The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-15

SITUEIiE - a new Japan, the
Japan f industry and COM
m,rCe, pushing for success in
manufacturing and marketing
at first hand abroad" This sentence was
that Of Baron Taka-akira Kato, For
eign Minister of Japan, in the course
of long talk in his large parlor
at the Foreign Oi'ice in Toxic. H. is OF
imposing personality. speaks English
perfectly, and Is one Of the most dis
tngulshed of japanese diplomats. He
was Foreign Minister as far back as
1883 and has been Minister to England.
Member of Parliament and twice again
Foreign Minister before taking up the
Foreign Portfolio under Count Okuma,
the present Prime Minister.
The Baron had been discussing Japa-
nese relations with the United States
ana making those renewed assurances
OF good Will to our country which are
the basic note in all such conversations.
He had regretted that there was any
troublesome question between us and
trusted that way would be found
that America would find way-to treat
Japanese subjects in all things on the
level which her treaties called for, and
10 which in tn. scale of nations and
the pitch of civilization they were surely
entitled He had said that self-interest
in Japan called for the oldcn friendship
with the United States, because in its
advance It needed that fine friendship
more than ever
What advance | had asked.
There IS a new Japan, the Japan OF
industry and commerce, pushing for
success in manufacturing and market
Ing at first hand abroad he answered.
In other words he said: Japan Is go
ing IN for Big Business and needs peace
and comfy 10 work out her destiny.
And il Is this SENSE of a new economic
departure that | found among the most
outstanding things in Japan. She has
been arming herself in schools at home
and ahr, ad with the weapons of learn
ing; she has been studying Western
business technique at the busiest OF the
great cities, New York, Paris, London
Hamburg, Berlin, Vienna, Barcelona
You Will lind graduates of them all to-
day in Toxic banks and business houses
Alongside this she has had an army
of students and workers learning the
minor and higher secrets of manufac-
ture on "A large scale in iron and steel
cotton. wool, silk. pottery, tobacco, at the
best seats of those industries all over
the working world. She has set ul
mills. furnaces and factories of all kinds
She Is building large steel ships, large
engines and dynamos; in fact It is hard
to recount the variety of big things in
dustrial that she is at work upon, either
in full operation or vigorously attempt
ing.
Her main market, too, for these manu-
featured products is close at hand
namely China, India and to an extent
Slberia-a continent almost in them.
se.ves. For these new and large en-
terprises she has lacked sufficinl
capital, and where else should she look
for it than in the country that paid
her so many millions yearly for her
raw silk. her rice, her green tea? And
in these latter we have seen how strenu-
ously she is trying To en,arg, her out.
put and better her qualities.
Here is ambition, clear and Ineligible
In its direction and intensity.
one remembers how recent Is all thi.
as the lives Of nations go. 1t seem,
dificl,it 10 realize that up to sixty year.
back she was a self-dcclared hermit ma.
ton, self-contained unit, practically
without dealings in the outside world
what foreign commerce she had wa.
carried in foreign bottoms and laid dowT
al her doors She was served. as i
were. by great International pedlerS
who spread out their packs at Yoko
hama and Kobe. Now she is for max
ing her own goods, raising or buying
her raw materials and, pack on back
entering the race for ;rade.
She has been through the great CRU
cling of foreign wars. She is going I,
take big business for her own. one
may be bit sceptiCal as to her com
plete mastery of all the moves on tn,
business chess board: she confesse
when pushed that she does not quit,
know it all but, az Horace Greeley uset
To say OF the resumption of specie pay
ments after the civil war. 1.-The way t,
Resume is to resume" and she Is strik
ing out boldly. II her baggage is to,
Il. ut To furnish her with all the raimen
necessary she can get what she need
en- route.