Page:The New Far East (1906).djvu/314

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AMERICA'S POSITION
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to decline to permit Japanese to visit their factories; owing to the constant employment in the interests of Japan of "commercial spies," whose occupation is to obtain models and plans to be used in reproducing foreign products in Japan, where they are not protected by patent or copyright laws. It may be, however, that these are only temporary conditions, although indirect obstacles continue to be encountered in attempts to protect foreign products from this sort of competition in Japan.

In late years, especially since the Far Eastern question began to assume its present shape, there has been a persistent attempt to impress Americans with the belief that the Japanese people regard America with a deep and lasting admiration and gratitude. There is some truth in all this, as such sentiments go, which is never very far in international affairs; but, nevertheless, a very exaggerated idea regarding it obtains in America. Flattery is one of the chief assets of the propaganda, and has been liberally applied in America and England. And, as a disposition grows to scrutinize more closely some of the actions and purposes of Japan, the Western world is informed by the propaganda that the qualities of Japan's statesmen and people are such that they will not be influenced in their impulses or ambitions by national glory. However, in order to keep this discussion on a rational basis, let me, for a moment, project it, hypothetically, away from Japan. Assume a people long accustomed to regard a certain part of the world as representing the high-