America who does not know this and who has not reported it--reported it
with one finger on both lips and then has seen his report discreetly
smothered in departmental pigeon-holes. Up to a few years ago Mexico
and South America were enjoying marvelous prosperity. Coffee had not
collapsed in Brazil. Banks had not blown up from self-inflation in
Argentina. Revolution at home and war abroad had not closed mines in
Mexico. All hands were stretched out for colonists. Japan launched
vast trans-Pacific colonization schemes. Ships were sent scouting
commercial possibilities in South America. To colonists in Chile and
Peru, fare was in many cases prepaid. Money was loaned to help the
colonists establish themselves, and an American representative to one
of these countries told me that free passage was given colonists on
furlough home if they would go back to the colony. There is no known
record outside Japan of the numbers of these colonists. And Japan
asks--why not? Does not England colonize; does not Germany colonize;
does not France colonize? We are taking our place at the world board
of trade. If we fail to make good, throw us out. If we make good, we
do not ask "by your leave."


IV

When a shipping investigation was on in Washington a year ago, many
members of the committee were amazed to learn that Japan already
controls seventy-two per cent. of the shipping on the Pacific. Ask a
Chilean or Peruvian whether he prefers to travel on an American or a
Japanese ship. He laughs and answers that American ships to the
western coast of South America would be as tubs are to titanics--only
until the new registry bill passed there were hardly any ships under
the United States flag on the Southern Pacific. Each of these Japanese