THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 1913. THE UNITED STATES AND JAPAN.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13757, 24 June 1913, Page 4

THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 1913. THE UNITED STATES AND JAPAN.

The situation created between the United States and Japan by the signing of the Californian Alien Land Act develops slowly. The Japaneso Ambassador presented a formal protest the other day, which relied upon the fact that Japanese in California are denied under the new law the equality of treatment to which they are entitled under international law. Frequent conferences have taken place between the Ambassador and President Wilson, at which, though according to the cable mossages the utmost cordiality was displayed on both sides, there does not appear to have been marked progress towards a settlement. It is a case of State rights against the ultimate responsibility of the Federal Government in foreign relations. The Californian Legislature claims that it has not exceeded its privileges under the Constitution, and this position seems to be unanswerable. It has exercised its privileges, however, in such a way as to embarass the relations of the country with a friendly Power, and even to place peace in jeopardy. According to some accounts, the Government at Washington intends to test the validity of the Californian enactment in the Courts, and if, as appears very probable, the latter upheld the Act, Washington would- be obliged to accept the situation and' champion the State's cause against the aggrieved Power. At present it is striving to prevent actions and utterances by politicians and the newspapers calculated to further embitter Japanese feeling, but, according to the San Francisco correspondent of "The Press," there is a good deal of war talk in the newspapers, despite the Administration's efforts to prevent it. The papers controlled by Mr W. R. Hearst, in particular, are filled with speculations as to possible conflict between America and Japan. The- entire string of Hearst joui'nals recently had an article demanding an appropriation of 100 million dollars, for the building up of tho navy. In tho absence of an adequate navy, it was pointed .out, Japan could without trouble capture tho Philippine and Hawaiian Islands, and it would cost America 1000 million dollars to recapture them. Several times the Secretary of State, Mr W. J. Bryan, has warned newspaper representatives against speculating as to the Government's policies with respect to Japan. Again, when Representative Sisson announced that he was going to speak in the House of Representatives on tho Japanese situation^ President Wilson sent for him and begged him not to deliver a "war speech." This Mr Sisson promised not to do, but nevertheless his speech was a very plain-spoken protest against foreign in-' terferen.ee in . tho matter of domestic land laws. "If any nation," ho said, \ "should decide that they will dictate I to us our land laws, then wo would be unworthy of national existence if we submitted to sitch dictation. Does anyone claim that this is a declaration of war because I announce this truth? If tho United States Government should deliver a State over to the mercies of a flood of aliens from any nation, then I maintain that the Federal Government would have prostituted its authority. Is the mere announcement of this principle a declaration of war?" The Congressman. declared further that he had taken this position not because the Japanese were involved in the controversy, but that lie would take tho samo position if England, Germany, France, or any other nation on earth were involved. "I do not want this Government to be destroyed through tho treaty-mak-ing power," he said. Another indication of the extreme desire of the Government not to even appear in an attitude antagonistic to Japan is found in the cancelling of plans for the transportation of 3000 troops from Sari Francisco'to Hawaii. This, movement of troops was to have been made in accordance with plans arranged months ! ago, but President Wilson decided that no warships or troops should be moved, or anything resembling a military lor naval demonstration'"' carried on; i ■ -. . # " r • 7 ! while diplomatic negotiations with Japan over the Californian alien land legislation aro in progress, so that no alarming interpretation can be placed on oven tho ordinary manoeuvres of tho army and navy. The war/talk ha,3 not been confined to Americans.. An appeal was circulated last month among jail Japaneso residents in tho United States by tho United Japaneso Associations of Southern California, counselling patience pending the outcome of diplomatic negotiations. It set forth that "the war talk now wide-

Iy prevalent amongst our people" will only embarass the Governments of tho respectivo nations in their efforts to arrivo at an amiable adjustment. War between tho United States and Japan, however, oven should diplomacy and the good sense of California fail to effect an acceptable compromise, is an unlikely contingency, at present, at any rato. Neither nation is prepared for an appeal to arms, and the struggle would be a commercial one. The Japanese incident, however, would furnish

another considerable item in the score to the settlement of which with the Western nations, all patriotic Japanese are said to be looking forward.