English. How you think now
the American Revision Treaty?" Out came a note-book and I sweated cold.
It was not in the bargain that he should interview me.

"There's a great deal," I answered, remembering Sir Roger, of blessed
memory,--"a great deal to be said on both sides. The American Revision
Treaty--h'm--demands an enormous amount of matured consideration and may
safely be referred--"

"But we of Japan are now civilised."

Japan says that she is now civilised. That is the crux of the whole
matter so far as I understand it. "Let us have done with the idiotic
system of treaty-ports and passports for the foreigner who steps beyond
them," says Japan in effect. "Give us our place among the civilised
nations of the earth, come among us, trade with us, hold land in our
midst. Only be subject to our jurisdiction and submit to our--tariffs."
Now since one or two of the foreign nations have won special tariffs for
their goods in the usual way, they are not over-anxious to become just
ordinary folk. The effect of accepting Japan's views would be excellent
for the individual who wanted to go up-country and make his money, but
bad for the nation. For Our nation in particular.

All the same I was not prepared to have my ignorance of a burning
question put down in any note-book save my own. I Gladstoned about the
matter with the longest words I could. My friend recorded them much
after the manner of Count Smorltork. Then I attacked him on the subject
of civilisation--speaking very slowly because he had a knack of running
two words of mine together, and turning them into something new.

"You are right," said he. "We are becoming civilised. But not too quick,
for that is bad. Now there are two parties in the State--the Liberal and
the Radical: one Count he lead one, one Count lead the other. The
Radical say that we should swiftly become all English. The Liberal he
says not so quick, because that nation which too swiftly adopt other
people's customs he decay. That question of civilisation and the
American Revision Treaty he occupied our chief attentions. Now we are
not so zealous to become civilised as we were two--three years gone. Not
so quick--that is our watchword. Yes."

If matured deliberation be the wholesale adoption of imperfectly
understood arrangements, I should dearly like to see Japan in a hurry.
We discussed comparative civilisations for a short time, and I protested
feebly against the defilement of the streets of