The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-21
The Deadlock in japan.

The work Of civilization undertaken by
the Mikado seems to have come to sud-
den halt The progress which has been
thus lar achieved is essentially tentative
and superficial, while further efforts Of the
Government in this direction must appar-
emily he cut short by a failure of resources.
The explanation OF this untoward outlook
is to be found In the economical, COM
mercial. and financial status OF the country.
In what the japanese have done and
what they have left undone there Is much
to justify us in regarding vanity ms the
master trait of the national character.
They import thousands of pieces of wool
len cloth for the uniforms of Government
employees, and neglect to encourage the
Introduction of sheep which might fer
tiliso vast tracts of pasture land. They
have erected metallurgical works on an I'M
posing scale, yet refuse to Apply scientific
processes TO the extraction of ores. They
point with complacency to the meagre
yield OF few coal mines, while immense
forests which clothe the island of Yeso re-
main inaccessible for want of roads. In
the same portion of the empire is main
tanned at enormous cost species of model
food enough 10 support the aborers who
till 1t. An ocean navigation company,
nomnally comprising not less than forty
nine steamers, Is saved from collapse by an
extravagant subsidy, whereas the coastiug
trade is still engrossed by junks which
have undergone no Improvement in three
centuries. And finally, "A railway system
hes been projected, and two short sections
have actually been constructed with TN
outlay OF eight million dollars yet at this
moment If we except the environs OF Yed-
do, there is not II wagon road in the whole
empire.
IL Ia not surprising, however. that the
japanese should have hoped TO seize
the secret OF European strength by appro-
priating few mechanical appliances. We
should think IL more strange IL n long
sequestered people had evinced percep-
ton Of those laws of nature which the legs
lation OF the most enlightened countries
does not always recognize. Ii was per-
haps inevitable that an Oriental monarch,
imbued with mistaken notions and misled
by unintelhgent counsellors, should have
begun the task of transformation at the
wrong end. The misfortune Is that the
Mikado's Improvement fund is now ex-
haustcd; that the ordinary expenditures
of his Government are believed to exceed
largely the receipts; that new foreign
loan is out Of the question; while ON the
other hand not u step has been taken to-
ward rational and effective sNstem OF in
ternal communication and the develop
ment OF native production.
The fundamental, dec sive shortcoming
Of Japan is the want OF roads. The aston
ishing bacKwardueSs of the country in
this respect and the consequent narrowing
OF agriculture to the minimum supply es-
sential to life, are only paralleled by Ger
tain mountainous districts OF Asia Minor
aud North Africa. In those regions moro
over, sheep raising, which Is almost UNI
known In Japan, forms II tolerable substi-
tute for tillage IA q factor Of wealth. 1t is
well nigh certain that nothing can secure
the Mikado's Government from bankrupt
cy but augmented production, and the in-
disDensable prerequisite to advance IN this
quarter is an exhaustive checkerwork Of
highways giving access to every corner Of
his dominons. This il beginning TO be
seen by the Japanese themselves, but they
now find themselves denuded of means to
remedy their most paralyzing deficiency.
The inconsiderable quantities of specie
which existed IN the empire ten years ago
have been steadily drained away to redress
an unfavorable balance of trade, aud have
been replaced by an irredeemable paper
currency. The only guarantees which the
State can Offer for foreign loans are its
customs, the scanty receipts of its rail-
ways, and the product of its mines. OF
these assets the first is already hypothe-
Gated Tor the loan OF 1870, while the second
is assigned to the Oriental Bank to secure
the loan OF 1873 As regards the mineral
deposits of Japan, late report by Mr..
PLUNKETT, "a member OF the British Lega-
ton, shows their Importance to have been
exaggerated. and we know that the aggre-
gate Of their gross proceeds in 1874 fell
short of four millions of dollars.
We by no means believe that a nation
whose apparently auspiuious prospects
have been so suddenly overcast, is destined
TO abide in this stagnant condition. Like
other countries too poor to help them
selves, like South America, India, and
Egypt, Japan should look abroad for slim
ulus aud cooperation. In default OF pub
lie credit and OF individual acoumulat tons,
her people must needs court the interposi-
ton OF foreign capital, not by way of n
national loan, but OF private enterprise.
The English capitalist, however, is accus-
toned to exact certain assurances, and
chief among these the right OF shaping the
undertakings which he promotes, OF being
n landowner and manufacturer In his own
right, ana Of directing in person the aptiv-
ily which has already changed the face of
80 many lands. For this purpose IL would
be requisite to throw the door wide open,
to establish consistent aud equitable OWL
oodo, to give Foreigners equal rights with
natives, and to institute system of com
mercial legislation framed on those OF Eng
land and France. These are concessions
which the Government OF the Mlkado Is lot
yet prepared 10 make. IL breads tho fate
which seems 10 threaten Egypt, 1t shrinks
from compromising the national inde-
pendenoe, and hopes to retrieve its eco
nomicai shortcomings without utterly re-
nouncing its traditionary policy.
The truth il that public sentiment in