The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-01-03

| Ii. es of our western civilization, and this
march is now more rapid than ever.
The Outlook In Japan.
| Let me give you a birds eye view of
| some of the things that are going on in
| Japan This country has now one of the
| biggest armies and navies on the face
| OF the globe. When 1t closed its war in
| MaDchuria it brought home 600 SOL
diers 1t has something like 100000 who
could now be drafted into service, and
! there are over 100000 men under arms. 1t
has almost many officers in its army
NJ we have soldiers in ours
AS to Japan's navy this has been enor-
mously increased since the war. The
country got eight battleships from Rus
STA and it is now building two gunboats
of the Dreadnaught type. 1t has recently
added 30 torpedo destroyers, and its gun
works and shipyards are constantly busy.
Not long since Japan bought rife bar
res of the United States to the number of
three-quarters of a million. and she has
Just purchased 200O gun forgings Of Krupp.
I expect to look into army and navy
matters and to describe the conditions.
Live Commercial Nation.
Another interesting subject of investiga-
ton will be Japan's commercial invasion
of Asia This country is rapidly gobbling
merce last year was more than 100000
900 yen, and of this about one-third was
with the United States. Japan has now
practically monopolized the trade OF
Corea, and 1t is reaching out for that of
Manehuria and China 1t is. substituting
its steamship lines and making plans for
a great commercial campaign after the
opening of the Panama canal. 1t already
has more boats on the Pacific ocean than
oiv "a
liners to San Francisco and Seattle. YES
sells which go regularly to South America
and others which ply between the Phil
ippines Australia, Siberia and India. It's
merchant navy now comprises 100 steam
ers 1000 sailing vessels and 10000 native
craft.
I want to write OF Japan's new indus
tries and show you how the country is
manufacturing for the Chinese market.
When I was here in 1888 almost every
thing was made by hand Now thousands
of manufactures are turned out by ma
chinery. Great cotton mills have been
erected, which are competing with us in
China and Manchura. Japanese matches
are sold all over the east, and its rugs
and mating carpet the globe. The silk
mills are increasing and all sorts of fac
tories are spring up.
The New Corea.
When came to Corea in 1888 there was
not lighthouse about the whole length
of its rocky coast and I had to travel in
a small steamer clear around to the west
ern side of the peninsula, whence i made
my way in chairs over the hills to the
capital Today / shall be ferried across
the Japan straits to Fusan, going to bed
at night in the Land of the Rising Sun"
and waking up in the Land of the Morn
ing Calm" I shall get railroad at
Fusan that will take me to the very top
of Corea, a distance as great as from
New York to Cleveland, and thence shall
travel by rail on through Manchuria.
/ want to tell you how Corea is being
opened up by railways. The trunk lines
are of American steel and they are using
American rolling stock | shall visit the
big Corean cities. including Congdo, Pen
yang AailSu and Seoul At Seoul I hope
to meet the old Emperor, who was de-
posed, and his son, who is now on the
throne / had audiences with both when
| visited the country just before the war
between China and Japan.
| am told that Corea is now one of the
most rapidly changing parts of Asia. The
japanese have taken possession of it and
are introducing our civilization. They are
planning new schools and are reorganz-
ing the courts. 1t is claimed by some that
they are depressing the people and are
cheating them out of their lands and
money. It is charged that they force the
natives to work at the point of the re-
volver, and that nude Japanese rush into
the Corean women's quarters in order to
make their husbands leave the houses
and sell their property.
Another interesting subject of my in