The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-03
In His Delicate Negotiations
He Maintains Japan'S
Good Will.
HONORs PAID THE AMERICAN.
Additional Details of the Destruc-
ton of Mission. Property
by the Chinese.

| ton. He declined to be interviewed in re-
gard to his mission, except to state that it
was successfully concluded.
The Empress of China also brought the
| following letter from the TOXIC CORE
spondent of The United Press:
TOXIC, JAPAN, June 21.-The Hon. J..
Foster paid a flying visit to Japan on. his
! way home from the scene of his labors.
He saw the Chinese through all their
troubles. Hearing that the distinguished
statesman would pass.via Japan to. the
States, the Japanese at once began to-
think how they ought to receive him:
That he had served China counted for
nothing in their eyes. They saw in. him
only great publicist who had labored in
the cause of peace and whose guidance and
counsels had materially promoted its at
tainment. -.
I Any official movement was, OF course,
out of the question, but the leading citi-
zens of Toxic resolved to invite him: to: a
great banquet in the name of the city. I'm
fortunately, the extreme breyity of Mr..
Fosters sojourn in Japan made it impos-
sible to carry out this programme and it
became necessary to limit the programme
to comparatively small semi-official dim
ner and the presentation of an address.
The dinner was given on June 10, at the
beautiful residence of Mr.. Okura, one of
the leading merchants of Toxic, with whom
were associated as hosts Mr.. Shibusawa,
president of the Toxic Chamber of Com
merce, Mr.. Yokoyama, several Ministers
of State, the great majority of the Japan
csc officials who had taken leading parts
in the Shimonoseki conference and the
Uuited States representative, probably the
most popular man in Japan.
Mr.. Shibusawa's speech in proposing the
health of Mr. Foster was a genuine rehec-
ton of sentiments long entertained by
Japan toward the people of the United
States sentiments that have been
strengthened and deepened by the attitude
of the great Republic throughout the re-
cent war.
Mr.. Foster, whose quiet and unassuming
manner of speech were thoroughly char
acteristic, replied in substance as follows:
That when he received an invitation
from the Chinese Government to assist in
restoring peace his first thought was
whether by accepting such mission he
should imperil the close relations that ex-
listed between himand his Japanese friends.
He therefore sought the advice of the
Japanese Minister at Washington, who,as-
sured him that any services in the cause
of peace would be welcomed rather than
resented by the Japanese. He briefly re-
viewed the history of Japan's advance
among the nations, and referred to the
peace negotiations at Shimonoseki as an
evidence of the high civilization attained
by her. He found that no advice was
needed in reference to her commerce, her
industries, or her finances, that she only
required to follow the paths she had
hitherto trodden to attain her full growth
and concluded by an expression of thanks
for the sentiments and hearty friendship
expressed toward his country.
The following morning deputation of
the leading merchants and manufacturers
of Toxic waited upon Mr.. Foster and pre-
sented him an address inscribed on
the richest Japanese paper and pair of
very handsome vases of clofsonne enamel.
The whole incident has left a most favor
able. impression, not merely as showing
the perfect tact that Mr.. Foster must have
exercised throughout period of difficult
and complicated negotiations but also as
proving that the japanese can distinguish
and appreciate services rendered in the
highest interest of humanity, even though
an enemy's benefit may be the immediate
object of their performance.
There has been much in the talk in the
East about Japan's supposed failure to in
augurate a system of reform in Korea, but
Japan has not failed. Count Inouye went
to Korea in October, and returned to Japan
in June. His record. according to COM
petent English observer who has just Wis
tied the peninsula, is this: Having or
ganized the Ministries, his first task as an
administrator anxious to bring the coun-
try into order was to divide the eight
provinces into eighteen procedures. He
has created complete police force, and
formed the nucleus of an army. He
caused the streets to be widened. and
made them more convenient. He re-
organized the prisons andfounded at Seoul
university from which will come the
future officials of the kingdom. These re-
forms, although touching the inner life of
the people, have not been resented. Ex-
ternally, at least, they have been readily
carried out. The Koreans regard the
japanese as new master, but a master
from whom they have expectations"
In addition to this record it must be
noted that the Japanese have completely
subdued the Tonghak instruction and put
an end to the terrible devastations of in
surgents who raided whole provinces. Yet
there is one emphatically disquieting ele-
ment in the peninsula. japan csc that
know Korea say that there are only two
really clever people there, the Queen: and
Nine. Weber, wife of the Russian repre-
sentative. Nine. Weber has free access to
the Queens presence and avaiIs herself Of
the privilege. But what the two ladies'
discuss no outsider has been able to dis
cover. Politicians regard these meetings
with great curiosity, but can devise no
means of discovering their real significance.
The manufacture of history by feminine
hands is at best hazardous process.
An outrage against missionaries is re-
ported from .Chengtu, the capital of
Szechuan. 1t was an outrage of unprece-
denied magnitude so far as concerns the
amount of property involved. In Cheng
Tu there were four Protestant establish
ments, one belonging to the Canadian