The San Francisco call., 1904-02-16

ropened a way to relief it was eagerly
crashed. Then, through the aggression
of Russia and the incredible stupidity
of Great Britain, that chance was lost.
The statesmen of japan saw and real
ized what a blow Japan had received
her peopIe knew and understood Ihe
humiIiating affront which had Deeh put
upon her. The suspicion OF RUSSIA,
which had been felt by the men al the
head of affairs, became a hatred Oh Ter
rible intensity among the common peo-
pie.
PREPARES FOR CONFLICT.
Then came the Russian lease OF Port
Arthur. and Japan saw her enemy IN
nossession of the LiaOtung peninsula,
from which she had been elected. II
j. an old story how she began then 10
prepare for the conflict now ABOUT 10
break. At the time of the Boxer out
break in 1900 Japan received new eNl-
dence of the Russian Intention IIedL
Britain and the United states askeu
Japan TO send her troops to the rellei
of the beIeaguered legations in Peking.
Russia protested Already her designs
ON Manchuria were becoming clear.
The Boxers gave her an opportunity
Ir1rnediateIy after the relief of Peking
she recalled her troops from Chlh anu
put them into Manchuria. The horror
own account
Japan understood and prepared to
counter by bringing her troops from
China to Korea but she was not yet
ready for the conflict that might have
precipitated and her men came back
to Japan. She knew the stiffness OF
Russian promise but for the time she
was content to strive to obtain its full
fllment Russia promised to evacuate
Manchuria and Japan hoped to see the
promise made good. She had given UP
hope, at least for the time. of obtaining
the needed footing on the continent,
but she now saw with increasing alarm
the evidences of Russian aggression
UPON Korea When the time set for
Russian evacuation of Manchuria came
and passed and the Russian troops still
held their ground japan knew that the
time had come to act. Russia not only
refused to leave Manchuria, but ad
vanced toward Korea. Already her
subjects had secured lease at Mas
amphO, almost in sight of the japanese
coast. In spite of the explanation that
it was only a private enterprise. purely
commercial. Japan recognized the
menace to her interests. Then began
the series of negotiations aimed at
reaching a settlement of the matter
which japan could feel would be defin-
ite But each Japanese step was met
by a further advance of Russian de-
mand Russia secured a concession at
Yongampho. south of the Yalu River.
Japan began to prepare to fight. No
one realized better than she the char
acter of the undertaking. but no one
knows so we'll as she that it is for her
very life.
War is not made because of the fail
ure of negotiations; it is a world move
ment which mere human agencies can
not control. THE old, huge Russian
with his Unsuitable earth-hunger finds
himself, at the close of his long journey
to the open sea at the East face to
face with the newborn Japanese.
feeling at last the irresistible urge of
the press of population. The conflict
is inevitable. 1t is no irruption of wild
barbarianS choking down an old civil
izatiOn to secure new homes for them
selves. 1t is a new civilization work.
ing out it's destiny in the path of world
development. The Western Oriental
and the Eastern Occidental are at
grips.
The Japanese reformation rom CEN
turies of exclusion and inactivity is yet
in its infancy, but it rs accomplished
wonders. Now Japan feels that if this
civilization, with all that it means to
the world, is to be engrafted. even
though it be but family, upon the ef-
fete hermit kingdom, it must be
through the agency of her people, who
know and understand the Koreans and
Chinese as no other people of the
world do.
Russia is not a civilizer," said one
of the old Japanese statesmen to me
yesterday. There are but two classes
in Russia-the rulers, who are corrupt
through and through, and the ignorant,
stupid, unintelligent peasant. with his
centuries of oppression and misrule
behind him. The vaunted Greek church
itself is not a civilize-. On the con-
trary, it is rotten and corrupt as the
governing class behind It, l say that
Russia is not entitled to attempt the
redemption of an Asiatic people. She