: Yokohama, Kobe, Ma.
gasaki and Hakadate | asked him why
such injustice was permitted in Japan.
He answered that the question had
been submitted to The Hague and
it was decided against them. Fur
Their questioning him, I asked him
why the japanese government did
rangement. He answered that
the Japanese did not, denounce
either the treaties or Hague awards
He said their government had had al,
ready enough troubles In their diplo
matte intercourse and they did not
wish any more Questioning him about
the California land matter. he said
that that was a mere pimple on Japa.
nese foreign relations and would cure
itself in time, if let alone, as most
small diplomatic questions would do. e..
He, moreover, said that there was
not a cloud on the diplomatic sky of
Japan and he had no reason to sup.
pose that any would occur in the near
future. .... ..*.. a..
He further ventured the remark that
what Japan wanted was external quiet
ude and internal readjustments and
economic development, so that the bur-
den of taxation which was very heavy
could be lightened from the producing
classes. He made the impression on
me as really the strong, sane, and
moderate man of the cabinet Tn.
questionably, Okuma is great bal
ance wheel to all Of the more rest
less and vigorous elements of the Jap.
anese population His memory and
experience are prodigious. He is both
a statesman and philosopher, as well
as a pronounced man of peace. AS to
the Chinese claims" / have little to
say because know little about them.
am strongly inclined to the belief
that many of these so-called claims
are nothing more than readjustments
of old questions arising out of the re-
suits of the war with Russia partic-,
ularly in Manchuria, and new read.
justments arising out of the taking Of
the German possession of Kiauchau.
| hope and believe when we shall know
the real status of the affair, now hap.
PLY settled, we shall be better able
to form a true Judgment of Japanese
action toward China. ......
80. s. >~t1 NJ. NJ. SCOTT.