The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-09-07
WHAT OF JAPAN?

Her Situation and Influence Among the
 Nations and Her Coming Part in the
 History of Civilization.
 "The Situation of Japan as Infuen- cling It's Future" is the theme of an ar. ticle by pr, J. L Barton of Boston, for leign secretary of the American Board, lin the September issue of Life and Light for Woman.@ Dr. Barton says:
 What of the situation of Japan? She holds practically the same relation to eastern Asia that England holds to fwestern Europe, although more thor loughly commanding that part of Asia lthan England commands Europe. In clnding all her possessions, Japan has to-day population of almost fifty mill llion, increasing at the rate of about five hundred thousand annually. The country itself is entirely insular, hav- E ing an area of about one hundred and lsixty-one thousand square miles, which lis larger than that of Great Britain, This country extends from within the tropics at southern Fornosa to forty six degrees north latitude, with a coast lline long enough to reach ee-fourths of the way round the earth at the equa- tor. Including the Loo Choo Islands, stretching from Formosa to the most southerly of the four large islands com prising Old Japan, and reaching from there to the northern point of Yezo the lsecond largest island of the empire, Ja- Ipan commands and controls direct lstretch of land and sea for over twen- lty-two hundred miles. Of this she is master of all but about six hundred miles. but even In this space she owns almost countless islands, many of them |of considerable proportion.
 From Formosa to the coast of China Ion the west Is but little more than one hundred miles, while on the north La Perouse Straits, separating Yezo from Sakhalin, practically a part of the mainland of Siberia, Is not less than fifty miles wide, and the mountains of Japan are visible from the heights of lFusan in Korea. In other words, in orr lder to reach the coast of China from FoochoW northWard, or to get at Korea Tor Manchuria, or southern Siberia, Ethere are less than one hundred and fifty miles of sea way not dominated lupon both shores by Japan and this lone hundred and fifty miles is con Itrolled by that country upon one shore. Japan holds the water keys to those lcountries.
 While Japan holds this position ir relation to Asia, it faces the Pacific Iwith nothing between 1t and the Amer iean continent but the broad water way. ISeuthern Formosa is but two hundred land fifty miles from the island of Lu- lzon in the Philippines. Steamers from
 America to Hong Kong, and all points north to China, Korea and Manchuria, Ialways stop at two if not three Japa- lnese ports on the way. Yokohama, Kobe and Nagasalxi are great commer- Icial ports in which are seen almost dai- Fly the flags of all nations. Japan is upon the great highway of the Pacific. Iconnecting North America with eastern lAsia.
 ''In China, north of and including lFooehow, Korea, Manchuria and east Tern Siberia, that section of Asia which lean obtain outlet to the Pacific only through Japan, or by water ways dom- linated by her, are not less than three hundred million people, or about one fifth of the human race. -- ..
 ''These people in these lands have hitherto been reckoned among the most backward in their commercial and di- Iplomatic relations with the civilized Iworld, and the least receptive to mod ,ern intellectual advancement and :to
 the principles of religious liberty They are peoples who have not been credited with ability in and of them lselves to compete successfully with the
 so-called dominating powers. It is here
 that spheres of influence have been talked of and quarreled over and it is flor this section of the world that our
 own country has insisted that the door lof trade shall stand open. The strug-
 gle now in progress is a part of this Isane question,
 Japan herself has never been under Ia political protector and has never beer