From: fester@etorofu.island.COM ()
Subject: Chamberlain
Originator: fester@etorofu
Organization: Island Graphics, Marin County, California
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 19:29:41 GMT

From time to time, I have recommended the book _Japanese Things: Being
Notes on Various Subject Connected with Japan_ by Basil Hall Chamberlain.
The book is published by Tuttle, and the version of the book I own was first
published around 1904, during the Russo-Japan war. Mr Chamberlain was at that
time a long-time resident (~30 years) of Japan, and a professor of Japanese at
the Imperial University of Tokyo. I find his observations to be interesting
and insightful, both for their perspective of Japan as it was (and sometimes
still is) and for his British/European view of things, ca 1900. 

I intend to reproduce portions of the book here from time to time. The book is 
divided into many small articles, and I will not reproduce any single article 
in its entirety. I believe this is allowed by the copyright; if not, someone
please correct me.

Articles to date: 	Adoption.
			Logic.

From the article entitled "Treaties with Foreign Powers":
			
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...

Such, in barest outlines, were the old treaties, their tacitly assumed basis
being the unequal status of the two contracting parties, - civilised white men
on the one hand, Japan but just emerging from Asiatic semi-barbarism on the 
other. How to get them revised on more favourable terms, long formed the great
crux of Japanese diplomacy. The matter was a complicated one, involving, as it
did on the foreigner's part, the surrender of commercial privileges that had
been enjoyed for a long term of years, - involving, too, the extremely delicate 
question as to the fitness of Japan for admission into the family of Christian
natins on equal terms. Legally, Japan had a claim to the revision of the
treaties as far back as 1872; and the long tarrying of Prince Iwakura's embassy
in the United States in 1872-3 was avowedly caused by the desire to conclude a 
new treaty then and there. But if Sir Francis Adams's account of the proceed-
ings may be trusted, the Japanese authorities themselves ended by requesting a 
delay. Perhaps there had been gradually borne upon them the consciousness that
Japan was then in no position to offer suitable guarantees; nor indeed did her
laws and usages approximate to the necessary standard for a whole decade more. 
A less radical, but equally thorny, obstacle in the way was the fact that 
sixteen or seventeen foreign powers had pledged themselves to act conjointly in 
their negotiations, and that it was no easy matter to get England, France,
Holland, and the rest to consent to any common basis on which a conference 
might be opened. Some held to the low import dues which favoured the operations 
of their merchants. Others - all perhaps - hesitated to place their nationals 
at the mercy of Japanese judges. Thus the status quo was preserved for years.
One country, the United States, which had always been Japan's kindest patron,
did, no doubt, show signs of breaking away from the league of Western powers,
and made a separate treaty in 1876, whereby all the chief points in dispute
were surrendered. This treaty, however, contained one clause which invalidated
all the rest, - a clause to the effect that the treaty was not to go into force
until all the other powers should have concluded treaties of a similar purport.

...

True, some declare that the paralysing little clause in this treaty was 
inserted, not by the American negotiator, but by the Japanese Government it-
self! Impossible, it will be said. Improbable, assuredly. Still, when the reader
calls to mind what has been mentioned concerning Prince Iwakura's alleged
tergiversations, he will be led to hesitate before rejecting the possibilty of
such a thing. It will be seen immediately below that on two occasions more 
recent, the Japanese negotiators did actually shift their basis at the eleventh
hour; and if private individuals often tremble to see their heart's desire
on the eve of accomplishment, and would give the world to recall it at the last
moment, why should not the same be sometimes true of governments?

...

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Mike

-- 
Disclaimer - I'm only doing what the little voices tell me to do. 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan,soc.culture.china,soc.history