Evening star., 1919-03-17
|SH|I SPEECH MADE
FOR HOME EFFECT
Envoy Makes an Effort to
Satisfy Public Opinion and
Have Views Recognized.
ANSWERS PROTEST HERE
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Japan's maneuver in expressing.
through the medium of Viscount 1shii.
the Japanese ambassador to the
United States. her objection to the
league of nations covenant on the
ground that it does not incorporate
an article prohibiting discrimination
in immigration, has had d curious ef-
feet
In the first place. it is regarded by
administration friends here as d con-
elusive answer to the apprehensions
OF those senators and others who be-
lieved the covenant made it possible
for immigration to be regarded as an
international rather than a domestic
question.
1nasmuch as Japan is the chief party
at interest, the view of her ambassador
that the league should incorporate a
special article on immsra ton IS a tacit
ADMISSION that any omission of the said
article leaves immigration within the
realm of domestic and municipal law.
and as such outside the province Of the
league of nations.
japanese Feeling Of Dissent.
On the other hand. the purpose of
the Japanese ambassador undoubtedly
was not to help remove one of the OBJ
Jections raised in American quarters to
tho league, but to emphasize a growing
feeling of dissent on the part of Japa-
nese public opinion with the league aS
at present planned.
The Japanese press has been active
from the very beginning in agitating
the immigration question. The Japa-
nese delegates at Paris have said
nothing about it, Indeed, they have
been conspicuouSly reticent through
they have let it be known that any
hard and fast rules which would fore
close them against making protest
against racial discrimination or which
would prevent them from literally
being accepted on terms os equality
with other nations would be viewed
with concern by the Japanese public
No Japanese has gone so far as to in
innate that Japan would on that
ground decline to become a member of
the league.
Rather has it seemed that Japan.
Britain and the friendship derived
from the Anglo-Japanese defensive
alliance. would follow along with
Great Britain on most questions Out
Of this relationship, however. Japan
expects due consideration. namely.
tfat the sensitiv%ness of her people
on the question of race discrimination
shall not be ignored. and that the
machinery of the league shall provide
somehow for the amicable adjustment
OF such disputes as may arise from
%tlzc Immigration question: -s.5
81 Gcntleman's Agreement. =
problem for Great Britain than the
United States, as there is no federal
law or treaty on the statute books
of this country which excludes Japa-
nese from rights enjoyed by other
aliens. There is in existence simply
United States and Japan whereby the
latter takes it upon herself to regu-
late the outflow of Japanese laborers.
American officials testify to the
splendid fashion In which the Japa-
nese have observed the spirit and the
the British colonies, on the other
hand, have by law barred the Japa-
nese. This discrimination is deeply
felt in Japan.
Possibly the outgrowth of the pres
ent agitation will be an informal un-
of Japan and the United States and
Great Britain whereby each of the
parties shall reciprocally agree by the
control of passports to prevent the
exodus of Japanese or American or
British laborers. BY making the
agreement reciprocal the objections
of the japanese probably will be met,
as their public opinion is simply anx-
ious that the discrimination against
the Japanese people shall not be a
matter of legal exclusion with all the
offense thereby implied.
Japan, on the other hand. has never
disputed the right Of America or any
other country to restrict immigration
on purely economic grounds. Phrase
ology of our immigration laws. there
fore. has always been carefully
guarded SO as not to offend the Jap
aneSe.
No Article on immigration.
r is unlikely, on the whole, that
the league of nations will include any
special article on Immigration any
more than it will embrace any other
Viscount Ishii. which is NE first long
comment on the league of nations
from any official japanese quarter, is
viewed partly as an effort to satisfy
japanese public opinion and partly
as an effort to secure some recogni-
ton of the Japanese position with
regard to race discrimination.
This can be treated by the individ-
ual government concerned by special
agreements, as it has been in the past,
and it is not expected that the forma-
ton of the league constitution will at
This time be delayed to resolve a point
for the settlement of which adequate
machinery already exists or can be
created in the realm of diplomacy.
Copyright 1919, by n. Y. Evening Post, Incl