Hawaii holomua = Progress. [volume] (Honolulu) 1893-1895, 1894-11-19
THE ORIENTAL WAR.
By His Excellency,
The japanese Minister
At Washington
S. KURINO.
from The North American Review
(Continued)

A parliament implies parties.
and these the new order of things
has naturally and properly
brought to Japan. with all the
The heated political contests to
which even favored lands like
this are not strangers. But at no
time since the first parliament
met has the stability of the States
been threatened, and at no time
has the government been man
acrd by revolution. We are ad
apting ourselves to the new order
of things to the best of our ability.
and, l think / can safely-say, VITA
a very fair degree of success.
To notice another and similar
charge, which has been often re-
peated. it can be denied with
equal emphasis that Japan. in un-
dertaking this war with China,
has been moved by a vainglorious
desire to usurp the leading role
in the East. or, as a distinguish
ed writer has put it, to "play to
the gallery Japan has long
recognized the fact that, so far as
Korea is concerned, her interests
and the interests of China are
substantially identical. Neither
needs that country for any pur-
pose of practical ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
and self-protection dictates to
both a friendly and helpful atti-
tude toward their weaker neigh
Dor. The consistent course of my
government ever since this quest
ion has come prominently to the
front proves the Truth of this
statement. In 1875, and 1882, Jap
an had ample reason for making
war, if conquest had been her OBJ
ject. That she did not do so can
only be reasonably ascribed to
her desire to adhere to the line Of
action she had mapped out for
herself, and which she has fol-
lowed undeviatingly. If China
had joined her loyalty and affect
lively in carrying out that policy,
there would have been no war, for
there would have been no Korean
question.
The author to whom l have al
ready alluded, whose natural APP
titude, close study, and brilliant
literary ability have combined to
fit for the task Of dealing in
mastery manner with Eastern
questions l hardly need say l
refer to Mr.. Curzon), has said
that China regretted the surren-
der OF her suzerainty over Korea
as consummated by the negotia-
ton of the Korean treaties, and
sought to retrieve her position
by interfering in Korean affairs
in order to demonstrate that her
was unimpaired. Of
the propriety and dignity, not to
say the the utility. of the methods
which she adopted to accomplish
this end,-the surreptitious main
tenance of sn armed force in
Korea, the forcible abduction and
deportat on of the Tai-wan- Kun.
the secret political intrigues Sc
on foot by Chinese agents, the
petty criminal spite shown to the
of Kim Ok-Kiun,-I
leave others to judge. Of the un-
happy results which can be dilect-
" traced to this insincere and
course, the present
war is an eloquent witness.
1t should not be forgotten that
Japan's interest in Korea is
neither academic" nor "senti-
She surrendered any
claim she might have had to SUI
erainty when she concluded the |
treaty Of 1876. In lieu of that
ancient claim sic has secured by |
means interests in Ko-
rea second to those of no other
nation. In addition to these in
terests, geographical position and
the resultant considerations of |
defence, make the affdirs |
of Korea of as much moment of |
her as those of Egypt or OF At |
yhanistan are to Great Britain.
Self-respect, self interest, and
self-protection forced her into
the position she assumed, after
she had done all that was con-
sistent with national dignity and
honor to settle her differences
with China and to avoid an actual
rupture.
Japan and China have a great |
leal in common, and in the past |
Japan owed much to China. But
he two peoples differ greatly in |
many ways, and of recent years |
their paths have diyerged more |
and moro widely. l have already |
aid something Of the progress Of |
Japan since she emerged from q |
state of almost complete isolation. !
The sturdy conservatism of China |
s not less . subject of wonder. |
The difference between the two |