The San Francisco call., 1904-04-07

Harold Bolce, we'll known newspa-
per man formerly located in this city,
returned yesterday on the liner Ko-
been studying japan from a CONNER
cial standpoint for the Booklover's
Magazine and gathering statistics for
the United States Department of
Commerce and Labor, to which he is
attached. AS a Government official
Bolce was afforded exceptional facil-
tiles for informing himself as to the
matters on which he sought light.
He has come to the conclusion that
the Japanese is ambitious beyond Oc-
cidental imagining. Referred to by
Western writer's as the little brown
man. the Mikados subject who
tator of the Orient.
japanese modesty," says Bolce.
"has been made much of and on the
surface is a very graceful character
istic. 1t is only on the surface, how
ever, that this meekness has any ex-
istence. There are some men in Japan
who really think. / met some of them,
talked with them, argued with them
and came away convinced not only
that they were profound thinkers, but
that they were thinking to purpose.
Japan wants to be the patron of
civilization the educator and leader
of the yellow races. She wants to be
the teacher of Asia and intends to Sc
cure federation of Far Eastern races
and at the same time annex the bulk
of the commerce. She will have the
right of way, too, unless America and
Europe wake up and secure their own
share.
Christian applause has spurred Jap
an to great efforts and in few centu-
ries the Anglo-Saxon people will have
cause to regret it. Japan was consid-
cred a toy nation until she whipped
China and from her present conflict
she expects to emerge a great, mod
ern power She will be an important
factor in the trade of the Pacific un-
less America is bestirred, and in the
opinion of as far sighted a man as
James J. Hill the awakening has al
ready been postponed too long. In
Hills opinion the missionary work
for American trade in the Orient
should have commenced with the set
Americas stand on the indemnity
question won her the friendship of
China. Japan saw the opportunity
and how she improved it opened my
eyes in admiring wonder.
While 1 do not believe that Amer
lea wants to stand in Japan's way.
yet, looking into the future, she is
giving Japan opportunities 10 be the
great Pacific power, which in my mind
will mean the foremost power of the
world. Japan is selling more goods
in the Orient now than America or
Europe. Japan wants only raw ma
terial from US. Germany is selling a
lot of small stuffs in the Orient. and
while England's trade is declining
that of America is not increasing as
1T should. 1t is true that Japan has
announced her policy of having free
ports, but Japan has a way of ham,
pering trade that, with its annoyances,
makes its avowed policy of little use
in business way. While they are
polite they have a pleasant way of
placing obstacles in the way, which
amounts almost to boycott of Amer
lean goods"
Huntington Wilson, secretary of the
United States legation at Toxic, who
arrived yesterday on the Korea, says
that the chief occupation of the Amer
ican official family at the Japanese
capital is calming the war correspon-
dents rusting there in irksome mac
tivity.
Japan has every desire to be friend
ly with the representatives of the
worlds press and it is only diplomatic
wisdom for her to be so. From
strategical point of view, however, sec
recy in her military movements is a
necessity. Strategy is at present more
vital to Japan than diplomacy and a
lot of very good fellows are breaking
their hearts over the prosy existence
to which military necessity has con-
demned them. There are many Amer
lean newspaper men in Toxic and every
day each of them calls at the legation
to see if somebody won't please do
something that will hasten the uarch