New-York tribune., 1905-06-12
10 the Editor OF The Tribune.

10 the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: Togo's response to the Milsado's rescript
,haukfnr the admiral and his companions in
victory seems TO have created surprise and even
u,erriment among In The Tribune's brief
paragraph, THAT statement is rather stagger-
,ng TO the Western intellect. just it be-
ginning to understand the Japanese we find
.he intellectual situation put more modestly.
Not few newspaper comments have enlarged
on "the gulf" between Oriental and Occidental
v,avs of thinking.
Does this misunderstanding arise from our
superior powers OF perception of the incon-
er1,ous or from Occidental insolence and ig
rorance?
Let me confess that to me there seems nothing
odd or wonderful IN Togo's ascription Of re-
suits to the virtue OF the Emperor and 20 the
nrotection of his ancestors and mot to the ac-
tion Of any human being" Such a statement
IS IN harmony with ali Japanese history. with
literal fact as determined by critical analysis.
es well as with sentiment, art, poetry. mythol-
ogy, tradition. Bushido Cthe knightly code). and
sI that goes TO make up the world Of thought
and subconscious motive IN the minds Of the
men that fought the battle OF the Sea of Japan.
Togo could make other answer. No true son
of Nippon is likely. for generations to come TO
express his thoughts otherwise. Be he Con-
.ucian. Shintoist Buddhist or Christian (as Togo
is said TO be) in religion. be he Of this or that
philosophy in vogue among us occidentals' or De
he as Togo is an out-and-out oyomeian, he VIII
ascribe no glory of japanese victory TO amy hu-
man being" but to the virtue Of the Mfkaqo ana
20 the spirits Of his imperial ancestors
vbv7 Well in the first place, there will never
bs after the Battle of the Sea Of Japan, any
such thing as an Elliot-Perry or Sampson
schIev controversy, nor, after the lend cam
natgns. sherrnan-Boynton squabble; nor Woulo
sny japanese hero write; 1--WE have ihs1 INC
enemy and they are ours" meaning pS MS ""
only the men OF his squadron.
7, ranan all life IS communal The victories
Of cysrna and Togo are not thelrs' Ou' 'iie 40
.,on,. They are literally the result OF aii 'lt0
rast life and training Of the whole people <A0
80, ~ se,s marshal, like every individual
-e;,o- ard soldier considers himself as but q coz
,n ths mighty wheel that grinds out results 40
sac. hoe val,,e only IN the line Of duty ana IL
.,-+,,,sss or,tsi6e of loyalty and right DOING So
cleo .nA issue of victory is that in whicn per
sona1ftv is sunk utterly. The man WHO WV
mot nv own" bought with price, l. se'
mt t. ''I can do all things through the STRUNG
e,,np Master" was true samurai tserVaht''
f,.ar branded in my body the marks OF my ioIu
&c the samurafs feeling, and. when hshlins h
+be nations life, every man. soldier OF IaO0to.
und.r tbs sun flag is samurai. No! Togo Is
81
action of any human being but TO the soui VI
s1I Yspan lis the result to be ascrloed
s,5 ell gloryy 10 the virtue Of Mutsuhlto' EN-
-.-o- Of Japan and to the spirits Of MS ances-
torsi Anything really suggestive OF guns anu
,ovsteries here? mol Not to the student OIL
Jansn,s history! In the light Of unquestioned
soc. fre. of legend and theory, Togo is rlsht'
Let rs see-
Granted that the islanders and the one ran-
s1v Of fifty million Japanese WILL IN 'llie anu
-b-onob science. get over Gust as we have out
lived many ancient and ancestral oeneIs) tie
sdsa Of Japan's being created first, their far-oIr
-,-or.nf.ors coming down out Of heaven TO
~.-+h +he imperial ancestors being divine the
sr,,ss6o being g. son Of heaven, the empires gov
.rnu,eut by "a line Of ernperors unoroken from
eses eternal etc: in word tnat lhelF my
rhology poetry, art, nursery lore traoluohS'
Bushido and Oyomeian philosophy are ABOUT as
true or real as the corresponding notions thaI
lie in our subconscious region make our con-
eest and pride and enrich our inheritance. Yet
even then Togo's word is exact. 1t rings true
~ .ba facts in the case. The japanese have as
,e,r,na a basis for honest pride as have we
,o,ks Of European descent. Westminster Abbey
or Arlington Cemetery is not g more concrete
reality than is japanese history.
Now lest 7 he misunderstood, let say that
? believe the Japanese to be a young race: in
fact no older historically than we, whose lore
bears emerged from the forests OF Northern
v7,,rope fifteen centuries ago. They have no
,es1 history before the fifth century. though the
institution of the Mikado is older than the state.
and the Yamato or imperial house, has tribal
traditions older than writing, record Of mouth
,o-noouth lore whence an institutional history
NAV be constructed. The ages eternal" IN
the first article of the constitution are delight
fully. purposely-yes, Acknowledgements Sup
,osa also that Sninto is only tribal cult turned
into a political engine, and Japanese mythology
made of the stuff Of fairy tales. In d "oro'
les critical science with scalpel, scales crucible.
,,t,roscone polernic hostility, deadly compari-
COW ;oonoclastic club, do its utmost. Even
then both the Mikado and the nation can stand
Il all and live The victors under the sun nag