Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-15
Continued from First PageD

of all assets which a nation can pos
sess IL that of the confidence and
| trust of the world at large. And in
Its dealings with the Western world,
which have been so many and so i'm
portant in these postwar years. the
japanese government has consistently
shown the most scrupulous regard for
its honor and the fulfillments of It's
commitments.
| at Geneva and In the fulfillment OF
! tn, promises made at the Washington
conference, when Japan accepted with
good grace a readjustment of its for
eign policy, which in less experienced
hands might merely have opened the
doors to misunderstanding instead OF
| possible settlement. In short. Japan
! has established a record which should
| win something more than the official
confidence of governments: it should
have universal recognition OF the high
| ideals and sincerity Of its international
| dealings.
Faces Critical Situation.
This maintenance OF an ideal stand
ard Is all the more notable when one
turns to view the problems of Japan;
| for 1t is face to face with situation
which is far more critical than that
of any of the Western powers. There
Is one major fact which dominates
, all others, and that Is that the Jap
| anese people are increasing at the rate
of about 100000 year. and are
already rapidly nearing and apparently
! bound soon to outrun the limits OF
their means Of subsistence.
| There is no solution for such vast
| increase of population by way OF emil
! los F.D~ q
| try ready to accept these millions.
Japan could not find the means to
export them. at least overseas. The
| few thousands that might reach our
shores, IL they were free of access. or
| the inhabitable area OF Australasia.
would not solve this problem OF Japan
at home. To the population problem
| is added that of country shattered
! oy great disaster and the unstable
| equilibrium OF the neighboring lands
Of Asia, at once tempting and threat
ening. with their nationalist jealousies
| and fears.
National Piide Stnng.
None of these problems, however
grave as they have been and are,
seemed likely to prevent the steady
upbuilding of pacific relations with US.
! It was an act of our own, which from
| the Japanese standpoint was utterly
uncalied for and distinctly unfriendly,
which stung the deepest OF all national
| sentiments in Japan--that OF natlonai
pride. No responsible statesman or
publicist In Japan has ever questioned
| the right of the United States to de-
termine its own citizenship and treat
as a national problem Its control OF
immigration. but the way In which our
Congress asserted that right and the
language used in connection with the
Japanese exclusion bill seemed to the
Japanese to have been pointed at them
| with something OF the nature OF
national slight. The incident con-
tinues to resound in the consciousness
of the japanese. while most Americans
have now either forgotten 1t or recall
it but confusediy to their memory.
The point at issue was not SO much
what we did as how we did It, Japan
Is country schoo!ed In. courtesy and
J in the traditions Cf formal politeness'
and 1t combines with these qualities
a tenacity OF purpose which has shown
itself consistently throughout history.
One. therefore. might expect that, with
that very firmness which Is the sign
manual of national honor. they would
tend to keep In mind any disregard OF
national sentiment.
Significance Of Action.
! It is only when these facts are recalled
/ that one fully realizes the significance
OF the Japanese acceptance OF the prin--
ciple of the Kellogg note. 1t was not
entirely easy for nation suffering
sense of grievance unredressed to give
| instant and cordial acceptance to the
| enunciation of universal peace when the
Nation proposing these high ideals
seemed unwilling to take any practical
steps to lessen existing misunderstand-
ings. Just as there were many honest
Germans who felt In 1925 that the set
Element of French occupation OF the
Rhineland should precede any such
i agreement as that made at Locarno. so
there were those In Japan who felt that
a proposal for permanent peace on the
part Of the United States should first
undo what they all felt to be an in
| Justice and a wrong inflicted upon them
by the Congress of the United States.
/ This Is not the place to discuss the
merits of that other issue, one which so
| far as the United States Is concerned
has already practically passed into his
tory: but II we have forgotten. Japan
| has not, and we can only repeat that
this fact makes all the more Significant
| the Japanese acceptance OF the princi"
| Dies OIL the EetlutiCid(bOt vi wa iOA'
although at first these memories might
seem to present difficulties In the way
of Japanese adherence 10 the American
proposal. nevertheless such obstacles as
| these are apparently no longer blocking
the path of complete agreement.
Japanese Reply to Proposal.
The japanese government replied to
the Kellogg proposal In two short para
graphs. In the first II stated that as II
| understood the offer there could be
nothing In 1t contrary to the right oil
| self -defense or the obligations of agree
ments guaranteeing the public peace,
such as are embodied In the covenant
| OF the League of Nations and the
| treaties OF Locarno" The second para
graph was the important one. While
| accepting the American proposition IN
| principle. 1t took 1t for granted that the
| text would have TO be worked out be-
| tween the six great powers by free dis
cussion. The text of this paragraph ran
as follows.
THE imperial government firmly be-
| lieves that unanimous agreement on
mutually acceptable text for such
| treaty as Is here contemplated Is well
capable of realization by discussion be-
tween the six powers referred TO and
| they would be happy TO collaborate with
|
| the purpose OF securing what they are
persuaded Is the common desire OF all
| the peoples Of the world~-namely, the
cessation of wars and the definite es~
adjustment among the nations Of an
era of permanent and universal peace"
! Although In the meantime good deal
of water has run under the bridge and
more is flowing every day we must be-
Gin with this short but important state
ment OF the Japanese government II we
are to get q clear understanding OF the
whole situation created by the Kellogg
proposal as applied to the problems OF
The Pacific, for the Japanese answer
contains more than lis apparent at first
glance In the first place, the refer
ence TO the League OF Nations and the
| fraaffas Of InCArnn may seem to those