Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-08-07
THE ISHII MISSION
BY DoREMUs SCuooER

ana IN c0need1ng which q greater in
! justice will be done to China, does not
| represent the entire people. Period
| ical literature, which is a better gauge
! Of the sober tho6snt or a people than
the daily press, is testifying month by
month that this noble hearted nation Is
a vital segment o. the great allied
movement on behalf of a civilization
! OF brotherhood in this world.
Japan has begun TO set its face
| against Germanism and what 1t Is
costing will only be known as the COM
ing years unfold the story. The most
| significant witness is the attitude OF
the Terauchi government towards
! ChlnAS internal problem which is one
OF strict non-intervention. Every day
| that Japan continues to withhold hei
hand evidences the sincerity OF her
rulers in the new internatlonahsm,
the internationaliSm OF democracy.
Thus the dominant element in Japan
is the one that hopes the most from
the Ishii mission.
First Of all ii believes that the time
has come for clearing away all OBJ
StacleS to the closest intimacy be-
tween the two sister nations on either
side Of the Pacific. If some way
should open, either through a favor
able decision by the supreme court
OF the Ozawa case, or by congressional
action to end the discrimination that
refusal to naturalize Japanese occas-
ions, the relief to both movements
would be inexpressible. Not that
Japan wants her people to expatriate
themselves or that there would be
many who would or could qualify for
citizenship (for the number Is negli-
gible), but that the stigma of Will
holding from Japanese what we freely
grant to the riffraff of many coun-
tries would be gone. Now, the great
majority of thinking Japanese, who,
together with the mass of men in all
the Allied countries, are being born
into the new era OF world unity, are
hoping that somehow when Viseount
Ishii returns he will be able to report
this cause of friction gone for aye.
Another very deep expectation here
in Japan is that the craftsmanship OF
the two nations may agree upon An
Asiatic program that shall first Of all
relieve Japan of anxiety, and second
be fair to China. In two generations
Russia doomed portentous upon the
horizon of this country's future. Now
that fear is gone. With its disappear
ance room is left for an entirely new
deal in the Far East. And Japan de-
stres that deal with an ambition that
Is daily increasing.
With threatening Russia the fore
cast had to be militaristic. Now the |
evolution of this part of the world |
may and should be in accordance with |
the genius Of both Japan and China |
along peaceful lines. And America
can guarantee this.
If these two great nations, one with
its surplus labor and with its know |
ledge OF the Far Eastern mind, the |
other with its surplus capital and its |
business genius, unite to develop, not |
exploit China, the world will be treat
ed to the greatest expansive move
ment 1t has ever known. Not then |
with dreams of selfish interest,"
though like every other manifestation |
OF genuine progress there Is q strong /
force Of enlightened self-interest in
volVed-but with a mighty ambition to
join hands with America In an enter
prise worthy OF both nations as well |
as Of the Twentieth century, the more
thoughtful Japanese are anticipating
the visit Of this special mission to
1t is well that it Is sent i
by a government headed by General
Count Terauehi, technically a mill
tarist, but In reality q statesman /
like the progressive leaders /
the world over from the past into /
the future, for only such a genuine
representative of the national char.
acter can be expected to head with
success so momentous a revolution as
that through which Japan, like the
rest Of the world, is passing.
Meantime, with the advent Of the l
[shii mission our own government Il
aces a most serious responsibility.
We have never as a nation realized II
he momentousness of our Pacific Il
problem. There are signs that our
ayes are being opened. We can, If we Il
Will, do more than any other people Il
% change the status of one-quarter
II the human race. The easy thing H
% do would be to remit to Japan the II
thief role in the renaissance of China, II
% say, as the limoges here would de-
light to have us say, that the United
States acquiesces in the paramount in
crest of Japan in that country, and
hus both to abdicate our RESPONSE
'ility. gained through nearly a GEN.
ury of unselfish service, and to fore
20 the mighty Influence which that
erVice has created. But this would
mount to an abandonment of a tried
md true friend.
China's trust in US simply cannot
'e betrayed. She needs us and Japuu
leeds US in an association that is
ure to benefit all three inestimably.
there never was a call for higher
craftsmanship in Washington than
hat issued by this commission from
he emperor Of Japan to the govern
nent Of the United States.