The sun., 1919-07-27
Keeping Up With Japan

schools with $4,000 children attending
them In Corea, there are now 800 of
these schools attended BY $4,000 children,
and there is no district that does not
possess at least one common school. There
are fewer schools of higher learning, since
it is said Japan does not intend to make
the blunder of the British in India and
encourage "a mere academic education to
breed agitators and leaders of unrest and
discomfort" In regard to Japan and
Corea the authors conclude:
"In spite of a diplomatic record of
broken promises and many acts of OPP
preston and injustice, it is our opinion
that Japan should not be judged too
harshly for her treatment of Corea To
be sure this record may make us wary of
japanese diplomacy, but it should not
blind US to the defects of the Corean Gov
eminent. Never perhaps has there ex-
listed a weaker Government, one more
corrupt and more incapable of govern
ing than that of Corea."
A naive explanation is put forward to
show how it has been possible the past
few weeks to quote Japan so often
against herself on the subject of the re-
lease of Kiao-chau, for example 1t seems
that this laudable intention to restore
Kiao-chau eventually to China was only
in case of its peaceful transfer" to
Tanan AC nf e-~1naul -
expenditure of blood and money, Kiao-
chau is another matter, and there is not
the same obligation to restore it to China.
The authors are not in sympathy with
the japanese argument that if there is a
Monroe Doctrine for the west there is no
sreason why there should not be one for
the east. They say:
"The analogy of Japan's policy in Asia
with the Monroe Doctrine has some strik-
ing aspects. In so far as Japan desires to
prevent further European political ag-
erosion in eastern Asia or to remove a
political menace like that of Germany in
possession of Tsing-tau, Americans are
able to sympathize with Japan's attitude
But in so far rs the Monroe Doctrine for
Asia includes aims of political aggression,
exclusive or monopOlistie concessions, a
privileged position for purposes of COM
mereial or industrial exploitation, the
analogy fails. The United States makes
no such claims on the American CONT
nent."
But the japanese claim, of course, that
the Interpretation put upon the Monroe
Doctrine as it is applied to the Japanese
in this country is economic rather than
political; and in regard to monopolistic
concessions in China, probably their only
desire. is to grab when others are grab
bling and the grabbing is good. As Uriah
Heep has been quoted: "We're very
tumble, but are afraid others not so tumble
will get the start of u.s."
The authors of Modern Japan, however,
have not quite the courage of their anti
Japanese views, and in a nice closeup talk
refer to japanese honor as embodied in
''Bushido" Mr.. Willard, It may be
remembered, said is not SO old as cherry
blossoms, and In fact not much older than
Perry and was invented for foreign con-
sumption. There is good deal of in
formation in this book, well tabulated and
arranged, though scant heed has been paid
to any of the graees of writing that COM
bine to make a book palatable. But
everything apparently is here in one
volume, from the famous Japanese i'm
perial rescnpt on education, to the
equally famous Lansing-Ishii agreement
coneedihg Japan's paramountcy of inter
est in China.
MODERN. JAPAN. BY AMOS s. HERSHEY
and SUsANNE W. HERSHEY. Indianapolis.