The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-07-27
HI ADVERTISERS SEMI-wEEKLY
.The Japanese Mission


J i anese mission for this country, headed b
/ Baron Ishii, ioreshadows one 1.-THE major event
of the year in the realm Of Far Eastepn diplomac,
Baron Ishii has been first secretary at PICKING, h
has been special embassy to this country, he ha
lteen vice-minster Of foreign affairs in Toxic. an
| he has been Japans ambassador to Paris p He T
| a trained diplomat of world experience He come
TO America to lay before our government the mai
| principles it would seem, Of a modus vivendi j
| the Pacific whereby America and Japan may ass
ciate their Joint efforts, against baeksTountllF
Allied approval, and support; hiaintAih peace T
1.-THE Pacific ''f 5NtE1EfHlak
| II is statesmanlike and an opportune project
and our government will doubtless seize the strate
gic chance now offered to us to receive on basi
OF entire frankness and cordial good will one
the first diplomats of the Japanese Empire. No,
that the clouds of misunderstanding which attend
| ed Secretary Lansngis recent note to China hav
heen disspated both in Toxic and Washington
leaving on the whole an impression very credit
able to the American department OF state for it
entirely proper and heartening sympathy with tn
Chinese government the air is cleared for lOnj
DELAYED personal discussion between America an
Japan which cannot hut be productive OF grea
benefit to both nations. i#af
The somewhat sharp exchange Of compliment
over our note to China especially the attitude o
the press did serve to bring into prominence how
ever, some very important prepossessions of tn
Japanese mind of today. Some Of these must III
Iquestionably be uppermost in any Joint discussion
OF the Far East in general and Of our relations il
China in particular. Perhaps most noticeable
among them is Japans recently revived claim 70
"paramountcy" in China. 1t was not merely mis-
understanding of "garbled note" that slight.
ruffed American Japanese relations a month ago
1t was Japan's plain comprehension that we wer
giving China important salutary advice which /
followed, would serve to strengthen Chinas Statu
as a sovereign and independent nation. The term
Of that advice might have been twisted by I'm
friendly transmission into impairment suggestions
But the real basis of Japanese circumstances, a
copiously reported, was that we had had any majo
diplomatic dealings with China at all without frs
asking advice and gaining cooperation from Toxic
Japan, we have now been told for several year
past, aspires to maintain Monroe Doctrine" o
Asia, which, it is suggested, not only in the name
but in argument is on the American model, China
in this new arrangement playing much the SAM
part in relation to Japan as does Mexico to tn
United States. This doctrine has been mooted be
FORE but it really became most vigorously popular
lied on the visit to this country in 1915 of Baro1
Shibusawa, Japan's leading industrial magnate. 1t
reemphasis on the of the departure of the Ishi
mission to this country, its recent reiteratiol
throughout Japan, and its industrious circulation
among our newspapers by the apanese publicit,
bureaus in this country all would seem to point t
one thing: that the jects of Japanes
diplomatic drive, of which the objective is on
recognition of Japan as the paramount power guar
anteeing Monroe Doctrine to Asia
Broadly speaking, JaPan's analogy of Monro
Doctrine for Asia is farseeng rejbinder to Amer
lea, and plausible and convincing rejoinder toe
to stay in our own part of the world and mind gu
own business. Narrowly speaking, however, wit
rigid and specific reference to the exact question
which it is designed to cover, it is most mislead
ing analogy in the world Of Pacific diplomacy
What is our Monroe Doctrine2 1t is loose, DIP
lomatic principle laid down early in our hstor
whereby we made known to the world our deter
mination to allow no monarchist European nation
to interfere aggressively in order to conquer an
suppress republicanism in the new world. 1t wa
protective only; it did not attempt to dictate TIL
internal policies OF the American nations 1t ha
at first no reference to trade; it still is dispose
to leave absolutely unimpaired the great Europea
trade centers, in most OF the countries far create
than our own, in Central and South America
has never acquired a territorial concession,
| sphere of interest" nor 'paramountcy" of an
character whatever. 1t has never insisted that an
! Latn-American country should exploit its mines
or build its railroads, seek its general develot
ment loans exclusively with our assistance an
participation. 1t has never led to the forcible Z
permanent acquisition of an inch OF Latn-Amei
lean territory. Panama stands on an entirely III
! ferent basis. ~ -.
Superintendent Kennedy of the Inter-Islan