between most countries of the globe is
preponderatingly in the hands of the British--in fact, that the
enterprise of British merchant or British ship-owner has placed
practically the universe under tribute.

May not insular Japan become in time the Asiatic equivalent of Great
Britain? Japan is advantageously located, and by common consent is now
dominant in the Far East. Years ago England ceased to be an agricultural
country, and the products of British workshops now buy food from other
nations and allow for the keeping of a money balance at home. Nature has
decreed that Japan can never be an agricultural land. Why, then, may she
not do what England has done? England has her India, pregnant with the
earth's bounty, and her Australia, yet awaiting completer development
Kingdom become the handmaiden of Japan, without disturbing dynastic
affairs, and primitive Korea be a fair equivalent of the Antipodean
continent? It is known to be Japan's plan to permanently colonize Korea
and Manchuria, teeming in agricultural and mineral riches, with her
surplus population.

"Prestige and opportunity make this attainable," insist the ambitious
sons of Japan; "and while it is probably too late to expand the
political boundaries of our empire, we surely may make Nippon the seat
of a mighty commercial control, including in its sphere all of China
proper, Manchuria and Korea--welding them into 'commercial colonies' of
Japan." This is precisely what the modern Japanese wants his country to
do, and this Japanization of the Far East is an alluring project,
certainly.

"But are not these 'open-door' countries, stipulated and guaranteed by
the powers--meaning that your people can enjoy no special trade
advantage in them?" the American asks the man of Japan.

"Emphatically are they open to the trade and enterprise of all comers:
but there are four potential advantages that accrue to the benefit of
the Japanese at this time--geographical position, necessity for
recouping the cost of the war, an identical written language, and
superabundance of capable and inexpensive labor. With these advantages
and practical kinship we fear no rivalry in the creation of business
among the Mongol races," adds the man speaking for the New Japan.

It calls for little prescience to picture a mighty Japanese tonnage on
the seas in the near future. Next to industrial development, the
controlling article of faith of the awakened Japan is the creation of an
ocean