The Glenwood post., 1908-07-25

Indians fell from their pre-eminent in,
dustrial position and to-day. by means
of boycott of English goods and
various other devices employed
to overcome the barriers placed in
their way by the alien tariff makers
and administrators. they are just re-
generating themselves from the low
est and most discouraging sloughs of
decadence
Japan's career in Korea and Man
churia Significantly shows that the
subjects of the mikado are following
in the footsteps of their occidental
ally. For commercial purposes rail
roads, telegraphs, post offices, electric
! lights, etc, have been established in
India, and a few million of East-In-
dians have been enabled to come in
close contact with western culture,
but India has paid woeful price for
| these features of modernization and
the benefits which have accrued to
India from them are merely incidental.
Japan's political administration of
Korea and Manchuria may add these
and probably other features of civiliza-
t1on, 1t may lead to imparting educa-
tion to Koreans and Manchurians; but
this will be incidental and for these
advantages Korea and Manchuria will
pay most eXorbitant price.
When the Anglo-Japanese treaty
was signed a few years ago, the peo-
pie of India, who had expected that
the japanese would display Asia-for-
the-Asiatics sentiments, denounced
the alliance and expressed keen disap-
pointment that an Asian nation should
Join European power to keep India,
an oriental country, under subjection.
Hindostan was bitterly chagrined.
This disappointment is becoming
acuter and changing into feeling of
resentment since the development of
Japanese plans for exploiting Korea
and Manchuria. The people of India
are fast awakening to the conscious
ness that the foreign policy of Japan
is not to merge in an Asia-for-the-
Asiatlcs combine, but to reserve Asia
for the Japanese.
These apprehensions of the East-ln-
Gsans are amply justified by the senti-
ments OF the Japanese. crystallized in
a recent frank statement by Count
Okuma, the Japanese statesman, made
before the Kobe chamber of COM
merce. He said:
You can go everywhere with ease
and pleasure under the protection of
the Japanese fleet. Being oppressed
by the Europeans. the 100000 peo-
pie of India are looking for Japanese
protection. They have commenced TO
boycott European merchandise IT.
therefore, the Japanese let the chance
] slip by and do not go into India, the
Indians will be disappointed. If one
will not take gifts from heaven
heaven may send one misfortune
From old times, India has been land
of treasure. Alexander the Great OBJ
tained there treasure sufficient to
load 100 camels and Mohammedan At
tila also obtained riches from India
Why should not the Japanese stretch
out their hands towards that country,
now that the people are looking to
the Japanese? The Japanese ought to
go to India, the South ocean, and other
parts of the world"
Count Okuma has since corrected
this report of his speech and declares
that he did not mean that Japan
should politically subjueate India, but
only meant that the island nation
should commercially exploit It, Raman-
da Chatterji, the editor of the Mod
ern Review, one of the highest class
East-Indian publications under purely
native management, trenchantly com.
ments on this point:
ut is not often that we shall hear so
honest an avowal as is contained in
this extract. of the real aims and inten-
tions Of Japan. The Japanese
ambassador in London was referred
to before publication for his comment
on Count Okuma's speech, and he au-
swered that it referred only to trade
interests. 1t will be strange indeed
If Englishmen can accept this expla-
nation. A speech which referred to
trade interests, only, founds all its
sanction-not on South sea or char
tered enterprises. not on the history
Of factories or merchant colonizations,
hammed and on Attila. The Eng
lish are alone in Europe in being
blind to the aims of Japanese foreign
policy. . . Certain it is that should
English policy drive the people Of
any Asiatic country into a despairful
acceptance Of the Japanese. the peo-
pie of that land would ever after have
cause to curse the day. II we want
to know what are likely to be the
methods of Japanese rule, 1t is we'll
that we should keep our eyes upon
Korea"
All the other enlightened Asiatic
countries share this East-Indian atti-
tude towards Japan. China appears
to be wide-awake in this respect.
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