The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-06-11

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method appears for curtailing Japanese
power.
Thus, history appears to be repeating
itself. The battle for concession that
took place in 1898 seems about to be
revived and undoubtedly the climax to
this conflict has been FASTENED by the
American agreement to acquire Chi
neSe silver.
Few authorities are willing to venture
a prediction as to where this new pol
icy, promulgated by President Roose-
Welt, will lead us. Some insist that it
is in accordance with the attitude the
United States has held for nearly forty
years insofar as Chinese relations are
concerned. Others claim that, since
Japan has grown to such Importance as
a world power, the silver agreement
may eventually lead us further into the
Far Eastern controversy, so far, in
deed, that the questions later to arise
may involve national honor-and ma
tional honor ofttimes is a prelude to
war.
While we are looking over Japanese
activities in the Far East, we ought
not to forget that
JdPS lnUdde only year ago. our
Ph;IiDDipes congress, under a po-
litical lash and the
pressure of selfish interests, voted the
FilipinOs their independence. Of course,
the Philippine islands are still under
our protection and will be so for sew
eral years, but it is most interesting to
know that already the Japanese have
set about the colonization of portions
of the Philippine islands.
Through the last 20 years, American
officials stationed in Manila have kept
a watchful eye open to detect any signs
of Japanese encrOachments. 1t was not
military movements by the Japanese
that were feared. 1t was their we'll
known capacity for creeping under the
edge of the tent and suddenly develop
ing into an economic power.
Official reports now are reaching
Washington which indicate amazingly
rapid encroachment by the Japanese
upon affairs of the islands. One official
document shows that Japanese colo
nists have virtually swallowed up one
large Philippine valley. BY devious
ways, legal and illegal, Japanese farm
ho no h
tanned all of the land that is tillable
in the Dava valley.
Philippine laws, sponsored by Amer
leans before independence was voted,
have been designed to check Japanese
colonization and the battle against this
has gone on unremittingly since the
days of the World war when the Tokyo
government first exhibited definite abil-
ity TO expand its spheres of influence
through colonization methods. 1t should
be said. however, that the American
officials have been somewhat lax in en-
forcement of the anti-Japanese laws
and the result has been that small
colonies of Japanese were planted in
various parts of the islands.
Now, it is shown that these colonies
have developed into great numerical
and economic strength. They seem to
have unlimited credit from somewhere
for their operations and in the Dava
valley, for example, they actually con-
troll the price of hemp which is the
main agricultural product of that
section.
The Japanese are operating in an
other fashion in the Philippines. 1t is
a well established fact that when legis-
lation is being considered by the Phil
ippine legislative body, it is confronted
with a powerful lobby if it is inimical
to Japanese interests. Existence of this
lobby is known and recognized and
many of the Japanese representatives
are fearful of consequences to their
political careers if they go contrary to
the lobby's position.
Such penetration as this into the
Philippine economic structure may not
be as serious from a world standpoint
as the Japanese penetration of North
Culud Let. II SSeuS " Inc lHdl tue
American government cannot ignore
the activity. 1t may be that Japan has
no thought Of eventual military and po-
litical supremacy over the Filipinos but
the surface indications at this time are
those that have always preceded po-
litical and military subjugation of ter
ritories and possessions, whether the
movement was by Japanese, by Ital-
ians, Germans, French or any other
nation.
1t will be recalled, as well, that just
such a condition or circumstance as
we now see was among the fears eX.
pressed by those representatives and
senators in our congress who opposed
Philippine independence. The oppo
nents of the independence bill in con.
gress dared not openly assert that ia.
pan would be menace to the island
independence. To have done so would
have meant international complica
tons. Yet, within two years after oul
congress has acted, there come tc
light the various movements Of jap
anese expansion in an area and among
a people whose freedom our nation
guaranteed more than a quarter of 8
century ago.
| Western Newspaper Union.
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