The Question of Foreign Status in the Matter: Change of Policy A change in policy on the part of Japan which may in the future permit foreigners throughout the Empire to own land appears to be leated at the present time, according ta the Asin Realty Company who have been keeping in close touch with the situation, This firm base their opinion upon the fact that government attention is now being directed toward the passing of an Imperial Ordinance which will put the final stamp of approval and a few clarifying clauses upon the Alien Land Act, which, it will be remembered, was passed in March 1925, but which has never been actually put into practice.
Should foreigners be permitted this ownership, it will apply to all parts of the Empire, it is understood, except in certain districts set aside vital to national defence. What} the nature of the ownership will be, whether in the form of perpetu ownership, perpetual lease or merely} a lease over a defined number of years has not been ascertained, but, is expected, to be explained by the Imperial Ordinance when pa Another interesting angle of the matter is the fight going on as to shether there should be a reciproty clause appended, which would allow ownership of property to only those foreigners whose governments permit Japanese to own property in their respective countries. As there is a certain amount of effort being! directed against this side of the question, owing to the delay, it is surmised that the government has taken the attitude that when the law becomes an actuality, no nationality will be discriminated against,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.