ANGLO-JAPANESE TREATY.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 341, 15 February 1902, Page 2

ANGLO-JAPANESE TREATY.

Our cablegrams show that the Anglo Japanese treaty came as a great surprise to the foreign, nations. For a long time past Great Britain had been friendly with Japan, and there was no doubt that this friendliness bad a great deal to do in shaping the course of affairs in China and Korea. The. most pleasing aspect of the affair is the respectful way in which the position has been accepted by other nations. It is but a short time since that there was Anglophobia of a serious type in 'France, and it is only within the past few weeks that Germany lias been brought to a sense of the wrong-headedness of abusing Great Britain. It is evident tiiat these nations prefer Britain’s friendship to her wrath, now that they have seen thatishe can hold her own as fveli as ever if the need should arise. The treaty will possibly open up an awkward question for the colonies. The Commonwealth has been seeking to exclude Japanese immigrants, and New Zealand mav vet have that problem to deal with. If the tide of immigration from Japan again sets in, Australasia w'll apparently have need to modify any views in tire direction of cx’dusivenes's. It is probable that pn.e result of the treaty will be to bring the workmen of these colonies into keen competition with the hard and clever little brown man.