The San Francisco call., 1904-02-28

captain considered IT his bounden
duty to get even with them for fore
ing him to take part in their flight.
and they were made TO do the work
Of common sailors. which in their eyes
was a great disgrace. To do the work
OF a low bred coolie was bad enough,
but to do it for the despised foreign
er was the last dregs of a very bitter
cup.
Yet Ito was philosopher enough to
admit a fact however unpleasant IT
might be. and when he saw the prog
ress OF other countries he realized that
Japan simply had to change her en-
tire code of civilization or be ruled
under a foreign flag.
Eight months constant duty had
passed in England when they received
word that a port in their own province
was about to be bombarded on ac-
count OF the harassing Of foreign YES
sells that approached too near the hos
tile shore. All the love for their coun-
try came to the front in an instant
and the five refugees. disguised az
Portuguese, rushed home to give their
lord the benefit of their occidental
study. But their persuasion amount
ed to nothing-the barbarians were
told to do their worst, and that worst
leveled the city Of Kagoshima to the
ground and sent what was left OF
tiny army rushing away looking and
calling for protection.
Then it was shat Ito and his close
and lasting friend. Count Inouys,
stepped in and practically revolution-
lied the Government. The boys that
returned were IN constant danger for
they had violated one OF the most
zealously guarded laws and ths PEN
atty had not been dealt out. But thsy
were so necessary, with their new and
sdvanced ideas. and the clouds that
already cast their shadows over the
islands looked so heavy and threaten
ing, that they were chosen as advisers
instead and their instructions were
faithfully and fully carried out.
Things that had never been heard OF
were actually accomplished in the
twinkling of an eye and prejudices
that had lived through centuries were
brushed as lightly away as though
they were cobwebs. Instead OF war
being sort of pastime for the noble
men it became a business for every
body.
For the first time in the history OF
Tapop cOy,,r,or, ma, stood sf5a - ia.
with the gentry. and the Mikado had
trained army that had strength and
force behind it.
Modern Japan is perhaps due more
to Ito than any one or anything else.
and his has been the great power that
has been felt for the past twenty or
more years. Whether he was the Pre-,
mier or whether he was the power be-
hind the Premier has mattered little to
him as long as he accomplished his
ends-and that has been to see his
country rank with the nations of the
earth. commercially. socially and. in
fact. in every other way. To be felt as
world power has been his ambition.
and never for single instant has he
relinquished his grip of iron.
"A nation cannot stand still" he once
said 1T must go forward or back
ward. Expansion is a natural law. Ac-
eept everything that comes to you.'
and he might have added. If you see
any possibilities OF it's coming go half
way or more to meet it." So is it any
wonder that Japan has come to the
front in such an amazing fashion in
these late years? With such a power
ful hand steering her she could scarcely
do otherwise but sail straight into her
destined port.