The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-02-08

oan and Russia has beeH called in
son1e quarters a struggle between
christianity and heathenism. But it is
a well known fact that Christian mis-
sions have been aggressively at work
among the Japanese, and the following
statement by the Rev. David S. Spen-
Ger. for twenty years a missionary of
the Methodist Episcopal Church in ia
nan. and now in the United States on
furlough, is especially pertinent at this
time.
Japan is now practically facing a
war with Russia. AS appears from
the dispatches this morning Russia
has withdrawn her minister from ia
nan and Japan has withdrawn her
minister from Russia. This condition
Of things in the East is the natural
outcome of Russias long-continued
Iaud-grabbing schemes. She has
nushed eastward until Manchuria is,
she thinks, hers; and this admitted,
Corea is hers; and the nations which
controls Corea-most of all, the nation
which can possess and fortify Masam-
nho. at the southern point of Corea-
practically controls Japan. Japan is
therefore fighting, or ready to fight,
not for a name, not for popular ap-
plause. not for the independence of
Corea, not for the integrity of China
even. but, in the last analy-
sis for her own national eX-
istence. She knows that for
a hundred years Russia has lied,
deceived and crushed weaker people
where she desired territory, and ia
pan must strike now.
Neither nation wants war. and to
Russia it comes at an especially in
opportune time. But unless Russia
is willing to make candid statements
and honest concessions to the Japan
ese government, unless she will guar
antee to Japan the political integrity
of Corea, and probably of China as
well, Japan will fight. She has not
been hasty in reaching her conclusions,
she does not ask unreasonable things she
will be willing to grant all that in
telligent people would ask her to grant,
but Russia must cease dallying with
the question, must be prepared to make
positive guarantees. This is right on
Japan's part, and history will credit
her with wisdom, foresight and mod
Grafton regarding her conduct during
the 1ug ordeal through which she has
passed. Every man who understands
Jarans immense interests in Corea,
and in China as well. will not be sur
prised at her determination to have
this question with Russia settled now.
But it would be folly TO regard this
as merely a quarrel between Japan
and Russia. 1t is this and more. 1t
is the ella shing of two civilizations. the
Orient as represented by Russia, the
Nv a
more broadly. it is Protestant civiliza-
tion forced to meet the onward move
ment of the Greek Church. for the
power behind the Russian government
is the Greek Church hierarchy. Stated
a little differently, Japan stands as
the representative of English and
American Christianity and commerce
against the religion and commerce of
the East. If the collision be avoided
to-day in Corea. it must come to-mor-
row on the borders of India, or at
some other point where England, and
Russia touch. The battle must come
sooner or later. Perhaps it may as
we'll be settled now. But if the first
blow be struck no man would be so
unwise as to prophesy what the end
will be-. Brave little Japan ought to
have our sympathy.
The growth of the Japanese people
in the last half century is a matter of
great interest to every student of ma
tional and social conditions. From the
coming of Francis Xavier to that peo-
pie in 1594-for we must go back to
that period in order to understand the
development of religious conditions, we
find that heroic missionary of the Ro-
man Catholic faith beginning the work
of evangelization with little or no
knowledge of the language, and with
few helpers and appliances bys which
to evangelze the people. Yet in the
brief period until 1896, when the perSe-
cutions against the Christians began,
that handful of Christian missionaries
had pushed their way from Kagoshima
in the extreme South, through ham,
let and village and city, to the capital
of Kyoto, and had added to the church
more than 100000 of converts. These
were from all classes, including that
OF the ruling DaimyO. Then began
that relentless persecution of the Chris
tans, growing out of the attempt on
their part to control political affairs.
The story of that persecution is well
known. The government of Japan, clos
ing its gates against the foreigner, per-
mitted none of the hated foreign dew
lis to put foot upon the soil of Japan.
For almost 300 years this hermit life
continued-Christianity hated relig-
ION, the foreigner a representative of
the hated creed, his institutions de-
spised, himself considered unfit to asso-
ciate with the Japanese people. Then
IN 1854 came that splendid naval COM
mander, Commodore Perry, who, with
consummate skill, and without the fir
ing OF gun, opened the gates of Japan
TO the civilized world. From that point
TO the present day the Japanese peo-
pie have gone through a social, edu-
cational and political revolution. MAX
ing such an advance as it required the
Anglo-SaXon race 300 years to make. In
truth, the Japanese of fifty years and
above lives to-day in a social atmos-
phere and in political surroundings to-
tally different from those he knew in
MS boyhood To a certain extent he
is foreigner in his own country.
Nor has this advancement of the peo-
pie been a mere withdrawing OF their
institutions to change their appear
ance, while at the core they remain
the same as in the past. The Japan
OF to-day is essentially new Japan.
II Is Occidental, rather than Oriental,
progressive rather than conservative,
living and active rather than stagnant,
containing immense possibilities both
Tor good and evil.
Protestant missionaries began their
work in this country in 1852 In the
early years their work was exceed
lhgly difficult. as the hatred of the
foreigner was still strong. The pub
nc notice boards forbade the Japanese
subject to believe in the hated foreign
re!lglonl yasukyo, and offered large
rewards to those exposing believers in
the new faith To overcome this hat