The herald., 1897-09-19
JAPANESE EVOLUTION
>oooooooooooooooooooo

The relations Of the United States with
the empire Of Japan grow more inter-
esting day by day. Time and fate alone
can determine the future status, with
reference to each other, awaiting both
countries. We Of the west cordially en-
tertain the hope that the United States
and Japan may continue to join hands
in prosecution Of the arts Of peace with
mutual advantage, and the further
strengthening Of the chain of friendship
whose first link was forged by an Amer
ican naval oficer-Commander Matthew
G.. Perry-in 1853 But whatever The
edict Of the time to come may be, friend
ship or enmity, peace or war, the coun-
try and people of Japan have, and must
continue to have, for us CT the United
States special interest. Not since the
first republics Of Greece ripened, in SO
scant handful of years. from semi
barbarism into the mellowness Of
classic civilization, has the world wit
messed so swift growth from cbscurity
to historic fame as that achieved by the
Japanese empire in the last half of the
entury now drawing to a close.
The Japanese have been styled the
Yankees Of Asia, though Mr. Card
ner G. Hubbard, during the course of a
very interesting lecture upon Japan, re-
Gently delivered in the assembly hall of
the United States National museum at
Washington, D. c., said that they ale
the French of the east. Either COM
parison indicates the material Of which
our Oriental neighbors are made.
Mr.. Hubbard speaking of the geograph-
{ooI Af To ~ !
that of Great Britain, both consisting OF
a group Of islands, with an extensive
sea coast, indented with excellent har-
bors, their insular position protecting 8
them from invasion by land while Offer
ing every opportunity for commercial in
tercourse and the production Of a race Of
daring and skilled seamen. This last
feature was made manifest In the late
war with China, in whose marine con-
tests Japanese sailors proved themselves
both brave and capable.
It is not generally known that the EN-
pire Of Japan consists OF four large and
5000 small islands. forming the arc of a
circle extending from the northeast a
few miles from Kamchatka, in a south
west direction 1000 miles, and including
the island Of Formosa, distance of 300t
miles The empire thus embraces every
phase Of climate from an arctic to a
tropical temperature.
It is a remarkable historic fact thai
the first step in. the development of Japar
was in its adoption of the European
feudal system in place Of the ancien1
despotic power of the mikado. AS ir
early England, the castles Of the mill
tary chiefs became 80 many centers Of
intelligence, and the nuclei of so many
towns and cities, thus preparing ths
way for a more enlightened form Of
government. English merchants hat
commercial relations with Japan fol
seventy-five years. from 1850 to 1925
During that period an attempt was madt
to convert the Japanese to Christianity
This was followed by bitter persecution
Of the Jesuit missionaries, and, az &
result, the fast closing of Japanese port'
to all outsiders, state of affairs which
continued for 200 years. Commodore
Perry. az already stated, in command o.
the naval expedition Of the United States