Her Rapid Rise Due to Capable Leadership, Patiezce, and the Sense of Self-Preservation striking lecture on the progress paid sts ; perdous prices and offered of Japan was delivered at the Y's Men's Club on April 11 by Professor K. &. Mui, Professor Mui has been professorial lecturer at the University of Southern California and Tokyo University of Commerce; and was recently Commissioner in charge of the International Section of the League of Nations Association of, Japan, In addressing the meeting Professor Ini The world wonders at the progress} that Japan has made within the ast half or three-quarters of a century—a nation which 60 years ago was unknown, yet to-day she is one of the foremost factors in the affairs of the world, Being unable to analyze this phenomenal advance, there are some people, particularly the West, who have resorted to this explanation—that Japan is my-serious, Even such students and devotees of Japan and things Japanese as Lafendio Hearn and Mathew Arnold have utterly failed to throw much light on this subject. Without being dogmatic or presumptuous it is my object simply to point out some of the chief reasons for this unprecedented development of this nation, Tu so doing, however, let us keep. in mind that the law of evolution is universal. Japan too has gone through the same general periods in growth as other nations:—The liberal; liber industrial; and, finally, the ind trial-ideal period. Because she was not one of the travellers on the highway of the early commercial intercourse of the world, the Length of time into which those periods wore divided is somewhat different from that of any other nation, Whereas, for instances Europe had its patriarchal and military period in medieval times, in Japan it stretch ed to the modern period, at least in form, although already a militaryibeval r¥gime, when military clans and chieftains usually struggled for Supremacy" and unity, was coming a close by the time of the advent of the American Commodore, great sacrifices before she finally opened her doors to the nations of the world. Japan did not watch the valuable lessons of China's foreign relations in vain, Naturally Japan was able to collect the best from the nations of the world, Her constitution, for instance, embodies some features from American and European political systems. Her early medicines fame from China and Korea, but later from Holland, then Austria and Germany and the United States, Her navy and shipping were patterned after those of England. Her artists studied in France and Italy. What is more remarkable is the fact the Japanese are moulding out of these Eastern and Western contributions a new type of civilization and institution. Tam looking forward even with greater anticipation to what you, ard your fellow returned students, in China will do for your country, [for I realize with the deep sympathy that there are even greater traditional elements and a certain In this connection one of my' Chinese friends once said that Japanese text books are the best the world. Whereas those of other countries in. Europe and America place so much importance in the exposition of their respective theories and practices, the Japanese text books happily contain comparative studies of all of them, If the same logic holds true, the -|Chinese texts of the future must, be even better than those of Japan.
This leads us to the fifth point. Without doubt national solidarity. was another important cause for} progress, Because of long centuries of history and tradition, some of which were characterized wit lation, Japan had developed to a. remarkable Wegree, the sense of]
nal solidarity and racial unity.
is instilled among her people the sense of profound patriotism—the spirit of one for-all and all for, one, although such is no longer true within the Inst few years so far as her cultural and economic activities: fare concerned, The first reason for Japanese pro-seress, therefore, may be said to be the shortness of the military-liberal period which enabled her suddenly to emerge into the liberal-industrial period. Indeed, Japan is fast approaching the industrial-ideal period, the period in which society is divect= ed by. the public opinion and id ism of the masses which are equality} andi democracy. jew it from another angle, it is quite a universal experience that feudalism terminates only the result of long drawn out struggles among military clans and feudal Jords, Fortunately, Jagan spared the trials of prolonged mili iberal_ adjustments. The restoration of the Imperial power was brought about practically without} any bloodshed. Japan is about the only nation that can boast of 250: years of peace and rest, to the final opening of her shores to the West. Dr. David Start Jordan Standiford. University often repeated that the reason why Japan was successful in the Russo-Japanese war was because of this fact, which allowed her to store up great _national energy and vitality. during these centuries.
The second reason is a very simple cone, It is because Japan is a small country. Although she extends from northeast to southwest, about 3,000 miles, there are a very few districts Ghat are more than 200 miles. wide from shore to shore. Any clatter of the wheels of civilization would penetrate easily into a nation like ours, Besides, Japan possessed re Sonably improved highways, par ularly. in Sanyodo and Tokaido, on the southern side of the main is-
Jand, which were butit and used by the Tokugawa Daimyos. All parts of the nation were closely connect-fed by the artery of national euleure, which easily. Drought, usin touch serve centres of the world as soon as the motion was to its commerce. dition, Japan was one of the! Jast of the modern nations to be awakened, literally, Kicking, off her hed clothes she got up. Therefore she was able to benefit by the bitter experiences and trials of other mations, for instance, Japan's rapid rise, again, is due to capable leaders;" leaders who were trained in the aesthetic school of Kuge with culture ant prestige; and leaders disciplined in the sturdy of Buke, the dark moments periods of the Japanese restoration. But these patriotic and—self-lenying leaders unitedly put their shoulders to the wheels of the nation. But the most conspicuous was the figure of the young Emperor, at im self, who included in his famous, "Charter Oath of Five Articles" the following daring message; "AM absurd usage shall abandoned, and justice and righteousness shall "regulate all actions."
"Knowledge and learning shall he sought for all over the world and thus the foundations of the imperial policy be greatly'
strengthened.'
In this connection we are not to forget many truly unselfish foreign advisers, teachers and missionaries in Japan's early days of regeneration and readjustment.
This attitude of the nation was possible, because of the far-sighted statesmanship and the wise dircetion of her national sentiment by. her leaders. Nationalism and patriotism, too often take the form. of anti-foreign sentiments or the spirit of self-vindication. It was} extremely fortunate that Japan made the virtue of retrospection and the realization of her own short-coming a basis of her national solidarity and progress. She was put in touch at an early date with) modern civilization, that is, long before she was too much antagonize ed against it. In other words she came to see the wisdom of adjusting herself to modern situations with a3 little bitter and disappointing experiences as possible, T must add the most _impelling reason, lastly, fur the progress country. It was the: sense of preservation coupled with the sense of national pride. Although there were a few years of antiforeign agitation, her people early realized that by 2 construc programme, by conscientious en-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.