The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-05-01
Our Interests in Japan.


The letter which We printed in yesterdays
HERALD from the pen of our special cores
pendent in Japan, regarding the situation in
that country, was of character eminently in
teresting and instructive to the American
people. It has become abundantly plain that
Japan is in q transition state. For many
centuries she has been the most exclusive of all
the nations Of the earth. Her place on the
map was known, but Of her history and Of
the habits and customs Of her people the world
had remained comparatively ignorant. 1t was
not until 1858 that the country was thrown open
to the commerce and enterprise of the modern
world. 1t had, indeed, been visited by Euro
pean travellers previous to that date. Marco
Paulo was the first European traveller who
brought home with him any substantial facts.
Mendez Pinto followed him in l542. Francis
Xavier, the Jesuit missionary, followed in
1549. A commercial treaty was effected by
the Dutch as early as 1900 An Englishman of
the name of William Adams was wrecked on
its shores in the reign of Queen Eliza
beth. Adams was taken into favor by
was commercial treaty with England, which,
however, was broken up early in the reign of
James the First. The Dutch and the Portu-
guese have never been absent from that coun-
try since those early times but in spite of
their presence japan was practically scaled
book until 1858. In that year our Commodore
Perry entered the harbor of Jeddo, charged
by his government to open commercial nego-
tiations with the government of Japan. A
commercial treaty was concluded in the follow
ing year. Similar treaties were afterwards
concluded by the Japanese government with
Great Britain, with France and with Russia.
To the foreign influence brought to bear upon
the country since the conclusion of those treaties
the revolution through which Japan is now
passing is mainly due.
We have no special interest in the troubles
of other countries Happily, we have no need
to hunger for territory. Our immense terri
tory, however, should not be allowed to blind
us to onr wants as a great commercial nation.
We have interests in Japan and in China more
vital than any of the nations of Europe. Des-
tiny has marked out the North Pacific as our
own. In that sea we will permit no rivalry. 1t
is to become to all intents and purposes
an American lake. 1t is our duty to attend to
and to provide for the future. Japan is in that
peculiar condition in which we can make good
our position. The success of Perrys expedi-
ton gave us vested interest in that country.
But while England is busy, automatically and
otherwise, advancing her interests, while
France is increasing her feet in Japanese
waters, and while Russia is cultivating her in
terests in the northern portion of the empire,
we stand idly by. This must not be. We can
not afford to fling away now what in after years
it may cost much blood and treasure to bring
back. We do not want japanese territory, but
we do wish to benefit by Japanese trade. The
European Powers must not be allowed to take
an undue advantage, and 1t is our duty and
our interest to see that they do not. We insist
that in Japan we be more effectively repre-
sented automatically, and that in Japanese
waters our feet be largely increased.