Evening journal., 1919-01-25
JAPAN To ASK
RACE [QU1LITY
Nation Scholars Demand
Discrimination Against
Orientals Cease
MIGHT CAUS:
FURTHER WARS
BY II. II. KINyoN.
Newspaper Enterprise Association Stat
Correspondent in Japan.)

Newspaper Enterprise Association Staff
Correspondent in Japan)
TOKYO, Japan, Jan. 2i-The race
question will probably be one Of the
biggest questions at the peace confer
ence.
Settling It right may not have much
to do with cleaning up the mess Of the
war just past, hut II will have every
thing in the world to do with pre-
venting an even more horrible war in
the future.
Public sentiment in Japan favoring a
demand by the japanese delegates to
Paris, in behalf Of China as well as
Japan, that present laws whereby
western nations exclude Mongolians be
abandoned. is growing almost over
whelming. Publlcists and scholars join
in urging drastic action on the gov
ernment.
The Japanese view is this: a true
league OF nations and new brother
hood OF civilization demand that all
discrimination against the yellow races
cease. The bars against land owner
ship as well as citizenship must be
let down, to make such a league In
fact what II pretends TO be in theory.
A league Of white nations for the
exploitation OF the yellow races would
not be a true league, and would pre-
serve peace only until the yellow ma
tions were able to force equality.
The minority who believe Japan
should be more modest at the peace
conference point out that Japan also
refuses foreign permission TO own land,
and excludes Chinese labor.
The following statement given out
by Professor Kamada, president OF Keio
University and one OF Nippon's fore
most scholars, represents the feelings
Of the enlightened leaders Of Japan:
"The establishment OF permanent
peace in the world on the foundations
Of Justice and equality for which the
Allies are striving" said Professor ka-
mada. "can hardly be regarded as COM
pletely attained without the removal or
race prejudice and the consequent race
discrimination.
Race prejudice and discrimination,
which are not based on any national
grounds, are contrary TO the principles
Of justice and equality. and. II allowed
TO continue, are likely to prove cause
Of international conflict in the future.
"Under such circumstances, II Is only
fair and proper that Japan and China
should bring forward at the peace con-
ference a proposition aiming at the
abolition OF the discriminatory measures
from which their people are suffering
at present. Since the peace conference
is to be convened for the purpose OF
celebrating on the methods OF which
the permanent peace OF the world Is to
be guaranteed. there is little doubt that
the question OF race discrimination Will
come up for discussion in one form or
another; and am one OF those who
believe that approval will be given to
the claims Of the Oriental countries.
"0f course the abolition OF measures
Of race discrimination will not neces-
sarlly mean the removal OF all possible
causes Of conflict between the Occi-
dental and the Oriental peoples. Ques-
tions Of an ecopomic and a commercial
nature may arise between them fror.
time to time. but the removal Of dis
criminatory measures in regard to race
will certainly go a long way"