“That is purely commercial,” Phil declared. “We have a tariff to exclude goods made in other countries; a laborer is as much an article for purchase as anything else. We cannot require him to pay duty upon himself in order that his hire will be the same as that paid to our own countrymen; so the labor unions wished to prevent the Japanese laborer from landing in America. It is only a question of money, nothing more.”
“We are old friends, Perry,” Takishima said soberly, drawing nearer to his classmate and lowering his voice. “I am in a position where I hear much that is not intended for young ears. Our statesmen have given a life-study to questions of the Orient. Have yours given these far-reaching, perplexing questions the attention they deserve?”
Phil was silent. He did not wish to belittle the statesmen of his country, but he could but acknowledge that their conditions were different. A statesman in America was a very rare and precious person. The entire government changed every four years; new statesmen arose every four years to die politically at the end of their term. Policies, therefore, were unstable. Only the great publicists could be depended upon to diagnose a situation. Phil knew that his country was in this greatly handicapped.
“Taki, common sense and justice make a statesman. Such men are born, and no amount of study can produce them otherwise. We have enough such statesmen in my country,” he returned proudly.
“Perry, you are a faithful champion,” Takishima said, an affectionate ring in his voice, “but even that cannot lessen our danger. Our people believe that America is aiming to control all of China; to use that vast country as a market for her manufactured articles that cannot be sold elsewhere. They believe that Japan will be excluded and sealed forever within its island kingdom.”
“But why should they believe such ridiculous nonsense,” Phil cried angrily, “when there is not an atom of truth in any of it?”
“Manchuria and Korea,” Takishima continued, “have been won through the spilling of much precious blood. So you can see how such thoughts arouse my people. The Emperor is fearful that something unpleasant will occur during the ‘Alaska’s’ visit, and has issued an order from the throne for all to be courteous to the Americans.”
Impey and the “Shimbunshi” letter had danced before Phil’s mind during this long talk with Takishima.
“What has caused this sudden misunderstanding, Taki? Who has kept the discussions alive?”
Takishima shook his head.