Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-14
DISCOURSE ON CHINA.
Address by Mr.. kOmura, the New For
efGn Minister of Japan.

From the Shanghai Mercury October Z.
Mr. Komura, the new foreign minister,
was entertained at dinner by the members
of the Japan Club few days ago. His ex-
cellency spoke about China. In the course
OF his remarks he said he could not possibly
throw new or startling light on anything
connected with China. Several specialists
had visited Pekfn while he was there, from
January last to September, and what they
had seen and heard had been given to the
world in some form or other. He thought
his hearers might be interested to learn
that Pekin was much larger in area than
Toxic, it's population, according to Chinese
statistics, being between two and three mil
lions Personally he doubted If the popu-
lation exceeded 600 600 or 100000. OF course
no remarks about the city would be COM
plete without reference to the streets Of
Pekn, which gave rise to all sorts of COM
ment
On party complained bitterly of their ugli-
ness and insufferable odor; another idoliZed
them for their oriental character and pic
turesqueness. Some people went away in
the belief that Pekin was a grand place,
but they were those who saw the capital
from the top Of the city wall and rested
content with distant views of the imperial
palaces. They knew nothing of the bad
smells of the streets. Others left with the
by reason of it's bad roads, it's rain and foul
smells. Chinese coaches have no springs
and to be drawn in one over the rough
reads is little better than torture. But many
a mans knowledge or the city Is confined
to photographs.
After ali, Pekint is still the typical city of
China. or course the views of japanese
travellers in China areidffferent. The prov
ince of Szechusns alone is greater than
Japan and it Is reported that the province
has from sixty "to ninety million inhabi-
tants 1t Is safe to say the population Is
not less than fifty millions. This fact alone
he %I>o
empire. Japan's, knowledge of China is
very crude OF course there are a great
many who have Studied Chinese books, but
as most Of these books We're written two
thousand years ago. when the empire was
in it's golden age. book knowledge now
counts for little. aThes country has been de-
clining since and 1t is impossible to acquire
knowledge of theseountry from books writ
ten SO many years age.
The Japanese have been keenly studying
European countries since the beginning of
this era; but very few. perhaps nobody,
studied China in earnest n prior to the Japan
LIGHT at its base, So Japanese who have
been familiar with the same characters as
the Chinese, have possessed no reliable
books about the Chinese people. Yet books
written by Europeans often give accurate
accounts Of China. which is situated next to
Japan This surely Is matter Of great
regret to the Japanese Europeans who wish
to study in Chinese have to spend ten times
the labor Japanese, has to put forth in his
studies. Yet what do we see? That the
Japanese. who ought to spend ten, twenty
times the labor that the European puts
forth. have not acquired one-tenth Of the
success of the latter. Japan's buildings
were derived from China but not a single
japanese is studying the Chinese method
Of building, although numbers are studying
European principles of architecture. There
are a large number OF students completing
their studies in Europe and America; but
there is not one In China -
The Japanese who ought to know China
best of all from a political and commercial
standpoint have neglected 1t altogether.
Now the knowledge of another country Is