the efforts to secure the whole island of Karafuto (p. 274)
continued and Japan saw that war must follow unless a sacrifice was
made. In 1875, Japan surrendered the island, in return for the Kurile
group, but the Japanese treasured in their hearts the loss and
disgrace. It was this which caused the assault upon the present czar,
when he was traveling in Japan.

In 1894 the war between Japan and China broke out, and when China,
humbled, sued for peace, Japan demanded the cession of the Liaotung
Peninsula,--where Port Arthur is located,--besides making other
conditions. When this became known, Russia, after securing the help of
Germany and France, gave Japan the "friendly advice," which was really
a threat, not to take that peninsula. Japan, single-handed, could not
fight the three powers, and gave way; but every Japanese, high or low,
young or old, was determined to pay off Russia. They bought or built
war vessels everywhere and increased their army. Russia did not like
this, and proposed that Japan should take all the islands in the
Pacific, the Philippines, Hawaii, Borneo, etc., and leave the
continent of Asia to Russia. Japan declined, and went on building
ships. In the end of 1898, Russia announced that she had "leased" the
very Liaotung Peninsula which she had prevented Japan from taking.
Japan understood, as the whole world did, that this "lease" meant
possession. The Japanese statesmen did not protest, because there was
but one protest that Russia would heed,--an appeal to arms. That was
Japan's method when, in 1899, Alexander Pavloff, the Russian minister
in Korea, secured from that government a concession in the port of
Masampo, opening into the entrance to the Japan Sea. Japan's (p. 275)
demand was: Let Masampo go, or it means war. And Russia evacuated
Masampo, while Pavloff was told that he might take a furlough. Then
came 1900, the Boxer troubles and the international march upon Peking.
Japanese officers took note of the Russian troops, leaving the
Russians to do the same with their soldiers. Japan never ceased her
preparations. In the latter part of 1901, Marquis Ito Hirobumi visited
the United States and crossed over to England, where he proposed an
offensive-defensive alliance. British statesmen hesitated, when Ito
told them in plain terms that if no such treaty was concluded, he was
authorized to go on to Russia, and make the best terms he could for
his country.

Meanwhile Pavloff had returned to