Meantime several incidents indicated the growth of mutual confidence • and friendship between the United States and Japan. In undertaking the annexation of the Lu Chu Islands in 1872, japan recognized the Perry Treaty with the islands which had been pro claimed by the American government in 1855. An interesting question of jurisdiction over the Bonin Islands on which Americans had estab lished a small colony in 1832, and over part of which Commodore Perry had established a claim by occupation in the name of the United States in 1853, was satisfactorily settled in 1873 by the decision of the American govern ment (Secretary Fish) not to support a claim which had no sanction of the American con gress. In the postal convention of 1873, the United States again manifested confidence, and recognized Japan's ability and right, by sur rendering to the Japanese government the control of its mail system. In 1883 the Ameri can government gave another evidence of good will and sense ofjustice in the courteous re turn to Japan of the American portion of the Shimonoseki indemnity of 1863, whose remis sion had been sought by Japan in 1874, and at least two-thirds of which was popularly re garded as shameless extortion. It also gave another evidence of fairness by an apology for the action of Commander Selfridge who vio lated the sovereignty of Japan by firing at a target on Japanese shores.
With each new progressive step the Japanese government increasingly felt the irk someness of the disabilities imposed by treaties which could be terminated only by concerted consent of all the treaty powers. The question of the revision and reformation of her treaties with foreign powers overshadowed all others.
The American government, which, although it had recognized the earlier need of unity of policy by the treaty powers, had never fully approved the continuation of the treaty provi sions for extraterritoriality and tariff restric tions, sympathized with the long continued efforts for treaty revisions so much desired by Japan to remove a badge of inferiority which earlier necessary treaty arrangements had im posed and was the first foreign power to favor revision. In 1875 it adopted an independent course by negotiating a treaty conceding cus toms autonomy and the right to regulate the coasting trade, but not operative until Japan could induce other treaty powers to negotiate similar treaties. Following this treaty the Jap anese in 1879 demonstrated their high regard for America by the friendly welcome and re ception by government and people to ex-Presi dent Grant, who visited Japan in that year and was entertained in regal state at one of the Emperor's private palaces at Tokio.
Efforts, failing to obtain concessions from the other powers, unsuccessfully renewed in 1882, began to make some progress in a joint diplomatic conference at Tokio in 1886-87, but not enough to satisfy Japan. Meantime, begin ning in 1879, the United States faithfully obeyed Japan's quarantine regulations which were ignored other powers. In 1880, it negotiated a convention for reimbursing shipwreck ex penses and in 1886, following a voluntary act of international comity by the Japanese govern ment in the arrest and surrender of an Amer ican criminal who had sought asylum in Japan, it negotiated with Japan an extradition treaty which gave support to Japan's efforts toward judicial autonomy and complete sovereignty.
Finally through the amazing results of a war, which arose in 1894 against China con cerning the control of Korea, Japan won the recognition of her rights as a world power promptly accorded in a treaty with Great Brit ain which, then diplomatically isolated from the other European powers, promptly sought an alliance to protect interests of the Far East from possible result of an alliance of Russia, Germany and France. Following the comple
tion of the British treaty, the United States in 1894 quickly ratified and proclaimed a treaty, ef fective in 1899, setting an example for the prompt action of the other powers and result ing in a general agreement, effective in 1899, terminating extraterritoriality and providing for realization of complete tariff autonomy by 1911, thus recognizing Japan as a peer among the great powers — the final step of a series in which the United States had always taken the initiative.
The recognition of the accomplished modern ity of Japan was followed by new diplomatic evidence of friendliness, and by an increase of pleasant social relations resulting from increase of travel and trade, and marred only occasion ally by discord or dissatisfaction. In 1897, at the invitation of the American government, Japan and Russia agreed to send delegates to meet those of the United States at an interna tional conference with a view to the protection of the fur seals of the North Pacific which, under existing regulations, were threatened with extinction. The conference drafted and signed a treaty which was made operative con ditional upon adhesion of Great Britain. The regulation of the industry was finally made ef fective by the negotiation of a treaty of 1911 to which Great Britain was also a party. In 1898, when the United States annexed Hawaii to which there had recently been an influx of sur plus Japanese population, the Japanese govern ment, apprehensive that the act would disturb the balance of power in the Pacific, and might jeopardize the rights of Japanese citizens resid ing in Hawaii, expressed its disappointment in a surprising formal protest which, however. was soon withdrawn. It made no protest against the American annexation of the Philippines, and it supported the American principle of the "open door" and territorial integrity in China— as the United States supported the Japanese ef forts to secure a permanent establishment in Manchuria. Late in 1899, it gave a favorable answer in favor of a cable which would bind Japan more closely to the United States. The well-known Anglo-Japanese treaty of alliance of 1902, twice renewed with amendments in 1905 and 1911, and profoundly affecting the situation in the Far East, was not regarded as unfriendly to the United States. In the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05, following a complicated and elusive negotiation in regard to Manchuria, whose evacuation by Russia was urged by the United States and demanded by Japan, the United States maintained its neutrality and American representatives were placed in charge of Japa nese interests in Russia. In June, 1905, the war was terminated by peace negotiations, proposed to Russia through the good offices of President Roosevelt at the suggestion of Japan, and con ducted at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The terms of the treaty were probably as satisfac tory as Japan could have expected. Following the period of hostilities between Japan and Russia, Secretary Taft and party, briefly stop ping in Japan received an extraordinary ovation. America, although it could have interfered under treaty provision to maintain the independ ence of Korea, ignored the private appeals of the Korean emperor, and placed no obstacle to Japan's domination there. In 1906 both coun tries raised their legation to embassies. In 1908 by an exchange of notes they committed themselves to a policy of existing status quo in the Pacific and China and to the principle of equal opportunity of communication and indus try in China.