Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-10-25
JAPAN IN NEED
OF ELBOW ROOM
FOR SUBJECTS
Question of immigration to
Be Discussed at Wash
ington.
Special to Indiana Daily Times
and Philadelphia Public Ledger.

and Philadelphia Public Ledger.
By FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25.-It is possible
now to throw important light on news
cabled to your correspondent from To-
kio last week that the japanese dele
cation at the Washington conference VIII
bring up the subject of Immigration"
When the news reached here, all con-
cerned-both Americans and japanese Of
fcials-were under the impression 1T re-
ferred to the controversial question OF
immigration in California. Entirely diff
ferent and much farther-reaching con-
struction, it now is stated, is to be placed
upon Japan'S intentions.
The question to be raised at Wash
ington is the basic question of Japan's
necessity to find an outlet abroad for
her surplus population. 1t does not refer
to California. Both the Washington and
Toxic governments are in accord that
such an issue is inter domestic and for
negotiation between them alone. 1t does
not refer to any region in particular
1t concerns the broad, general insisteGce
by Japan that she needs elbow room
somewhere in the world for her excess
population, for the growing of food to
feed them, and for national expansion
in al economic sense.
IMMIGRATION TOPIC
ALLIED TO ARMAMENT.
The Immigration issue, as 1t Is out
lined to your correspondent, cuts vastly
deeper than the assignment of elbow
room" to the Japanese. Wrapped up
intimately with it is the primary sub
ject Of limitation of japanese armament.
The Nipponese attitude, reduced to bed
rock, apparently will be expressed by
the slogan: mo expansion, no disarma-
ment." That policy will not be put for
ward arrOgantly. That is not Japan's
way at international conference tables.
But the agenda on principles and poll
cies in the Far East is not likely to be
under discussion very long before ia
PANS hand will be revealed. She will
show 1t quite dispassionately. At the
sessions not open to the public-where
the real business of the conference will
be frankly transacted-the Japanese dele
gates may be expected to talk in some
thing like this fashion:
1.-THE japanese nation is not blind to
the fact that the United States and ia
pan, in a naval sense, are building
against each other. The people of Japan
have been taught to believe, for better
or for worse, that it is mainly the United
States which stands as barrier against
the emigration of the surplus japanese
population from it's overcrOwded and
overcultivated island domain to territory
capable of absorbing and nourishing that
surplus.
JAPAN'S NEED
OF TERRITORY.
1--WE DO not have in mind the Pacific
coast of north or South America, or the
Hawaiian Islands, or the British do
minions in North America or the South
Seas. We have in mind the mainland of
Asia. with which we are so closely con-
nected by geography and racial propin-
Oulty. There are vast, uninhabited and
untitled territories there to which
Japanese could emigrate with profit TO
themselves and with benefit to the re-
GiOns in which they settled. Such
territory exists in Mongolia, in Manchuria
and even in Siberia. If We are permitted
to go there-jf the Washington con-
ference assigns us what might be called
a sphere of immi gration-the main cause
for upkeep of an abnormal naval esta0
Hshment by japan will no longer exist.
The nation could and would be told 1t
if no longer necessary. Il we cannot
secure a sphere Of immigratiOn'-if the
doors that ought naturally to be open TO
Us remain bOlted barred and slammed in
cur faces-we must continue to be able
to take care of ourselves against all and
sundry who apparently do not wish US
we'll"
WILL ACCEPT SPHERE
OF IMMIGRATION.
Those who say the above mentioned
statement correctly Optimizes the main
japanese contention. as far as the Wash
ington conference is concerned, state that
Japan is willing to accept a sphere or
immigration" on the mainland of Asia
under sweeping safeguards and guaran-
tees Of the most binding character. She
is said to be ready to make a soleum
pledge that under nc, circumstances would
Japan seek to convert such a sphere"
into a military occupation, into territorial
annexation, OF into any other kind OF
political advantage.
japanese strategy at Washington, ac-
cording to certain advance indications
thus early in the great game about to
be called, will be to lay her cards on
the tatle before she is asked to do SO.
She is determined not to I'LL the role OF
the prisoner in the dock. 1t may be she
will turn out, before the conference is
very old, to be the prosecutor-the prose
cutor of claims she thinks must be set
tied amicably and in her favor If the
primary object of the parley, limitation
Of armament, is to be effectively pro-
NOTED. As these dispatches a few days
ago indicated, there is a strong inclina-
ton in Washington to recognize the JUS
tice of Japan's claims, but the United
States price for granting them might be
higher than anything Japanese diplo-
macy now cOntemplates.-Copyr right, 1921,
by Public Ledger Company.