The Dominion. MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 1914. MIGRATION AND DIPLOMACY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 1967, 26 January 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 1914. MIGRATION AND DIPLOMACY.

— The. advent oi. the railway and the' steamship opened a new era in other things besides trade and commerce. It has had enorracus influence in changing the social conditions of mankind. By almost annihilating distance and making travel easy and cheap, these two powerful agencies of modem civilisation hay© brought the various branches of the human race much closer together, and by so doing have raised sonifi new and difficult problems in the sphere of international diplomacy. At the present day a trip from England to America does not take much more time than a journey from London to Edinburgh occupied a couple of centuries ago, and it eaa certainly bo made with much more comfort. In days gone by a man who had been round the world was looked

upon with aw© and wonder, but such a journey is too common nowadays to'excitc any special attention. India and Japan and China are brought into close connection with the European nations by lines of fast steamers; and seas and occans, which formerly acted as broad barriers separating nation from nation, have been turned into connecting links—safe and easy moans of communication. These enormous improvements in the. methods of'travel, combined with the spread of knowledge of other countries, have started groat movements of population, aiid have brought races with conflicting moral ideals and varying standards of living into personal eoiltart and direct competition. The clashingiof social customs and commercial interests which has ■ resulted-.has; given rise to the prob-; loin which has been receiving ■ "'so" much attention from statesmen-and social reformers during vcceiit yeai>

and still awaits_ a- permanent-and satisfactory solution. ' In no part of tho world .'is'; this' racial question causing more trouble and anxiety than in thoUnited States. The relationships i- between the negro and 'he. white, populations' are a perpetual source of ..difficulty,mid of late years the Liven inflow of tha lew desivahk type el eisutjwn Euxopoaa and ofrsriaiw .isiatk

?n a~t ibria.l.i £ idem a « df ion ;lohsi#go;ilie;;:#^ ;X- lie c ihi ni'i g rat i.oi'o L '.o f'l;J ap a n «a<3 isxa nid..; th'-ir (Hidiugf riK'rpris;' in' thnt;State raised- a' great-outcryi;in Japan"ain.l ijbrougli U.';t hie n fjrCa 1 i for.'ilia iiitpleoh'Hctiiwithiithejaiutiiprities <i> ti)Wftslii ngton. a panpse^oii-^ ;tenu(;d ' .that:".theirciarights-%erefisuyii>(wnnuiiilwr.-of omincnt iiiithoriSii.'b'.rMt is' tnie Hint. the. other side was,als-i;.haeked !ip._by-(he ..jop. in fQ, exjje rtVJJ ■ ! gr am;i\|hi clifap pearecl *;i ; ' i >st ffc c ti-Hh a t 5 : iew;tre aty is,uritlcr|cons.id-erat iorrjndicatea ■ that tlie?i^re^ntStreiity|fjs?-"nbfc' - entirely, satjsfactp.^^ 1 wi ; "?a's^i.^Sfi§ij; ! Sc«erallyi ~-^«ndcr-. ;,too(l thai the. proposal for its modification' originated, with tl:e - United States Government.i -Th(! • position was ago. and' IJublic'^fcelingijraifKsoi 1 high that the possibilities:.of ; war'were freely tlis?r:ussed. bbtli|inl|Amevica?and Japan. ■Responsiblevstatesnien'.'iorfjboth sides, however,'.were convinced that it was of diplo* FmacyJioJsecure*a'"-peaceful settlement :! of. ; tiie.';'diflicnlt,y. and the more conciliaprevails has made.it much more easy for the two nations to arrivei'at a .better under-, st. anding. regarding ; the matter in 'dispute v . .-i'j'-;' = "— : :• It is, .of. coin's?,'- too much to expect that the, new treaty will prove ia-final: solution* o! ; Uhe problem of 'Japanese-;'- immigration..The ' , most ■that' cant,be"; expected ;is that it will provide a i.workable arrnngement by .which serious, friction .may be avoided for - some - time to come, . There hiust:bc give" ; .and take' on both sides, and a spirit of mutual forbearance. ..Theiintermingling-of-races is one of the great - world .-problems of the present age, It is not confined to Japan and the United States. -At the preisent- -moment ■ the > influx * of, Asiatics is' roiviving' the attention \ of ■- the Ca'n' : adianiGo'vernnient, : and in South Africa the Indian difficulty has Reached.'an'-'aeuteJ stage.. ■ As far as .the British 5 ; Dominions'are concerned the probleriuis beset- with special difby:, reason of the fact that Indiaiforms' part of the Empire, and .statosmcn.'-.in-'-.the; self-governing Dominions a refnat-nrally very anxious to .avoid,-iv'if.-possible,' any line of action which!-'may.'embarrass the Mother Country ;-iii- ,her dealings-. ■'with the vast ' population of India. The Dominions claim- tlx; right to regulate andcontrol the'-admission within their shores'.of people of different race and '.incompatible ' social standards, but in the exercise of this right the .welfare of the Empire as a whole.---cannot-be 1 overlooked, . and every care.' should be taken, not to wound-the national prido of - tho King's Asiatic subjects.' 1 This is ono of tW'most'.difficult (niestloiis which the Empire has to face, and the ideal settlement is not-yet in sight. The working out- of a satisfactory arrangement, which will safeguard the natural, desite of the various British communities to maintain the purity ,of the race and a standard of social and industrial life, without causing bitterness and irritation to the Asiatic populations of the Empire, is one of the great tasks which* lie before the statesmen of the twentieth century. .