The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-03-17
JAPAN AMENDING
NATIONALITY LAW
CENTURIES OLD.

option bill submitted to the House of
Peers and the passage in the Lower
Chamber of a memorial of similar
purport concern the United States di-
rectly. The bill will soon become a
law, amending the existing provisions
of the nationality law, much to the
satisfaction of those soHcitous of pro-
noting the traditional friendship be-
tween the American and Japanese
peoples.
The double nationality of the Jap
anese born and residing in America or
Hawaii has deprived them of the priv
ilege of enjoying the full rights Of
American citizenship according to the
United States law of 1866, because
they are still subject to a. foreign pow
er. The nationality law of Japan, in
It's Article Xxx, recognizes the loss of
Japanese nationality through NATURAL
ization, while the first clause of Article
XIV, does not allow the loss of ma
t1onaHty to those men over II years
of age who have not yet served in
the army or navy or are not exempt
from active service.
These provisions have deprived the
American-bOrn, Japanese, whose in
terest and sympathies are no more ia
panese> than American, of the option
of forsaking japanese nationality.
They have also given rise to the sus-
-p1c1on, whenever a war, between the
two countries has been limited at by
the newspapers, that the military au-
thorities at Toxic contemplated the
use of the Japanese in America
| against the country of their adoption
or birth, The proposed amendment,
therefore, intends : to accommodate
the wishes of the japanese in Ameri-
ca and remove a cause of naisunder-
standing on the part of a friendly ma
ton.
hat tJae. Toy =
on a different principle from the
American Statute on nationality and
followed the usage of Europe hardly
needs pointing out here. The new
nationality law of Italy, enacted as
late as 1912, indicates the previous
existence of provision similar to that
of Japan. For Article VII of that
Italian legal instrument runs:
Excepting the cases specially pro-
Vlded~ for in an international treaty,
the Italians born and residing in a
foreign country and recognized as the
born nationalist that country ac-
cording to its laws still retain their
italian nationality; but they may re-
nounce Italian nationality when of
age or permitted self-rule."
This new move of Japan granting
optional power of forsaking Japanese
nationality to the foreign born Japan
ese. on coming of age, although 1t
solves only q, small part of a, much
bigger question, seems to speak e1o-
Quently of the Japanese appreciation
Of the difficulty of obtaining the right
of American naturalization as we'll as
of the true American attitude on the
Chinese question and on the once
proclaimed domination over the Pa
cific Ocean. So long as all Japanese
exclusion, wherever undertaken, as
Sumes the form of discriminating
against the nationalities not eligible
fog American naturalization or with
out the right of becoming American
citizens, Japan must and will go on
protesting, not on any legal ground
certainly, but as an appeal to the
American idea of international moral
ity
Because it is question of nation
al honor Japan must also remove the
causes and prevents of this discr11n-
nation in SO far as they arise from
the behavior in America of the EJapa-
nese themselves. The idea of Japa-
nese exclusion on racial, economic, or
legal grounds has, However oftenAbeen
accentuated in America from parti-
san political consideration, though no
diplomat will own it. The Russo.
japanese war probably gave birth to
thez American apprehension of Japan's
mastery of the Pacific, while the
usso-Japanese reproachment in re-
Jecting- the Manchurian railway neu-
tralizatiOn and in joining the Four
Power loan group must have gene
rated the fear that the territorial in
tegSity and commercial open door of
China, of which the United States had
been the sponsor, were to, be scatter
ed to the winds. Japan, on the 9th
er hand, thought that America was
going to extend her Monroe Doctrine
along the line of least resistance and
to use the Philippine Islands and her
navy to protect China against Japan,
or to keep China and Japan sepa-
MI +
in order to prevent their united front
from threatening the peace of the Pa
cif1c
Evidently the world war came to
our mutual rescue and better under
standing The japanese Navy, insig-
nificant as it is compared with the
American fleet, has done much to in
sure the safety of the Pacific Ocean
for American trade. America has
realized the need of having more pow
er in the Atlantic to defend Latin
America from European intrusion as
well as to enforce international law
more efficiently in that ocean. Japan's
negotiation with Chant last year. pro- |
claimed to the world her determine |
ton not to allow China to lean on
any Western power against her island
neighbor Japan, for that would ex-
pose the Far East asia whole to con- |
slant involvement in European trour
bIes.
The results of that negotiation pc
tween China and japan have doubt
less convinced America by this time
that it was far from Japan's intention
or desire to violate the international
pledges concerning China, much less
to disturb the vested rights and es-
tabIished Interests of other powers
there Japan also sees clearly that
it is the part of wisdom to become
a partner in, not rival of, American
trade and investment in China, be-
cause our rivalry and consequent
conflict there would only result in the
and >predominance of
a third country noted for cheap pro-
duction and aggressive energy. /
Thus there is every hope of the chi
rese and Pacific domination questions
being kept in the background eWhere.
there is a common cause of apprehen-
c11oSfiO11 will