Page:Japan by the Japanese (1904).djvu/194

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
156
JAPAN BY THE JAPANESE
the status equal to that of the civilized nations. Hence, We now envoy the mission to the Governments of the United States and other countries with instructions to explain to them the state of affairs in Japan, and deliberate with them on the best means of reforming our institutions. We will consider the question of treaty revision on receiving the reports of the mission, and then accomplish Our constant desire.’

But when the mission arrived in Washington, the Secretary of State of the United States told its members that in diplomatic affairs a mere verbal exchange of ideas would have no binding effect in the future, and that in his opinion the best thing for Japan to do would be to begin at once formal preliminary negotiations for the revision. President Grant is also said to have advised Lord Iwakura to open the negotiations there and then. For this, however, full powers were wanting. So Okubo and Ito were sent back to Japan to ask for the full powers, submitting at the same time the following items concerning treaty revision to the consideration of the Imperial Cabinet:

1. As it is too early to open the whole interior of Japan to foreign intercourse, so the foreigner should be made to live within prescribed limits, and allowed to travel freely within a fixed number of miles from the concession grounds, such distance having to be enlarged gradually.

2. Preparations should be made for the establishment of public courts and for the placing of foreigners under the same justice as Japanese subjects, in return for the abolition of extraterritoriality and the restoration of the right of jurisdiction to Japan. But for the time being temporary laws should be promulgated, subject to gradual reform until the foreigners became satisfied with the impartiality of the courts and the liberality of the laws.

3. Although the Japanese criminal code does not punish Christian converts, yet as long as there is the article prohibiting Christianity in Kosatsu (tablet of laws put up in public places), Japan would look like a barbarous country not recognising freedom of worship, and therefore unworthy of being placed on the footing of equality with other nations. Hence, the said article should be struck out.

In Tokyo the framing of the new treaty was entrusted to Ito and Soyejima, and when the draft was completed and approved full powers issued, the negotiation for revision was entered into in Washington. It was, however, interrupted in a very curious way. Herr von Brandt, German Minister in Tokyo, who had not on the whole shown himself very friendly towards Japan, obtained leave of absence just at this time, and on his way home came to Washington to inform Lord Iwakura that in his opinion the mode of nego-

This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.