marched to the capture of the next fort, receiving at one time a bullet through his cap. The fort was taken in gallant style, the baby meanwhile looking on in wondering surprise at the din and uproar of the battle, perfectly content to rest on the kind-hearted captain's shoulder. When all was over, this gallant officer gave his tiny charge to some of his troopers, who bore the child in safety to a Chinese house in a village hard by.

CHAPTER XX.

Japan Robbed of Her Spoils by Russia

Significant Events in the Far East-Japan Wins Spoils and Russia Grasps Them-A Japanese View of Japan's Grievance—“Spheres of Influence"--England's Isolated Position—The German Sentiment-England Takes a Hand in the Partition of China-Last of English Prestige in the East-The World Startled -Text of the Treaty Between the Island Empires—The Effect of the Alliance in Japan and China-Its Importance to China and Korea—A Great Diplomatic Triumph for Japan-Naval Influence in Eastern Waters-Military and Naval Progress-Financial Development-Railways in Korea-The Japanese a True Asiatic-Japan in China, Manchuria, and Korea-Japanese Schools in Korea-The Merchant Marine-A Remarkable Legislative Event-Legislative Progress in Japan.

THE

The cause of

HE Far East has been the scene of the most momentous. warlike and political events of recent years, embracing the Chino-Japanese war of 1894-95, significant as indicating the wonderful recent progress in military power of the island empire; the Boxer outbreak in China, equally significant as a long step towards breaking up the medieval stagnation of that ancient realm; and the war of Japan and Russia, the final outcome of these interesting events. the war with Russia we do not need to go far to seek. Japan had been robbed of the spoils of her victories over China by Russia, a nation which took no part in the conflict, but stood watchfully by, ready to pounce upon the plunder. Aided by two nations she had brought for the time into looking through her eyes-France and Germany-she drove Japan, then in no condition to meet this powerful coalition in arms, off the Asiatic mainland, and changed the pieces on the political chessboard of the East to accord with her

own ambitious schemes. Japan had won southern Manchuria by force of arms. Russia wanted it, and by a diplomatic request significantly backed up by the ships of war of herself and her allies, forced Japan to recede and left Port for her to lease for her own purposes two years

Arthur later.

open

As regards the Japanese view of this operation, we may quote from Mr. T. Iyenaga, an able author of the island. empire, who thus expresses his sentiments in the Review of Reviews: "As to Japan, her whole diplomatic history, from the signing of the treaty of Shimonoseki to that of the present Anglo-Japanese agreement, is the history of humiliation and condescension. Through diplomacy, she was shorn of the best fruits of her victory over China. From Port Arthur, Wei-hai-wei, and Liao-tung peninsula, on which she had shed so ungrudgingly the sacred blood of her sons, she was elbowed out; in Korea, for whose independence and regeneration Japan fought, she found her influence soon waning, and only 'saved her face' by the compromise with Russia in the Russo-Japanese convention of 1896. Not only was she compelled to acquiesce in these injustices, but she was not able to raise one protest against those transactions which snatched from China Port Arthur, Kiao-chau, and other possessions, under the very eyes of Japan that had scarcely winked since the battles of Kin-chow, Port Arthur, and the Yalu."

Russia did not stand alone in repaying herself for her disinterested advice to Japan to stand back. Germany gained her reward in the seizure of Kiao-chau, as a reparation for the murder of two missionaries, and France obtained her prize in the lease of Kwang-chau, adjoining her Indo-China territory. To these acquisitions certain concessions of a very practical kind were added, consisting of the right to build various lines of railway, and the grant of mining and other profitable privileges. Throughout the length and

This picture shows very distinctly how the night attack was made upon Port Arthur by the Japanese Torpedo Fleet. The search light thrown out by the Russians make the Japanese boats stand out in bold relief.

GENERAL VIEW OF PORT ARTHUR, SHOWING HARBOR ENTRANCE

The war began here on February 9, 1904, by the Japanese making a night attack with torpedo boats, disabling three of the enemy's ships.
That Port Arthur, the Gibraltar of the Gulf of Pe-chi-li; should be in the firm possession of Russian hands, instead of their own was a
sting that rankled deeply in the minds of the Japanese. The capture of the place in the war with China, in November, 1894, was one
of the proudest achievements of the Japanese army and navy.

The natural strength of Port Arthur is indisputable. This strength Russia during her occupation took every means to increase. The
fortress was made stronger on the sea front, the re-entrant form of the coast enabling the forts guarding the entrance to bring a converg-
ing fire cn hostile ships, while the entrance to the harbor, six hundred yards wide, was protected by submarine mines and booms. On the
land side there is a semicircle of hills two and a half miles from the dock yards, on which permanent works, connected by intrenchments,
have been built. The Russians had also thrown a rampart around the place. The permanent garrison consisted of 14,500 men, but
some forty or fifty thousand were reviewed at Port Arthur by Admiral Alexieff, the Viceroy, who, before the attack made by the Japanese
fleet, was in supreme command of all the Russian forces in Manchuria.