Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-01-18
QUALITIES THAT MAKE
THE JAPS GOOD FIGHTERS.
The Little Fellows Are Born Athletes and Soldiers and They Are Not
Afraid Die For Their Countrywide Wonderful Rapidly with
Which History Has Been Made the Land of the Rising Sun

five years since japan underwent, by a
baptism of the sword, the transforms
ton from feudalism to western civil
ization. the first forward step in that
wonderful advance which has since
won the admiration of the world
History records few countries more de
voted to feudal institutions than was
the Japan of the old regime. Two hun
dred and fifty nOblemen, known as
daimios, ruled the land through a chief
executive called the shotgun, the
mikado being virtually a prisoner, liv-
ing behind a screen, not daring to show
himself on the streets of his capital.
Each feudal chief had his powerful
retinue of followers, devoted to him
and Boosting no other occupation than
the study and exercise of swordsman-
ship. Foreigners lives were not worth
a moments purchase if they angered
the daimios or any of their men. The
islands isolation from the rest of the
world was well nigh complete, an iso-
lation of choice, not of necessity.
From the appearance of Perry and
his fleet in Yeddo bay July s, 1853, may
e said to date the awakening of Japan.
Perry's mission was to overawe the
Japanese into extending to American
ships the privileges then enjoyed by
the Dutch only. History does not say
to what lengths he was prepared to go
should his show of force prove INSULT
cient, the fact being that the mere
sight of the war ships was enough to
convince the shotgun of the expediency
of acceding to Perry's wishes. Accord
ingly, much against the desires OF the
mighty daimios, American trade was
granted access to two ports. As might
have been expected, the European
powers were not slow to profit by the
example, forcing similar concessions
until, little by little, the shotgun had
surrendered the domestic trade of the
country to the control of the treaty
powers. Out of this state of affairs ul-
timately grew the revolution of 1868,
in which several of the most influential
among the daimios took charge of the
person of the young mikadO, Mutsuhito,
declaring their intention of restoring
him to full power as the real ruler OF
japan made war on the shogun's troops
and signally worsted them. Thus did
the young emperor find himself placed
on the throne of which his ancestors
had been deprived centuries before.
The ultimate result of this rebellion
was anything but pleasant even for
those daimios who had participated in
the restoration of the mikado. Grad
ually falling under the sway of Guilt
waited and liberal minded statesmen,
the youthful Mutsuhito began TO exer-
else his titular prerogatives in way
that was contrary to all Japanese ira
ditions. For this change two men, who
have since been prominently identified
with Japanese politics, were largely
responsible, these two being the Mar
uuis Hirobumi Ito and Count Inouye,
the formers lifelong friend and pOliti-
cal coadjutor. Chiefly as a result of
their efforts the policy of cultivating
the foreigner sprang into being, and
it was also in no small measure owing
to them that the mikadO announced
his intention of providing the country
with an up-to-date western parliament.
Then it was that the daimios surprised
themselves and the world by taking a
step which insured the solidarity OF
the empire and it's future high position
among the nations of the world. Vol
UNFAIRLY they agreed to surrender all
the privileges hallowed in their eyes
by centuries of custom and at the same
time promised to do their utmost to
further the interests of united Japan.
In return the government of the
mikado pledged itself to give each
daimio thus yielding his rights a pen
sion equal to one-tenth of what had
been his income, and for this purpose
found it necessary to effect the loan OF
no less a sum than $165.O00,000. BY
this grand act of self-sacrifice was
born the modern Japan.
In this act we can discern what has
since been widely recognized as. one
of the distinguishing traits of this
most remarkable people-the readiness
to yield life itself if by the death Of the
individual good will accrue to the com
monwealth. But self sacrifice alone
cannot account for the progress Japan
has made, nor. for that matter, can the
faculty for imitation which the Japan
csc possess to so great a degree. Their
adaptability to western civilization,
their willingness to accept the novel
in the place of the customary, their
amenability to discipline, all of which
have become proverbial in speaking OF
Japan-in a word, their liberality-is
due to their innane Quicl1ness in the
direction of mental initiative. The jap
anese think quickly, they are shrewd
they are farsighted. and out of these
qualities they have evolved into a self
reliant, sturdy. independent nation.
asking favors Of no one and unwilliug
to submit to any slight of their national
pride. They have come to the realiza-
e