JAPANS REPRESENTATION.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12498, 8 May 1906, Page 9

JAPANS REPRESENTATION.

A DISAPPOINTING REPORT. The Yokohama correspondent of tho "Ot<ago Daily Times,"' writing under date of March 26th, says:—"l em sorry to hear th-a-t Mr J. Graham Gow's mission to Japan as the New Zealand Government's representative on behalf of tho proposed Now Zealand International Exhibition has proved a failure. So far, Tokio ami Yokohama have officially replied tliat 'they cannot sco their way to participate. Mr Gow appears to havo tlwroughly investigated the situation, a.nd it may be oi iivte-rost to record some of tho features of his indefatigable efforts to promote trade between his country and Japan. Amoug other people ho interviewed the Minister of State for Commerce, and addressed meetings of the Cluimhers of Commerce «nd Trade Societies , , l>rsides receiving many visits and communications from diplomats aiul other individuals. But Mr Gow's application came too lnt<\ from an official standpoint, as tho Japanese Government liad already, in a despatch of January I'nd, noiitiod the Briti4i Imperial O"o----vernm-ont tlia'b they would not be «b!e to participate *v> a Government, not lwiving arranged for tho same in tlie Budget, and the time to elapse before the Diet doervl being too brief to permit or' special tin»nrual arrangements. At the Fame time it. wn* notified that except in the way of withholding a grant cf money the Government would not throw any in tJie way of individual Jα; so particij-nting. "Tliis ri<>\v was sustained-by Mr MatKiioka, Minister of Commerce, who al."=o kindly s«nit Mr Gow "2:3 lot tors of intro<iuctian to of leading businor*; intt>r<v's in Japan, fw that hn could invit;> tlu-LT co-op.ration inulfr tlve best auspic.'s. Mr Gow accordingly exploitixl tin , load in ct comrnt'rcinl interests in To'cio, but. to secure «ny substantial co-optMMtic n. Mr Nakano, president of the Chambt'r of Commoroo, retrrctt«x:l in a k't'tor. nddrosxxl thnougii Mr Gow to Sf-<ldon. Premier of Now Zealand, that the Govei-nment <»uld net take port owing to lack of time, and that it would consequently be impossible for hi« body to move, without a S'ato grant. He also inHrunted the Go-vM-nmeiit wL-Ji "th.it, ♦"'Vi-n if individual JfipaiKW should their exhibits .should not constitute a Japanese exhibit as a wholo. but >honkl tx> scattered as hidivid'Ml exhibits. Mr Morishima, of tho Trade Society, also regretttxl his inability to exhibit for the .same jnvunuiry liaving dic'.ined n. grant, «nd he also o\p!;v;iv<l that Japanese energies in the exhibition line would be largely mono-polio-vl by a proposed M;uvciniiian Exposition. In thi-- ho wa.> somewhat preicature. for tl;o Chines.c , Government ltas declined to sanction <»ich cm exhibition, on, tlie ground th.it China lias iicvor indulged hi sucli a du-play in all iior littery. ••"V\'it.li regard to tho Now Zealand Ex.!:abition. then* seenis to be an idea in Jajvm that the Government, in declining tho invitation, i« merely echoing tho opinion of the nation, which rather lvsent*. New Z<vil;ui'lV attitude towards Asiatics. It need n-at forgotten that, according to New Zealand law, it is necessary for all Asiatic immigrants to pay a poll tax of £100 per capita, be-<id«"->'satisfying an edtrcotional qualification: r.nd although, in the ca«? of pro-post-d Japuivsi» ojchibitors. tlie tax has been specially saspendod, still it cannot

be doubted th-at the existence of this discriminating measure against the general popular ion of Japan is an ur.pkvi.su nt reflection on this country. At almost every public meeting and interview in which Mr Gow participated in the Ovureo of the execution cf his arduous labours to extend his country'e invitation, the first question wit>h "which he was greeted was regarding this invidious poll tax on Asiatics. "As one journal wrote when discussing this (]Ut_«tion of the New Zealand Exhibition: —"Wo do not desire to cuss tiie matter of this New Zealand exeluK'on nitvisure at this time, but the whole incident of the refusal to exhibit in the southern colony of Great Britain j seems well worth recording a*s throwing I light on the Japanese view of the question, and also as marking the fact tliat New Zealand has offered her hand to J:ipan in commercial co-operation, although the lr.ind has been refused. To many thinkers the increase of commercial relations between th-eee growing prvpl-rs is of mort! value than the accentuation of a racial distinction, but if Mr G(.-w's mission has resulted in a clearer understanding of international i haling on the hitter s:ibj*>et. his untirir'.n picsontrition of th< , ohve branch !us I not been altogether in vain, even in j Tokio. And there still rrinainr. achanct* j that the South-wes: cf Japan will realiw the opportunity which ho offers, and thnr Japan—or. rather, Japt'n-ese imlividml enterprise—will not be wholly ! utirpresented at this great internationlal gathering in New Zealand.' :,