The New Japanese Peril by Sidney Osborne

Author:Sidney Osborne [Osborne, Sidney]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Nonfiction, History, Asian, Japan, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Ethnic Studies, Reference & Language, Reference
ISBN: 9781136925047
Google: HHk5AQAAIAAJ
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Published: 2010-10-18T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

A CHINO-JAPANESE UNION

THERE can be no question of greater interest and importance to the Western nations than the question of Japan’s future world-policy. There are some, possessing authority to speak, from whom we have recently grown accustomed to hear that Japan is at the cross-roads. They profess to believe that very soon we are to see an end of Imperialism and the policy of expansion in the Island Empire, which now has gone on its unchecked way for nearly three decades. They are confident that the invisible and irresponsible powers behind the Throne, which actually control Japan’s foreign policy, will be replaced by authoritative Cabinet government.

If there were any truth or wisdom in this pronouncement, the Western world could afford to forget that there ever was such a thing as a Japanese peril and turn to the noble task of creating a new world-order, from which suspicions, alarms, wars and rumours of wars are to be entirely eliminated.

There are many considerations, however, which compel the thoughtful observer to think otherwise about Japan’s choice at the cross-roads. Indeed, if we could even for a few brief moments place ourselves in the position of the Japanese nation, we might even perceive some reasons for thinking that Japan must either go on in the old way or go under.

For centuries it has been Japan’s good fortune that the people of China were not a warlike nation. Not since the days of Gengis Khan and Kublai Khan has Japan had anything to fear from the military prowess of the Chinese.

Today the case is different. China, like all other Eastern nations, has begun to stir herself. The sleeping giant is awakening from his long slumber and, like Rip Van Winkle, he finds, on awaking, that the world has grown to be something entirely different from what it was when he retired from it. In the hey-day of her might, China possessed a great art, a great literature, flourishing scientific attainments and a remarkable philosophy of life, propounded into a religion by such noble thinkers as Confucius and Meng-tze. For centuries the Japanese have been pupils at the Chinese shrine, and the best that they have in art, literature and religion they obtained from Chinese sources. Only one thing they failed to learn from their teachers, and that is how to keep the peace. But, to be just to the Japanese, that is not their fault so much as it is the fault of the Western nations who forced Japan to open her ports under the mouths of their cannon. Persuaded by the belching fire of the guns that they must either be converted by Western ideas or be conquered by Western arms, the Japanese chose the former alternative. And now it is China’s turn to make a similar choice, for the guns have been thundering continuously at her doors for decades past

China is still vulnerable. The decaying Empire has not yet convalesced from its sleeping-sickness. The Chinese nation is beginning to reform itself, and

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