THE BLACK LIST.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 November 1916, Page 7

THE BLACK LIST.

SUPPRESSING ENEMY: TRADE. AN INCIDENT FROM JAPAN. Wellington, November 18. f " ea <lei's of the official New Zealand Gazette have had many illustrations of the searching character of Britain's "black list," one of the weapons forsjed by the Imperial authorities for the destruction of enemy trade and the sti engthening of the blockade of the Central Powers. The ' black list" covers an extraordinarily wide field and proves that the Foreign Office and the Board of Trade have long arms tfor enemy tTaders. An incident hearing upon the point is related by Mr. J. TT. Flockton, who recently returned to Wellington from a visit to Japan. During August last the municipal authorities in Tokio summoned three prominent doctors to the city offices and told them that they were suspected by the British Embassy of being connected with a German firm doing business in Japan. Two of the doctors were professors in the Imperial University of Tokio, and the third doctor was superintendent of a liosiptal. lhey were all Japanese citizens tyy birth. The three doctors were warned that if their explanations were not satisfactory they would be placed upon the British black list. A similar warning was extended at tlio same time to a Japanese lawyer doing business in Kobe.

The .Japanese professional men evidcntlj had 110 doubt about the cxficacy of the list, and they hastened to wake their explanations. "Whereas the British authorities appear to be under the impression that I am directly or indiiectly connected with the business of Ociser and Gilbert, a foreign firm under the direction of German subjects in Tokio,'' wrote one of the doctors, "and where as the British authorities have referred the matter to the Japanese authorities concerned, I would say that if my name is included in the Black List, as threatened by the British authorities, it will not only impair my reputation as a doctor, but will mar my family name. Further, the statement will cause the public to think that I am acting against the popular wish, besides being a traitor. How can I remain passive on this point?" The doctor did not remain passive, and was able to announce that lie bad sold his shares and severed his connection with the German firm. The other gentlemen took similar action. The incident attracted some attention in Japan and several newspapers protested that Britain was going too far iu threatening to apply tlie black list to Japanese citizens in their own country. One Japanese newspaper, the Kokumin, tactfully put all the blame upon the Government in Tokio. "Britain has prohibited trading with the enemy, and similar measures have been adopted by Kussia and France," it said. "The last-named two countries, however, are not enforcing the measures I with such strict thoroughness as

Great Britain. So long as war is waged not merely on the battlefield but also by means of economic pressure, as in the present war, the Allies ivill probably be justified in taking the enemy trading measures they have adopted. It is desirable, therefore, that this should be done, as far as .possible', within the limits of not injuring the interests or feeiings of other people. It must therefore be regarded as the height of absurdity that Japanese officials, in their eagerness to please the British authorities, should 'make a false representation to them, casting discredit on Japanese of respectable standing. This should be regarded as another instances of the incompetency of the present Government." The protest could hardly have been made more tactfully.