Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-04-03
SIMPLE JUSTICE
ONLY JAP DEMAND
Baron Maxine Discusses His
Country's Position With
Associated Press

Paris. April S.-Barop Maxine
head of the Japanese delegation to
the peace conference, in statement
to the Associated Press on the posi-
ton of Japan, said:
You ask me for a plain and
frank statement of the position OF
japan. Well, 1 am tempted to ask
YOU Il question in reply.
do you think it possible for me
to say anything that will not be
wilfully distorted and misinterpreted
by those who have so long and so
persistently sought to clog the ef-
forts of my country to ascribe TO her
motives she has never hau anu 10
malfgn her at every turn? Let us
see.
AS to the United states. Japan
has a Very sincere, abiding and al
fectionate regard. We owe TO her
our place in the world, that is 10
say. the civilized world. ferhaps
l should not altogether agree to that
phrase. because you know, ana
everyone should know, that Japan
has enjoyed a civilization all her
own for many ages. 1t was 4 CIVIL
llZ0tlOn porn VI lliG lll5iitSN
of honor, of the sense which tho
west could not understand nor APP
preciate because we had lived apart
as a hermit nation.
when, through the expedition OF
Commodore Perry and the efforts
of Townsend Harris (the first Amer
lean consul general to Japan we
Joined, if l may say so, the League
of Nations of the world, and we
took on a new ambition. which was
to interpret the civilization of the
western nations which we had
studied and recognized as better,
although not all were more honor
able than our own.
You will note here that America
was the first country to agree TO
make n treaty with us abolishing
extra territorality. You must re-
member that we did not ask to join
this first League of Nations. we
were forced to do SO. Perry came
TO us with naval power and forces
to compel us to open Japan TO IN
tercourse with the western world.
I'VE yielded and l am glad, as is
all Japan. that we did yield. be-
cause it has been of great benefit to
our country.
Japan Wants Justice
And now we are asked second
time to join a League of Nations.
But how? As equals? If so. we are
ready. We want to consider with the
greatest care the interests OF all
our associate nations in such a
lea que. because by no other policy
can the League OF Nations succeed.
NO Asiatic nation could be happy
in a League of Nations in which
sharp racial discrimination is main
tanned. While we feel very keenly
on this point, our precise position
must not be misunderstood nor mis-
represented.
I'VE are not too proud to fight,
but we are too proud to accept
place of admitted inferiority in deal
ing with one or more associate
nations We want nothing but sim
pie justice. We are glad to join
the League of Nations and do our
full share in the maintenance of the
worlds peace and order and the
reign of justice for all peoples.
I'VE do not wish to impose our
labornC classes as immigrants upon
any of our associate countries. We
recognize that this question is one
with which each nation must deal
individually and we have voluntarily
shown our good faith by our obser-
vance of the so-called gentleman's
agreement with the nlteu states
and this Notwithstanding that the
principle is in direct controvention
of the measures adopted by the
western powers in forcing the door
of our hermit kingdom.
No Special Privileges
We do not object to the proViso
suggested by Elihu Root safeguard
ing his country on the subject of in
ternal administration. His PROPOSE
ton applies alike to all countries.
We want no special privileges.
What we do say and feel is that
we are entitled to Il frank and open
admission by the Allies. with whom
we have fought and will fight for a
free and civilized world and besides
whose sons our men have died. that
the principle of equity and Justice
is a fundamental tenet of the league.
This applies, of course, only to the
conduct of government and cannot
govern the likes or dislikes. even the
tastes, of individuals, which are their
own.
I'VE see difficulties in the way of
a permanent and successful opera
tion of this League of Nations un-
I less the contracting parties enter it
with mutual respect. Marriages of
convenience too often breed distrust