The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-09-24
.JAPAN's VICTORIES.
Why 1t Is that the Little Nation IL
Beating Its Big Rival.

<iItltIlCdu.
A very useful lesson which runs through
all the affairs of life Is taught by the con-
flict between China and Japan. 1t has
been most curious to watch hoy it has
hand is China. with immense wealth and
tour hundred millions of people. under a
can make it. The Chinese people have
many virtues They are Industrious and
frugal beyond any people on earth. They
know how TO apply themselves ~assiduously
TO any task. Their patience is marvellous.
Their endurance is that of domestic ami
mails. All accounts show that the initiative
paying high prices for foreign machinery
they steal the models and their workmen
reproduce it in every detail. They receive
ly. They have a splendid naval fleet and
their men know the practical details of
operation to a nicely. Both as precise ma
are not ecualed in the world. But there
their merit stops.
Contrast with them the japanese. They
have only one-tenth the population OF
China. Their finances are at a rather low
ebb. They support many people on small
islands. Only a generation ago their life
century the revolution has come. and 1t
has been one of the most astounding de-
veloDments in the worlds history. The
imitation. but the reason of that~is some
thing more than a difference in tempera-
ment. Progress in japan has been larger
than a mere Industrial or material develop
ment. The changes in politics have been
as great from the old order of
things as the Declaration of In
tlons to George III. Liberality and
freedom have touched the, ambitions and
the patriotism of the people, and through
their every sense and impulse has come
a new inspiration. The japanese of to-day
the life of their part Of the world, and
bounding forward into full fellowship with
the best spirit and labor of the age, Nat
urally quicker and better than the Chinese
this change has advanced them immeasur-
ably beyond their historic enemies: They
too, and they have powers or endurance,
as the Chinese have. but they have not
been content simply to receive lessons and
to retain them. just as putty retains the
thought TO instruction, and have applied
to their interests and their labors the best
Of intelligence and ingenuity that they pos
sess. They have not stayed home and
waited for progress to come to them, but
they have gone forth into the world and
learned what the world had to teach them
SO we have in the conflicts the compari.
son of two classes of people. Doubtless
the Chinese ships are managed with abso-
lutte fidelity to the rules that have been
laid down. Doubtless. the officers of the
army rigidly adhere to the systematic tao
tics; but neither great ships or immenSe
military numbers are winning victories
The Japanese are there to fight. They are
not slaves TO method, nor are they mere
machines. But they are all of these things
harnessed to intelligence and animated by
the highest courage and patriotism. 1t is
simply because of the superiority of the
man that Japan, with it's comparatively
small population, is administering to the
tremendous castigations in the record oil
mankind.