Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-10-04
Envoy Ishii's Open Door Pledge


policy the part OF Japan toward 'hinI. but
pledges his country observe til" principles of the
open door, with equal commercial opportunity for
! all in Chima As this is what the nitrd States
has all along stood for the declaration Of III" .jara
neSe envoy cXtraoIdinary is r"dS>urng. It should
have quoting effect in mrn"r! of til" disturbing
II demands made hy Japan upon China Ill 1912
when the latter country WAS under tn" presidency
of Yuan ShihkAi. Besides bringing iii" Nv" ma
tions TO the verge of war. tlP>" drmHndS created
much suspicion Of JAPAN moi only in the United
States but in Europe. The assumption of dicta-
tOrial sway over China indured sroNls at Japan
even from Britain. her ally Of quarter of cen
fury past
What made the matter look W"rS" to other nA-
tiOns the apparent duPii"ity of Japan i'll deny
ing at first the existence of fully half the number
of demands of which China complained, later when
proof clearly against her explaining that these
demands were related to old questions having moth
ing to do with International relations and hence
mention of them had been made to the powers. At
the height of the crisis as between china and Japan.
the United States evadpd responsibility under The
open door doctrine the department giving out
that owing to preOccupation with European
complications, for the time being no diplomatic
negotiations relative to China'S complaint would
lie undertaken. However, Japan distinctly modified
her position; Yuan Shh-ka with his imperialism"
ambition, soon afterward caused an Overshadowing
crisis in China and the international storm blew
over.
While the demands in question did not actually
threaten Chinese territorial integrity. they went
long distance in traversing Chinese independence.
Yet then as there weresudents of the relations
between the two countries. forming their opinions
from first-hand observation. who maintain that
to China in extricating her from msgovernment
with it's cOrolary of misery for her masses, while
at the same time developing her resources and pro-
noting the material interests not only of both coun
tries but of other nations seeking commerce in that
quarter
In the meantime there have been changes of gov
eminent in Japan and there is evidence that the
injudicious policy that produced the crisis of 1915
is now in the discard. Japanese politics is not
different from that of other countries with para-
mentary institutions. Her statesmen are divided
into parties founded upon principles as sharply diff
ferentiated as those of parties in America. That
commission which passed through Honolulu lately,
bent on investigation of commercial possibilities be-
tween the United States and Japan, represented
three or four distinct parties of the empire of the
Rising Sun. There is to believe that the
purely militarstic Lingo" party of Japan which
luefciOpcu great lIlllieuldleIN dller tHe
Russo-Japanese war, has passed the zenith of its
influence in national affairs and may be considered
as no longer formidable. Japan may now he re-
garded and this opinion has confirmation in every
thing that Viscount Ishii has said in this country
as having definitely entered upon a policy of peace
tul development along with sufficient military pre-
paredness to protect such policy. Her ambition for
leadership in the rehabilitation of China, while hav-
ing some element of selfinterest, is justified by her
brilliant record of achievement at home as we'll as
in Formosa and Korea, and by her geographical po-
| sition.
| Niseount Ishii uttered the pledge of respecting
the open door policy at time when the majority
of civilized nations in arms to establish forever
the sacredness OF international contracts. This cir
cumstance in itself ought to be strong assurance
that the pledge was given without dissimuation
Japan cannot afford in any future policy to devi-
ate by hair from the strictest tenor of that OBJ
! legation.