The Washington times., 1923-02-21
JAPAN To STAND
BY old US.
TREATY
Demand for Equality Prema-
ture, Government Tells So
ciety Working for Revision.
By HARRY L. ROGERS,
International News Service.

international News Service
Despite tremendous pressure
from Influential sections of jap
anese public opinion, the Japanese
government will continue its pol
icy Of avoiding all issues calcu-
lated to stir up discord between
japan and the United States, it
was learned officially today.
Ambassador Hanihara, the newly
appointed representative Of Japan,
who has just arrived in Washing
ton, will make no effort to change
the treaty relations Of the two
countries when the twelve-year
term Of the present treaty expires
In July, and the convention will
automatically continue in force.
Having been a merIiber of the
Japanese delegation to the Wash
ington Conference, Ambassador
Hanihara is peculiarly fitted for
carrying out. the American policies
Of Prime Minister Kato, who head
ed that delegation, and he is in
thorough sympathy with the
premier's program of cordial friend
ship and understanding with the,
United States.
Much opposition has been aroused
in Japan against the terms of the
existing commercial treaty, and a
vigorous campaign is being con-
Quoted to force the Kato govern
ment to insist upon revision of its
terms to permit Japanese in the
United States to own land, to be-
come naturalized, and in general
to be received on the same basis
as Europeans.
Fights Persecution" i'm u. s.
At the head of the movement is
an organization known as the Tablet
Doshikai, which has for it's prin-
cipal purpose "the relief from
persecution" Of Japanese in the
United States. Numbering among
it's members heads of chambers of
commerce of some of the principal
cities, members of Parliament, pub
licists, and other influential Japa-
nese, this organization has the open
support of a number of important
newspapers and it has determined
head Of the government.
A resolution just presented to the
kato government reads:
Resolved, That to realize the
abolition of the American dis
criminatory treatment of Japanese
in America, we want to force our
diplomatic authorities to strive to
secure equal commercial and in
dustrial rights and interests with
European peoples for Japanese sub
jects in concluding the new Ameri-
can-Japanese treaty in July Of this
year, and we expect to attain the
above mentioned object by all
means"
Holds Time InOppOrtune.
In reply, the Kato ministry has
made the following statement, indi-
eating that the time is inopportune
for raising the questions referred to:
THE Japan-America treaty will
mature in July this year, but will
continue in force provided that no
notification be given by either party
regarding the revision of the treaty.
1--WE naturally are of the opinion
also that the existing treaty is de-
ficient in many respects, but hope
to materialize our desires on some
more favorable opportunity, after
having obtained the satisfactory
understanding Of the American
Government as well as it's people,
"The government also approves
of appealing to public opinion by
means of sound reasoning for the
sake of advancing the wishes laid
down by the Tablet Doshikai. but
it is premature to resort to such
measures, which seem to indicate
that the Doshikai are laboring un.
der an erroneous conception of the