The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-09-15
THE PURPOSES OF JAPAN.

The news that the Koreans have gath
cred force TO drive the japanese out of
fusan must, like all war news from that
part of The world, be received with caution.
At latest dates the Japanese were in
possession Of Seoul and held the person of
the King and bis advisers. A concerted
native uprising against the Japanese In
yaders would imply power of initiation
among the rural people, who are known TO
be sunk In the lowest depths Of baroars SIN,
and may well challenge increduIity. The
chances are that guerrilla operations of no
moment have been exaggerated into a
formidable military enterprise.
The tone of the japanese papers does
not shed much light on the purposes of the
Mlkado or the prospects OF the struggle Ii
will be remem bere1 that a stringent press
law is in force and the journals print
nothing to which the Government can OBJ
jet. Still what they say is Interesting as
rejecting opinions which are entertained
by persons Of Influence. The HOchi Shin.
Gun oil Toxic takes r0se-cOlored view Of
the situation. According to this sheet the
Japanese armies are going straight to
Peking, where they Twill reduce the
Chinese Government to submission, and
will take the responsibility OF undertaking
the reform Of China just as they are now
doing in Korea" This is rather a large
contract. But it does not surprise the
ASdkl of Asaka, which declares that China
is behind Korea as we'll as Japan in civili-
cation, and that the time has come when
'its regeneration must be undertaken by
force applied from outside" Similar
aXnraaea1 hu ha TfoIsI 81
Toxic. According to this journal it de-
wolves upon japan ''to reform not only
Korea but China likewise" To accom-
plish this end politicians must cease to
''clamor for the reduction of the land tax
and to squabble about the reassessment;
they should direct their efforts toward OBJ
tanning means to supply the resources
necessary for the conduct of the war"
The Japan Mail, an English newspaper
which is subsidized by the japanese Gov
eminent, is rather more practical in its
views. 1t thinks it will be enough, at
present, for "the Japanese TO secure them
selves in Korea, leaving to the Chinese the
task Of driving them Out-a task which is
wholly beyond their strength" The Mail
seems disposed TO censure the general of
the Japanese army in Korea, and asks
why he has not already "disp sed Of the
Chinese army at Fusan." According to
the adviees which have been received, the
Japanese army is having enough to do to
hold its own In Korea. The Mail laws
great stress on the neces sity of "crippling
or destroying the Chinese navy, so as 10
secure to Japan command OF the sea, aud
prevent the transmission Of Chinese re-en-
forcements to Korea" Tie organ adj
heres to the view already expressed, that
Japan's purpose is TO carry oat without
m0lestation her scheme of reform in
Korea; it derdes the idea of an invasion
of China proper.
These extracts may furnish the reader
with some notion of what is passing in
the Japanese mind. According to them
Japan, finding Korea misgoverned aud
drifting into bar0arism, undertook a wa
Of invasion to reform the Government
of its neghbor. Tha: is a policy which
may commend itself TO the Oriental mind,
aid If II succeeds it may be appropriate TO
quota the adage that the end iustifies the
means. From the American standpoint
such operations hardly command unauali-
fed approval. According to The testimony
which is being brought out in the Ezeta
case. we, too. have badly governed
neIghbor-several OF them, 10 faci-iu Cen
trail America, and il would be greatly to
the advantage of this country. aud of our
neighbors likewise, IL a reformed Govern
ment were set up there and maintained 10
power by force of United States troops.
A division OF the army could accomplish
the work to the satisfaction Of al parties,
and if the Central Americans got taste
of law and order they might sustain
them after our soldiers had re-em barked.
Yet proposition by the President to en-
bark in such an enterprise would be re-
ceived from one end Of the country to tie
other with shonts Of Homerlc laughter.