arms and methods have been utterly discarded and the army and navy of the empire have been remodeled after the most approved modern system.

The Japanese army and navy are created and sustained by a conscription system like that of Germany. Theoretically, "all males between the full ages of seventeen and forty ' years, who are Japanese subjects, shall be liable to conscription." The period of service is divided up as follows: (1) Active service with the colors, for three years in the army and four years in the navy, by those who have "attained the full age of twenty years;" so that those who are between seventeen and twenty are apparently exempt except "in time of war or other emergency;" (2) First Reserve term, of four years in the army and three years in the navy, "by such as have completed their service with the colors;" (3) Second Reserve term of five years, “by those who have completed their service in the First Reserves;" and (4) Service in the Territorial Army for the remaining years by those who have completed the preceding term. The ordinary service in barracks is only three years, the Reserves and the Territorial Army being obliged to appear for drill only once a year, though liable to be called out in time of war or of emergency.

The war-footing of the Japanese army exceeds 500,000 men, and its peace-footing is almost 200,000: these figures take account only of combatants. Its discipline, courage, and endurance have been clearly exhibited side by side with the troops of Western nations in China, and the army has been called "the most formidable mobile land force in the Far East, indeed in the whole of Asia," and "the best army in the world, for its size."

The guns for the artillery service used to be purchased abroad, but are now chiefly manufactured in Osaka. There is an arsenal in Tokio where the once famous Murata rifle was manufactured; but that has been superseded by the

30th Year" rifle; both of these being Japanese inventions. The arsenal also turns out ammunition at the ordinary rate of a million rounds a day.

As Japan is entirely an insular nation, the importance of her navy cannot be overestimated. Even before the war with China, this had been rapidly growing; and it showed its marked efficiency in the battles of the Yalu and Weihai-wei. The subsequent plans for expansion have emphasized the value to Japan of sea-power; and the programme of naval expansion has met comparatively little opposition. For purposes of administration, the coast of Japan is divided into five naval districts, each with one fort which is a firstclass naval station. These stations are Yokosuka, Kure, Sasebo, Maizuru, and Muroran. The strength of the navy is given in another chapter. Its efficiency has been remarkably shown in the opening of the war with Russia.

To sum up some of the facts given in this chapter, we may fitly do so in the words of Mr. John Barrett, a leading authority on the politics and trade of the Far East:

"Japan has astonished the world by her marvelous strides to an acknowledged position among the first powers of the earth. Her development during the last half century is, in some respects, more remarkable than that of the United States. Fifty years ago, when Commodore Perry rapped somewhat roughly at her gates, she was, in material progress, governmental administration, and educational development, little beyond where she stood a thousand years before. Now her snug little realm is traversed with railways and spotted with manifold industries, her political system compares favorably with the monarchies of Europe, and her colleges and schools are graduating hosts of young men fitted for every position of responsibility. Her foreign commerce has expanded in thirty years from $30,000,000 to $300,000,000 per annum.

This is an increase of 1,000 per cent. per annum,

a record unrivaled by any other country in the same time or under similar conditions. Starting with no merchant marine, she now has her cargo and passenger steamers running to all parts of the globe in successful competition with the fleets of the older and richer nations. With no modern war vessels twenty years ago, she now has a navy ranking next to our own in effectiveness. With an army a few decades past that was barbaric in equipment, she possesses to-day a trained armed force that, in comparison to her area and population, is second to none."

It is not surprising that, after so brilliant a display of the facility to assimilate foreign ideas and in certain respects the ability to improve on them, the Japanese should have become somewhat vain of their powers, and we can readily understand the exaggerated display of self-confidence and ambition shown in the following extract from a speech by Count Okuma, ex-Minister for Foreign Affairs:

"The European powers are already showing symptoms of decay, and the next century will see their constitutions. shattered and their empires in ruins. Even if this should not quite happen, their resources will have become exhausted in unsuccessful attempts at colonization. Therefore who is fit to be their proper successors if not ourselves? What nation except Germany, France, Russia, Austria, and Italy can put 200,000 men into the field inside of a month? As to their finance, there is no country where the disposal of surplus revenue gives rise to so much political discussion. As to intellectual power, the Japanese mind is in every way equal to the European mind. More than this, have not the Japanese opened a way to the perfection of a discovery in which foreigners have not succeeded even after years of labor? Our people astonish even the French, who are the most skilful among artisans, by the cleverness of their work. It is true the Japanese are small of stature, but the superiority of the

body depends more on its constitution than on its size. If treaty revision were completed, and Japan completely victorious over China, we should become one of the chief powers of the world, and no power could engage in any movement without first consulting us. Japan could then enter into competition with Europe as the representative of the Oriental

races.

This seems like drawing the long-bow rather too strongly, but it is of interest as pointing the way in which Japanese ambition tends. It is quite possible that "Asia for the Asiatics" may be a future rallying cry of the Far East, and Japan rival the United States as the promulgator of a "Monroe Doctrine," like that so vigorously applied to American continental questions of national concern.

CHAPTER XVII.

The War Between Japan and China

Japan's Jealous Eye on Korea and the Islands-The Acquisition of Loo Choo— Formosa and Saghalien-The Empress Jingu Conquers Korea-Tribute to Japan-A Second Invasion of Korea-The Hermit Kingdom-Korea Opened to the World-Japan and China in Korea-Rebellion of the Tong Haks— The Empress of China Decides for War-The Sinking of the KowshingThe Battle of the Yalu-The Capture of Port Arthur-The Forts and Fleet at Wei-hai-wei Taken by the Japanese-Admiral Ting Commits SuicideWhat Japan Gained from the War-A Partial Partition of China.

OR centuries past Japan has kept a jealous eye upon the islands of the Pacific in its vicinity, and still more on the important peninsula of Korea, the nearest portion of the mainland. This country, inhabited by a semi-barbarian people, quite incapable, as it seems, of maintaining themselves against their powerful neighbors, has long been a bone of contention between Japan and China, and owes its degree of independence more to the jealous rivalry of these empires than to any inherent strength or national spirit of its own. It is the final result of this rivalry, in the war of 1894-95, with which we are at present concerned. The relations between Japan and China have been severely strained on several occasions in the past in regard to the ownership of neighboring lands. Such was the case with the little island kingdom Riu Kiu, or Loo Choo, a group strung out like a long thread between Japan and Formosa. For many centuries these islanders sent tribute to both China and Japan. Toward the close of the sixteenth century Hideyoshi demanded that they should pay tribute to Japan alone, but he never enforced his demands. In 1609 Iyehisa,