New-York tribune., 1910-02-19
Literary .NesOS and Criticism


tons We have learned a great iii'''
things from the West, but theie
some instances of our having ou's''ipp
our tutors. There is probably no pA"rN
except Japan she adds. where ho' 0-
is freedom OF conscience legals s"'-''
teed but where socially ana III
practice any religion whatsoever may
be professe6 with perfect impunlty' pro-
vided that It be not subversiVe OF -"
peace, good order or moraIlty- ne '"NN
pride in the fact that unlike o'iSi 'ou'
tries .Japan has a constitution "HiO
came to its birth in the midst OF
eral feeling of good will ana re1oiciii7-
His peonle would continue by improve
ment to reach toward an ideal clNl'i~"-
zion commensurate with their aspirations
and as they have won position en-
titling them 10 represent the cVlilza'o'i
of the East. now il is their lot to intro
duce into the Orient the civilization ol
the West He observes:
This may truly be regarded as Japan
heaven-ordained office, and the Japa!lerS
should grow in the belief that on tnstn t,
alone devolves the mission of harnonlzilI
The civilizations OF the East and NeS', -
as to lead the world as Whoie 10 "
higher plane. Should our people, 1uiiy az
preciating this their heaVen-ordalneu %
flee resolve 10 accomplish the mission, 'ue
effect will be far-if not world reaching;
gradually disappear: petty questions q!
race viii no longer find room TO exist,
the evils of anti-alicnism Whlch i've on on
misguided traditions or sentiments VIII
vanish: international relations hitherto
heterogeneous and militant VIII becote
harmonious and peaceful, and then even
though enlightenment may not go so Tar
as TO make possible the reallzauon OF
Plato's ideal stage when the stattSllian EIllt'I
should be a philosopher and the phlloso-
pher a statesman. il may cease 10 pe d
mere dream to 'ook for the day Wheh the
nations of ihe world VIII Ieuetate - ui,ool oo
one code Of international law and form one
organic system. creating new era OF lei-
lovShip and good viii wherein distinctions
of native and alien, near ana remote HIIL M
6isappear and all Will he linked together
by one uniform bond of harmomouS CO.
operation and coalition TO the glory OF fedI
civilization.
More than once is the fact adyertcd to
that japan has never experienced d rev
ulution and that her imperial house mas
descended in an unbroken line from
about the time of the founding of Rome
This should be taken as incontestabie
nroof that they arc not Il capricious and
inconstant people, given to all new and
progress of the West have preserved
their old Oriental civilization They have
attached the greatest Importance 10 the
snirit of national pride. and at the same
time have held in highest esteem the
spirit OF charity and humanity. As a
people they take to middle course
avoiding extremes. and are conservative
while progressive at once aristocrauc
and democratic And in these respects
they recognize a resemblance between
themselves and the Anglo-SaHons- There
are chronological grounds for the same
belief in the fact that her island position
las attracted many races which have
been fused and welded into homo
geneous whole just the Saxon, Danish
and Norman clements have been COM
bined in the British Isles. OF the three
great periods in Japanese history, the
first comprising the myths and tradi-
tions Of immemorial antiquity, may be
said to have ceased at the seventh CEN
tury. when the Chinese influence in law,
culture and religion became pronounced;
the second continued until the opening
of the empire to Western ideas. At the
end Of the sixteenth century a success
! sion Of three masterful leaders Of men
brought order and symmetry out OF
chaos. The greatest Of these shosURs
was Ieyasu Tokugawa, and his dynasty
lasted two hundred and fifty years, until
the restoration. which followed the ad-
vent of Commodore Perry. The military
achievements of these energetic chief
them to the arts and sciences may be
followed by the interested reader.
The last Of the shoguns is still living,
and IN an authentic interview with him
Count OlIunia records how motives OF
patriotism led the descendant Of world
famed warriors to resign his kingly func-
tions and take his place as a subject in
the ranks. 1t was Sir Harry ParBes, the
British minister, who persuaded his col
! leagues to deal with the emperor instead
of the sho2Un, and SO paved the way for
the peaceful revolution that followed.
Then the two English speaking peoples
combined to bring Japan into the family
OF nations. The whole subject of extra
territoriality is treated with great thor
oughness. As the nation expanded in its
relations TO Western powers those condi-
tions made necessary in carly days by
difference of judicial methods and police
control became intolerable. At last
Japan was enabled 10 secure from the
Rosebery administration release from a
calling subordnation. Other govern
ments followed suit, and the change was
effected by diplomacy without bloodshed
China and Siam to-day are hampered in
their local administration by fetters
placed upon them years ago in the treat
les with European powers.
IN addition TO the historical chapters
and those specifically mentioned there
/ are others upon the development of legal
! institutions upon personal legislation,
! police and prisons, upon local and mu-
! nlclpal government. upon literature and
! journalism and upon medicine and
I hygiene 4 fairness of statement bust
/ nesslike directness and an ever present
/ optimism and belief in Japan are the
/ uniform marks of these papers. The sta
! tistical information IS well arranged and
/ accessible and is supplemented by a good
! index which might have been fuller. But