Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-07-04
How About Japan
BY Frederic j. Haskin


! than she has occupied in ours. Amer
leans were concerned primarily with
domestic affairs and then with con-
Germs touching other nations on the
American continent, and European
powers. Asiatic worldpolitics trailed
along poor third. In Japan's scheme
of things, the United States often oc-
cupied first place, and never sank be-
low rank of high importance. At
the same time, the merciless logic OF
conflicting necessities several times
forced us across the path of the island
empire, and made us appear to her
people in the light Of a barrier be-
tween them and their destiny.
Even now, the United States re-
mains in two stands Numerically op-
posed to the wishes and policy Of
Japan. The solution Of each Of these
deadlocks 1t has been significantly and
explicitly stated, Is merely postponed.
The present status in each case has
been definitely qualified as temper
ary-once by Japan, and once by the
United States. The former case Is
that Of negotiation on the anti-alien
land bills where Japan dropped the
matter with the stipulation of resum-
ing it later; the second case is that
Of Japan's remarkable and unpreced-
ented demands upon China. The
United States, in note Of Maw1e,
1915, informed both governments that
this government could not recognize
any agreement to which they might
come as binding, under the circum-
stances. If 1t infringed American
rights Gas several features of the new
concessions forced from China do).
And there the two matters rest. Each
must be settled somehow In the fu-
ture.
In neither Of these cases can the
United States we'll recede from her
stand. The citizens of this country
can not give up their right to say who
shall and who shall not enter their
territory. Neither can the govern
ment well consent to the closing Of the
"open door" in CHINA violation Of
policy distinctively American, on
which all our present interests in the
Chinese republic as we'll as the i'm
depend. On the other hand, consider
Japan's position.
Take the matter Of immigration, or
emigration. Emigration to Japan is
national necessity. With a popula-
ton Of about 100000, living 347 to
the square mile In islands largely
mountainous, intensively cultivated to
a high degree, the Japanese are in
creasing at the unbelievable rate of al
most one million year. Not only is
the population increasing, but the rate
of increase is increasing also. It
is case of steadily rising pressure.
If there Is no safety valve. sooner or
later the boiler is bound to burst. And
when Japan turns for relief toward
the continents whittier her people are
ready and willing to emigrate, she
comes inevitably into conflict with
America.
I Those continents are North and
South America and Australasia.
Whether or not it be true, Japan be-
lieves that the Asiatic exclusion leg
islation of Canada and Australia is
patterned on that of the United States.
She seems to feel that in meeting this
issue, she has to deal primarily with
the United States. Not only does she
feel that the British colonies have fol-
lowed Americas lead in this matter
but she knows that any attempt to
coerce those colonies would be met
by the united might Of the British en-
pire.
Why does not Japan COLOMBO In
Asia? The answer Is that ,she has
tried and is still trying, has for the
most part failed and is likely to fail
in the future. There is little doubt
that Japan's Asiatic policy, by which
oh VII
, tectorate over Manchuria, was dictat-
put to the test, these regions proved
Of little use to the Japanese. They
can not compete with the Chinese
and the Koreans. Their fellow orien-
tails out-work and under-live them,
even as they themselves under-live
and out-work the occidental.
SO Japan turns westward-to find
herself excluded from the United
States and the British colonies. There
is plenty of wild land left in the world
but the Japanese are poor pioneers
The emigrants are in their element
only In small farming or as the work
ers of an organized community. Japan
sees America standing before the door
of what are to her only lands Of oppol-
tunity.
She is attempting to dominate
China She plays her cards at time
when all the world except the United
States is busy elsewhere. Whether
her purposes in China are imperial.
as some fear, or whether she is simply
seeking to establish preferential
market for her goods so that she can
compete with the better equipped In.
dustries of the west, is unimportant
She is trying to dominate China, and
it becomes more and more evident
that If any nation opposes her, it will
have to be the United States.
Now and again the drift of world
forces sets two nations into inevitable
opposition. Such opposition may o!
may not lead to actual conflict. Amer
leans know how Practically they them
selves regard the issue. 1t is equally
Important however, to know how the
other nation concerned regards it.
question which no American can af
ford to treat indifferently, is How
About Japan?