JAPANESE EMIGRATION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7847, 8 July 1911, Page 4

JAPANESE EMIGRATION

In his capacity as a Japanese Consular representative it went without saying that Mr T. Young would have . little reason to complain of Japanese courtesy and hospitality. At tho same time wo may bo pardoned the suspicion that when the Japanese officials were supplying thoir most honourable guest with information, they did not' fail to say exactly what would best serve Japanese interests. Unfortunately, the interests of Japan and of the white races which inhabit Australasia and the Pacific States of America are not always identical. Moreover, the ingenuous honesty once so widely attributed to the little brown men is not nowadays, especially in Australasia, so generally regarded as being a national characteristic of the Japanese. To put tho matter plainly, the latter-day Japanese is currently believed to be as “slim” as our old friend tho I’ccr. We confess we do not altogether share the cheerful optimism with which our fellow citizen regards modern JApan and its foreign policy. Take, for instance, the reported “assurance” of a vice-Minisfer of Japan on the subject of Japanese emigration. This distinguished personage assured 'Mr Young that in regard to emigration the Japanese “only desire freedom to enter tho colonies so- as to open up trade with them.” “Japan has,” continued the vice-Minister, “no desire bo send its people away for any other purpose, or to send them away permanently.” A most reassuring statement no doubt, but for tho unfortunate'fact that the history of the past five years proves that Japan seizes every possible opportunity to send away as many ship-loads of emigrants as she can induce other countries to receive. “Trader” is an expansive term, but even a Japanese vioe-Min-ister can hardly expect us to believe that- tho hordes of Japanese who have settled in Formosa, in Manchuria, in Korea, in the Philippines, in the Sandwich Islands, in California, and in British Columbia,- are accurately to be classed as persons entering these territories “to open up trade with them.” The noble Japanese mind, imbued with the benignant doctrines of Bushido and brimming over with international affection and so forth, may be, perhaps, suffused with woe exceeding over the incredulity and suspicion with which the Americans and Canadians view the constantly increasing flood of “traders” sent them from the Empire of tho Rising Sun. But such incredulity and suspicion exist, and are reflected also in Australasia. The anxiety to promote trade with foreign lands, -over which Mr Young’s fiitnd waxed so eloquent, might well find practical expression in some-modifica-tion of the Japanese tariff and the Japanese shipping laws, which, apparently, are framed with the one all dominant object of excluding the foreigner and his trade. But upon this rather awkward subject the viceMinister preserved, we notice, a most judicious silence. Mr Young, it would seem, has some hopes of Japan becoming a customer for New Zealand meat. We confess we can hardly share his anticipations of commercial relations. A country where, as Mr Young informs us, the miners get ninepence a day, and where, of course, other labour receives equally low pecuniary n-vard, is hardly likely to provide any serious demand for our meat or dairy produce. Japan is, no doubt, a delights ful country to visit, but its political and commercial interests are not those of Australia and New Zealand, and probably never will be.