New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-12
Appropriating
Germany's Trade


Germany's Trade
While busy supplying the extraor-
binary home needs which always ac-
a boom, Japan is not for
one moment neglecting foreign mar
kets. She is doing her best to fill
the vacuum caused by a bottled-up
Germany. japanese toys, silks, fans
and other manufactures are forcing
their way into South America, while
cloth and shoes are being sent to
Russia in considerable quantities,
and a beginning is being made in
knit goods to the United
States. Nor is there anything hap
hazard about their invasion Of our
market for the Japanese Trading
Company, Limited, which owns large
cotton mills in Toxic, Saki and Yoko-
hama, has established an agency in
this country to further its interests.
They have "gobbled up" the trade
Germany formerly had in the
Straits Settlements, the Federated
Malay States and Australasia.
In shipping Japanese progress
and while building is de-
Iayed for lack Of material, agents
are securing Britain and America in
an effort to overcome the shortage.
Japanese shipping interests with
America have increased some three
fold since 1914. The plants at
now employ over 10000
and large extensions to the
yards are under way, and it Is sig
nificant that the Yokohama-New
York service, via the Panama Canal,
has been established by a Japanese
and not an American company. Dur
ing the first half Of this year fifteen
vessels got subsidies aggregating
nearly 100000, and it is certain
that unless the United States takes
some effective step to prevent it the
control of the Pacific will pass into
Japanese hands, to the serious detri-
nent Of American commerce.
They are equally active in devel-
oping trade in japanese bottoms
with South Africa and along the
west coast Of South America. Regu-
lar lines have also been established
between Japan and the Philippines
and the Dutch East Indies.
China Interesting
Field Of Activity
Japan is providing an entirely new
set of reactions for us to deal with
later on. The japanese is not like
some folks on this side Of the Pa
cific, equipped with the ambition Of
an aeroplane but held down with the
nerve Of penguin. He is efficient
at prying an extra dollar or two off
the foreigner He has fallen in with
the desires Of new customers as
readily as the Germans did. Then,
too, he is buying up his own securi-
ties in this country and London, and
has promoted a serious movement
for the investment of Japan's in
creasing capital abroad, especially
in China, where he is fully deter
mined to WELD a dominating influ-
ence in financial affairs.
The Russia-Japan pact has fixed
q firmer grip on the Orient, and de-
spite polite protests to the contrary
It will tend TO the exclusion of Amer
lean trade in that part Of the world,
to the maintenance of peace in Asia,
and to new mastery of the Orient.
Whatever designs Japan may have
on China, she cannot look to that
overcrowded and poverty-stricken
country for a new Japan where her
rapidly increasing population can
settle and still be at home. She
must look elsewhere for that kind of
an outlet. In any consideration of
the future relations between. her and
the United States it must be re-
that for more than a gen.
Grafton this country has been her
best customer. The intelligent Fill
pinos, who perhaps understand ORR
entail affairs better than we do, OPEN
ly express their conviction that
should we abandon them their coun-
try will be taken over by Japan,
whether we like it or not. She wants,
and will have, more territory in the
Pacific. This can be read between
the lines Of statements made by her
public men. All she wants on this
continent being trade and equal
rights with other aliens. We are sad
ly mistaken if we suppose that she
will sit down under restrictions we
have placed on Chinese citizens. And
in the case of California she will not
for long permit discrimination to