The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 1911. WITHIN FOUR YEAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 148, 23 June 1911, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 1911. WITHIN FOUR YEAR.

Per «• fk*m «*' «W iMimitii,

Writing a few weeks before the meeting of the Imperial Conference, a contributor to the last issue of the "Round 1 Table" asserted that the most important question to be decided at this gathering of Imperial statesmen was the attitude of the Empire toward the colour problem. For the first time since 1897 the whoie question of Asiatic immigration was to be thoroughly discussed, and this is probably the last occasion on which the British and colonial Ministers are likely to meet in conference before the AngloJapanese Alliance expires by effluxion of time. There is very good reason for believing that Japan is inclined, to protest vigorously against the restrictions imposed by the British colonies upon Oriental immigration, and that she is prevented from doing so only by the political necessities that have for the time bound her to England. But before 1915 the Anglo-Japanese Treaty may have been denounced by either of tlic contracting parties, and if Japan is then strong enough to stand alone, or can secure a more useful ally than England, she may feel disposed to object actively to the invidious distinction enforced against her people by Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Considering all these facts, it was highly desirable, if it had been possible, for the Imperial Conference to come to some final decision on the subject of Asiatic immigration and to adopt a policy tlmt could have bees backed by tlie united strength of the Empire. But, unfortunately, nothing definite was done. Thi*. Imperial Government contented itself with a vague expression of sympathy fur the colonial standpoint, but so far as the outside world knows no practicable line of policy I was even suggested that might enable us to face with equanimity the grave international crisis that may easily and naturally grow out of this Asiatic immigration question within four yeaTS from to-day.

We have no sympathy with any sensational "Yellow Peril" scare in the popular sense of the phrase. But it would be the height of folly for us all to shut our eyee to such "contingencies as these, and it ought to be the chief duty of the statesmen and rulers of the Empire to arrive at a perfectly clear understanding about. Japan's intentions in this patter, r.nd our prospects of dealing witli aiiy dangers that may -consequently arise. As to Japan's feelings on the subject of our immigration laws she has never iriade any secret of theih. When in 1594 England recognized the statu3 of japan as a civilized power and signed the first commercial treaty with her, our Imperial Crovernmeht being aware of the Strong anti-Asiatic sentiment throughout the Empire, specially excluded the oversea Dominions from the operation of the clause permitting Japanese to enter, {ravel, or reside within the limits of England's so%'ereignty, unless with our consent., After long negotiations England induced Japan to allow any of the Dominion's to become parties to the treaty and to share the commercial ad- ! vantages extended by Japan to England on condition that the colonial laws relating only to the immigration of "labourers and arfcizans" ehoiild not be prejudiced thereby. But when this amended treaty was discussed at the Imperial [Conference of 1897, all the colonies (except Queensland, which afterwards joined the rest) refused to accept the treaty even on these terms. At last in 1906 the Canadian Government, anxious to open up trade with the far East, requested England to suggest to Japan that Canada should Ix> included in the commercial treaty of 1894. In reply to an inquiry from Japan as to whether the Canadian anti-immigration laws would still ■Dβ enforced, Canada asked for some official assurance on this subject, and was informed that while Japan still refused to admit the right of other countries to differentiate against her subjects, emigration would always be voluntarily restricted .by Japan. With this assurance Sir W. Laurlicr wae content, anil when in 1907 trouble arose in British Columbia over Japanese immigration, the Japanese Minster, while reiterating tho intention and desire of hiis country to avoid trouble, still courteously maintained that Japan must again refuse to recognise any attempt to impose restrictions upon her people which do not apply to other -civilized nations.

We have recapitulated these facts so as to make it perfectly clear that Japan has never formally admitted the right to exclude Orientals claimed by the British colonies. Whereas in 1896 she was prepared to grant full commercial privileges to any colony which excluded only her "labourers and artisans," her tone in 1906-7 was much more pronounced and decided. And even, more recently the commercial treaty between Japan and the United States, accepted a few months ago, supplies a still more striking illustration of Japan's tenacity of purpose and her resolute determination to concede nothing on this vital point. Even the American Government, in spite of the strong anti-Oriental feeling in the Western States, has been compelled to rely for the exclusion of Japanese immigration upon the judgment and discretion of the Japanese Government; and whatever we may think of Mr. Taft's statesmanship, la-accepting such terms, the; at

least confirm the impression- produced by the Japanese negotiations with Canada, five years ago. Japan, we repeat, does not admit, and never has admitted, that we have any right to Keep the Japanese but of our country; and it is surely a natural and logical inference that if ever she is strong enough' to enforce what she believes to be her rights, she will not hesitate to do so. At present the one effective bar to Japan's natural wish to assert herself is the alliance with England, which either party may denounce in 1914. Within four years, therefore, Japan may be free of her political obligations tt> England, i and what she may do then will depend entirely upon her' own interest and convenience. Nor is it inconceivable that it may suit her to ally herself with another Power whose interest it may also be to bring pressure to bear upon England at a convenient opportunity. To put the matter briefly, Germany's competition for naval supremacy in the North Sea, and Japan's inevitable tendency toward expansion in the Pacific, may combine at any moment to put England at a serious and dangerous disadvantage, and this ill-omened combination of circumstances is most likely to supervene within four years from now. What preparation, hasl the Empire made to deal with this grave crisis, which may be precipitated at any moment by Japan's refusal to allow her subjects to submit longer to the indignity of our immigration laws?