onsideration of the influence that she is likely to exercise
upon the world generally. Any person taking up an atlas and looking at
the position occupied by Japan must, if he is of a thoughtful
disposition, be impressed by it. Take the question of the Pacific--one
which, in view of the change in the policy of the United States of
recent years, must assume considerable importance in the future. There
are various factors which must be taken into account here. The
construction of the Panama Canal is one, the completion of the
Siberian Railway another, the development of Canada and the completion
of the railway lines that now penetrate nearly every part of that vast
dominion is a third. Japan is now, in fact, the very centre of three
great markets--those of Europe, Asia, and America. In the struggle for
the mastery of the Pacific, which appears certain to come, and will
probably come sooner than many people suppose, Japan is certain to
take a momentous part. Not only in respect of her own islands, but in
reference to the great island of Formosa, ceded to her by China as the
outcome of the war with that Power, Japan occupies a unique and a most
important position in the Pacific. As regards the mastery of the
Pacific, in reference to which so much has been written and so much
speculation, a large amount of it unprofitable, has been indulged, I
shall say but little. On the shores of the Pacific Russia still
remains a power, which, though defeated by Japan, is still one of
considerable importance. On the other side of the ocean there is the
United States, which, as some persons think, has given hostages to
fortune by annexing the Philippine Islands. England, moreover, claims
consideration in respect not only of her possessions in the Straits
Settlements, Hong Kong, &c., but by reason of her great Navy and, I
may add, her alliance with Japan. Then, too, there are China, and, if
of less importance, France and Germany. Of all these Japan, in my
opinion, occupies the commanding position. She not only occupies the
commanding position, but she is, I think, from various causes, bound
to play a great part in the future mastery of the Pacific.

It is apparent that in the attainment and assertion of that mastery
naval power must have a great and predominant part, and it is to the
development of her naval power that Japan is devoting all her
energies. Like Great Britain, from whom she has learned many lessons
in this respect, she sees tha