Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-09

AMERICAN DIPLOMACY IN THE ORIENT. Ry
lean Diplomaey." Boston Houghton. Mifnin Il
Co. Washington: Vim. Barantyne 4 Sons
In his former work on American diplo-
macy Mr.. Foster traced clearly the lines or
the international development Of the United
States, showing the rapidity and certainty
of It's rise as world power. In this volume
he devotes himself especially to one OF the
most interesting and in some respects
gratifying chapters of the history OF Amerl-
can diplomacy. that relating to its bearing
upon the opening of the far east to civ1lza-
ton The conclusion inevitably reached by
the reader Of the volume Is that the United
States has scored In Asia as has no other
government by adhering strictly to the
principle of good faith toward other powers
and oy extending helping hand to the
peoples who are not yet fully emerged into
the light Of modern advancement. I'm
fortunately 1t is improbable that this work,
gathering as it does all the threads of far
eastern diplomacy into a single strand. will
be sympathetically read abroad. The gov
ernments of Europe can point to no such
clean record for fair dealing with the
oriental countries as that which Mr.. Foster
here writes for his own. But the work is
not especially addressed to foreign con-
sciences. 1t Is intended to enl1ghten the
American reader on a subject which is just
at present of the most acutely inter-
esting and important in the entire range OF
international politics, the future of China,
Japan and Corea.
This volume demonstrates that the United
States has been the leaven in the lump
of far eastern national conservatism.
While other countries had sent forth their
explorers and emiSSarieS before ours
reached the scene of activity, before. in
deed, our government was born, yet it re-
manned for the United States to accom-
plish results for the good of both the
world at large and for the oriental coun-
tries themselves, by addressing itself di-
rectly to the problem of helping them,
rather than that of helping the helper In
China the work was slow and painful, and
the Boxer outbreak of 1900 proved that it
has not yet been completed But in that
country the mark of American diplomacy
was scored high and it set a standard of
which this country may always be proud
Had it been emulated by the other powers,
had the doctrine of good faith been uni
formly adopted the progress of China
would undoubtedly have been more rapid
and certain. But regrettable as have been
the mistakes made by others in the far
east, Mr.. Fosters work shows clearly that
there is no occasion for American chagrin
on that score today.
In Japan and Corea the United States
took the lead. and accomplished marvels
in naval diplomacy, especially in the for
mer country, which may be said conf
IDENTIFY to have been rescued by the United
States alone from the stagnation of it's
conservatism and Isolation of centuries
Mr. Foster pays a warm tribute to Town
send Harris, whose diplomatic genius
effectively supplemented the great work
of Commodore Perry. He says:
THE discoverer or explorer of regions
before unknown mas always commanded
just admiration, but the pioneer following
in his footsteps and by patient toll secur-
Ing to civilization the new found lands is
too often forgotten by those who reap the
fr,rif, 1f III lob Jr, ~,
the great world of commerce He who first
enters new field which gives promise of
extensive trade Is remembered and hon
ored by future generations, while the man
who comes after him, and by persistent eff
fort. unadorned with adventure or novelty,
makes possible the development of profit
able commerce, receives but slight COM
mendation as recompense for faithful
service So 1T was in the case of Japan.
The name of Commodore Perry is familiar
to every American, while that of Townsend
Harris, the negotiator of the first CONNER
cial treaty with Japan, and the founder of
diplomatic intercourse, Is comparatively
but little known and his achievements but
little remembered. The genius of Perry
had unbarred the gate of the island empire
and left it ajar; but it was the skill of
Harris which threw 1T open to the CONNER
cial enterprise of the world"
The volume treats of the transformation
Of the eastern countries under the impulse
of western asSocia ton and intercourse and
Is IN mucn condensed a record OF their
achievements toward civilization during the
past century and a half. OF especial in
terest are the chapters which relate to the
Hawaiian Islands and the Philippines Mr..
Foster indicates his own faith in the wis
dom of the movement which carried the
American sovereignty into the Pacific. He
leaves no doubt in the mind of the reader
on this score with regard to Hawaii, al
though fairly stating the arguments which
were adduced in behalf of the restoration
of the Islands to the former monarch. He
treats of the question of Philippine acauisi-
ton at some length. and records as fully
as his space restrictions permit the factors
which led to the adoption by President Nc
kinley of the policy of annexation Pass
Ing then to the matter of the Boxer trouble
In China. the author shows in most force
full manner the advantage which the pos
session of the Philippines gave to the
United States in the dispatch of troops
promptly to the relief of the beleaguered
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