The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1897-10-08
JAPAN'S FUTURE
Count OkUna Writes Of the Mac
IifCGlt Possibilities.
DEVELOPMENT IN PAST 20 YEARS
Some Fear, That LatesVic.
tories Worked Harmi
Surrounded oN tNe Sea Japan
Does Not Wish 60 ENtena
Territory,

Count oGams has Thoroughly studied
the existing conditions in Japan, and
is familiar with she details " eiVliss,
tioa in thar country, his views on the
colNyc ~ Japan, as published in the
Eay HaS,, in an article signed by him,
self aro ~ considerable interest and
Importance, Ac says; In some quar-
ycgs, The rceeat activities shown by
tAe Japanese are hooked upon with a
Soyg 81 mlsgiving, AS the defeat In
lS9O-sl has been called by some a dis
gUiSed blessing for France, SO there /
are some who are not sure that our vie
tory in the late war win not prove a
disguised curse Tor our nation, AS a
consequence of the success Of the suug- !
gle, IL is feared, We have assumed too |
heavy responsibilities and the present
high pitch Of national aspiration is
though 10 be diSproportional 10 the real
resources of the country, PeSsimists
are found in all ages and all places,
and they certainly see a side of the
shield, II is always well TO keep in
mind the warnings of these people, in
order 10 avoid becoming er-sanguine.
In my opinion. however, the gloomy
outlook in regard to the present sit
uation is nothing but a result OF short
sightedness, Altogether, our victory
over China was much too easily won,
so that the sudden stimulus given by
it may have proved too strong for the
time being. If there be signs at pres
ent which make certain people uneasy,
] conclude that it is owing to this rea-
son. There may be difficulties, internal
as well as external, which we shall
have TO face from time TO time. But,
taken generally and viewed broadly, 1
DO not see any reason TO be pessimistic
about the future of the Japanese.
Though her history is traced to very
old times, Japan is quite young coun-
try. so far as the experience of foreign
intercourse and the development of
material resources are concerned. Our
forefathers. self-satisfied and confined
within the boundaries of the Islands,
had not the key to open the store and
TO take out the treasure bountifully
bestowed by Heaven. The needed key
was given us with the advent of for
eign intercourse To show the re-
sourcefulness of the country, it is not
necessary to enumerate various
branches of industry promoted in it.
1t suffices to notice that, extending for
nearly thirty degrees of latitude from
the north TO the south, facing to the |
Pacific Ocean on one side and to the
Continent of Asia on the other, and |
being longitudinally divided into two |
halves by a ridge of mountains, Japan
is favored with a remarkable variety |
of climates and other physical condi-
lions, and that the people have only
begun to take advantage of those con-
ditions by the use of scientific appli-
ances. Though the new regime was es-
tablished thirty years ago, the first
decade of the present era was still
time of commotion. 1t is, therefore,
only a score of years, since our people
really betook themselves to adopting
the Western civilization and to devel
oping the resources of the country.
I'VE see an increase lin the popula-
tom of about 20 per cent in % years,
which rate is a little greater than that
Of Great Britain in the same period"
After showing the development of in
dustries in the country, Count Okuma
states that in 1872 there were 90 regis
tered steamships with a tonnage of
% 1854 tons; in 1895 the number was
S27, with 213,221 tons. In 1872 there
were Is miles of railway, in 1897 there
are 1851 miles.
Nor has the recent progress of the
Japanese nation been confined to the
development of material resources.
The advance of mental culture and in
tellectual equipment may be best indi-
Gated by the conditions of education
and publication. At the end of the year
1895 the number of educational insti-
buttons was rs. 22S and that of students
$500, 1S3. OF this number 26,631 were
primary schools, with 3.670,345 stu
dents, and the rest secondary schools,
higher schools, universities. etc That
these educational institutions have
been efficient in performing their func-
tons may be inferred from the fact
that the aggregate of the graduates of
the Imperial University up to last Oc-
tober amounted to 2,777. In the year
1896, the number of books published
was 26,367, and that of periodicals ex-
listing at the end of the same year was
7S3.
The preceding figures are not, of
course, intended to furnish an exhaus-
tive survey. They are selected because
of their representative character in
order TO give general idea of the re-
cent progress of our nation. What has
been done in 80, or, rather, 20 years,
is only a beginning of what we are
destined to do
Japan has not only rich resources
in the interior, but she has wide
field for her activity outside the coun-
try. The lands surrounding the Paci-