Evening star., 1895-08-28
COMPARING NATIONS
Major Dye Writes Of Japan, China
and Corea.
SOME INSIDE WAR HIST DRY
The Big Fellows Fighting Over
Little Corea's Head.
ORIENTAL POSSIBILITIES S

For the past several years the major has
been identified with the Corean govern
ment as instructor of military tactics, he
having accepted the position through the
Intervention of the late Gen. Sheridan and
other military leaders of this country.
During the hostilities which prevailed be-
tween Japan and China, which were con-
Quoted over Corea's shoulders, Maj. Dye
had immediate command of the troops
guarding the Corean kings palace and
grounds. Besides being a thoroughly edu-
Gated military man, the major Is the author
of several books. AS writer he is quite
interesting, and the following communica-
tion from him to a personal friend in this
city gives the true causes leading up to
the war betw cen the orients besides other
interesting data, made the more so by rea-
son of this city being his home:
1T is long since l heard from you, and
equally long, l think, since you heard from
me. The war has prevented my writing
much, because at Its very beginning learn
ed that my letters We're distracted from
the mail. Now that peace is within sight,
venture may be made to again communi-
cate with our friends. I say within sight,
for l think the Japanese would hardly
have consented to an armistice of three
weeks had they not been ready to make
peace, at least on their own terms China
has been humbled. and her resources have
tary resources, especially arms and other
munitions of war. For Japan to continue
the war now it would in result be har-kiri
"a war against herself, for China's navy
and her organized armies have disappeared.
Every day that war continues henceforth
renders China less able to pay the indem-
nifty that may be assessed against her.
And the risk to run of totally disorganzing
the government, at least so much that
there would be no responsible power with
which to treat. to say nothing Of the risk
of epidemics in Japan'5 army and of the
exhaustion Of her own resources. In all
probability, then, peace is not far away;
and peace. welcome. to all. ought to benefit
all the three powers specially interested
even Corea. which interests me specially,
for the pugilists fought over her shoulder,
inception of the war. it's conception, indeed,
involved the condition that Corea should
be used as a base of operations; and she
has been so used more or less. To use her
as base. sophistry, subterfuge and du-
plicity were freely resorted to. Without
violating the sovereignty of her territory,
without violating international law, in
what way may 1t be so used?
COren's Neutrality.
THE question could be answered in only
one way: Corea's neutrality must be de-
stroyed, and the Japanese set about this
delectable business from the very first
They banded force here under false pre-
texts, exhibiting in justification a conven-
tion held with China in 1885, authorizing
either power to land troops in Corea under
certain circumstances for the protection of
its legation. That convention contemplated
in the main the protection of the legation,
with a small force assuredly: whereas an
army was assembled by Japan. and for an
entirely distinct object. outside the con-
vention, viz, to make war against China.
Yet by no act of Corea had her neutrality
as yet been affected. The Japanese. by
n0SSaSSiOn
the king. The bayonet literally-not meta
phorically-was brought into use. and his
majesty was coerced into abrogating all
treaties and conventions with China; into
ordering the withdrawal of all Chinese
soldiers from Corean soil, and into COM
manding Corean officers and soldiers to
render aid to the Japanese against the Chi
nese. Only a few were thus engaged, 1t Is
true, but enough to satisfy the Japanese
that Corea had violated her neutrality and
was now irretrievably arrayed as her ally
against Chinese. Corea was now involved
as a participant in the war, and her terri
tory was henceforth used by the Japanese
for their war purposes. All this was con-
by oriental duplicity, in the be-
lief, no doubt, that the wool was thus
pulled over the eyes of the western world.
though Japan had used the territory of his
majesty from the very first just as she
pleased, international law or no law. Form,
onlooker. If hasty action was sometimes
Yaken by subordinates without due form, 1
regret to have to say, resort was had even
to prevarication to get out OF the diff
culties.
Japan's Nationality.
$50 much for involving Corea, a peace
able and poverty stricken country, unjustly
and unnecessarily in war, and to make 1t
worse against a power she looked upon as
a traditional friend. You perhaps wonder
why 1 have not had a coed word to say of
the japanese, as you have seen the news
papers flied extolling their exploits, is
tho fad of the hour. My
answer in general terms ought to be that
I cannot forget the suffering, the destruc-
ton of life and property caused by the bur
glar or buccaneer to extol his energy. 1t is
condemn the former. Energy or enterprise
wrongly placed Is, in its results on civillza-
ton, worse than no energy. But the Jap
anese may bene1icially-to their advantage
be contrasted with the Chinese. They
have accepted western civilization in all
the material affairs of life, and are apt
scholars And some of their native habits
and customs are even superior and prefer
able to those of western people. There is
full life great physical and mental activity
in the country; but there are shortcomings
in their moral nature-utilizable 1t may be
in their material progress, for the time be-
ing, as was a similar lack with the Spar
tans but bound eventually, II not rene
died, to retard her possible progress, bound
to be an obstacle to her permanent pros
perity, and to keep her back In the ranks
or oriental rations. The cause of this is
perhaps an excessive self-consciousness.
Courage patriotism, variety are all In
spired by a rampant individualism, ushered
as it were into fairyland. land to them
of Dreams Of air castles and great possi-
bilities. Japan is in her youth of regen-
Grafton, full of courage and Vigor, of as
piration and enterprise, needing, however.
what would answer the purpose of the fly
wheel, and the governor, it is hoped and
believed, may come later.
The Contrast.
without those moral convictions found
among the best of western people the Jap
anese in their intercourse with the world
are too apt to substitute expediency for
morality and to point, for instance, to Eng
lands occupation of Egypt as model they
may follow with safety in Corea. Not
that they weigh pros and cons and come to
a deliberate conclusion that might makes
imitatively fall into the line of
the procession as one follows a fad 1t is
in part their artistic sense, superlative in
intensity, which leads them on. They are
a nation of artists, and. too, they are as
full of fortitude as the Spartan youth who
concealed the stolen fox who was gnawing
his vitals away. With militant aspirations
that are Spartan-like, there is unique
ness in the possession also of an artistic
fervor that is decidedly Athenian. An In
taractipo naople asSuredly What have we