New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-21
REFLECTIONS ON A VISIT.

The visit of General Kuroki to these shores
and to this city has been marred by nothing
worse than the inclemency of one or the most
perversely unreasonable springs within the men,
ory of the weatherwise, and has been marked
with much unaffected cordiality, intelligent ap-
probation and appropriate ceremony. we may
without serious misgivings hope that our distln-
guished guest has received agreeable impress
sions of America and of New York. and we are
quite confident that his hosts have been favor
ably impressed in a very high degree. Before he
came Americans had learned to rank General
Kurok among the great soldiers Of the world.
They have now assured themselves Of what they
had already supposed, that his character and
bearing as man are comparable with his genius
as a soldier, and that he resembles the great
captains of the English speaking race, from
Wellington and Roberts on the one side to Grant
and Lee on the other, in being "as the greatest
only are, in his simplicity sublime"
But his visit should, and sincerely trust
will, have far more extended and important
effect than any merely personal impression. 1t
is not simply in his individual capacity one
OF the foremost soldiers OF the age that he has
come hther. but also as representative OF the
japanese nation its character, its genius and its
ambition, and Ii is as such that he Is after all
most appropriately and most profitably-lndeed
most cOurteously-to be regarded. When thirty
years ago our own chief military hero went
abroad and around the world and received such
attention and admiration as perhaps no man had
ever won before vast circuit, the Amer
lean nation was thrilled with pride. not merely
because people and potentateS everywhere paid
tribute to the personality OF Grant, but also be-
cause 1t saw In that tribute a recognition OF
those national qualities of head and heart of
which Grant was the outcome and triumphant
expression. SO ii Is fitting and II are 10 be
logical and Just 1t Is imperative, that we shall
regard General Kuroki the outcome and the
expression of the genius of the japanese nation,
and in honOring him shall pay tribute TO the
people whom he represents.
1t would be disqualification or worse to at
tempt TO esteem the man and at the same time
TO deny esteem to the people from whom he
springs and whom he represents. Our welcome to
him and our admiration for him are at once q
rebuke of and an atonement for the unworthy
fractional spirit which would discriminate against
his nation. There was the other day some Ia Tx
about the desrability OF an alliance between
Japan and America. This country makes no
technical alliances But 1t will be well if this
visit Of General Kuroki shall result in the estab
lishment between the two countries of such an
alliance in heart and spirit and aim as 1t Is fit
ting for America to make and such as has ex-
listed between us and more than one great ma
tion Of Europe. 1t would be folly to try TO
discriminate between the military genius OF q
kurOki on the one hand and of a Won Moltke n
MacMahon or Il Grant on the other-saye as
we may discriminate among these latter in de-
gree. Neither we with credit to ourselves
discriminate odiously between his nation and
people and theirs