Japan to complete their education are advised to attend trade or technical schools, but they are practically barred from higher institutions of learning. It is almost impossible for a Korean student to specialize in such subjects as law, history or economics in the Imperial University at Tokyo, and no Korean student is permitted to go to Europe or America to finish his education. "Korea has been Prussianized," says Tyler Dennett, who has visited the East twice, once as a magazine writer, and later in connection with the Centenary Commission of the Methodist Episcopal Church. "Japan has even gone so far as to forbid Korean students to come to the United States to finish their education. The Prussianizing of Alsace-Lorraine never went to such an extent as that." The tragedy in the case of the Korean is that he suffers the fate of a conquered race, alike with the Poles and the Bohemians, yet his plight is unknown to the outside world. Japan knows the value of honourable intentions in the public opinion of the West, so she, through the clever manipulation of publicity propaganda, has created an impression in the West that she is a gallant knight that guards Asia from the European dragon. She compares her position toward Korea and China with that of the United States toward the Philippines and Mexico, and has announced, through the Lansing-Ishii agreement of last year, her imperial policy in the Tyler Dennett, "The Road to Peace, via China,” Outlook, 117: 168-169, October 3, 1917. East as the "Asiatic Monroe Doctrine." The same policy that undermined Korea-the policy of an opportunist with all its necessary accompaniment of deceit, cajolery, intimidation, and treachery-is in full operation in China. In the same manner as she professed to guarantee the political independence and territorial integrity of Korea up to the very eve of the destruction of Korean independence, Japan now declares that "Japan not only will not seek to assail the integrity or the sovereignty of China, but will eventually be prepared to defend and maintain the integrity and independence of China against any aggressor," as Viscount Ishii puts it. Indeed, it would be the greatest of all tragedies in the world's history, should China, the oldest of nations and the cradle of Oriental civilization, follow the footsteps of Korea into the pit of national destruction. Will China awake to the impending danger before it is too late? L THE ROOT-TAKAHIRA AGREEMENT DE- SIR: Imperial Japanese Embassy, The exchange of views between us, which has taken place at the several interviews which I have recently had the honour of holding with you, has shown that Japan and the United States holding important outlying insular possessions in the region of the Pacific Ocean, the Governments of the two countries are animated by a common aim, policy, and intention in that region. Believing that a frank avowal of that aim, policy, and intention would not only tend to strengthen the relations of friendship and good neighbourhood, which have immemorially existed between Japan and the United States, but would materially contribute to the preservation of the general peace, the Imperial Government have authorized me to present to you an outline of their understanding of that common aim, policy, and intention: 1. It is the wish of the two Governments to encourage the free and peaceful development of their commerce on the Pacific Ocean. 2. The policy of both Governments, uninfluenced by any aggressive tendencies, is directed to the maintenance of the existing status quo in the region above mentioned and to the defense of the principle of equal opportunity for commerce and industry in China. 3. They are accordingly firmly resolved reciprocally to respect the territorial possessions belonging to each other in said region. 4. They are also determined to preserve the common interest of all powers in China by supporting by all pacific means at their disposal the independence and integrity of China and the principle of equal opportunity for commerce and industry of all nations in that Empire. 5. Should any event occur threatening the status quo as above described or the principle of equal opportunity as above defined, it remains for the two Governments to communicate with each other in order to arrive at an understanding as to what measures they may consider it useful to take. If the foregoing outline accords with the view of the Government of the United States, I shall be gratified to receive your confirmation. I take this opportunity to renew to Your Excellency the assurance of my highest consideration. HONORABLE ELIHU ROOT, Secretary of State. EXCELLENCY: K. TAKAHIRA. Department of State, Washington, November 30, 1908. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your note of to-day setting forth the result of the exchange of views between us in our recent interviews defining the understanding of the two Governments in regard to their policy in the region of the Pacific Ocean. It is a pleasure to inform you that this expression of mutual understanding is welcome to the Government of the United States as appropriate to the happy relations of the two coun tries and as the occasion for a concise mutual affirmation of that accordant policy respecting the Far East which the two Governments have so frequently declared in the past. I am happy to be able to confirm to Your Excellency, on behalf of the United States, the declaration of the two Governments embodied in the following words: 1. It is the wish of the two Governments to encourage the free and peaceful development of their commerce on the Pacific Ocean. 2. The policy of both Governments, uninfluenced by any aggressive tendencies, is directed to the maintenance of the existing status quo in the region above mentioned, and to the defense of the principle of equal opportunity for commerce and industry in China. 3. They are accordingly firmly resolved reciprocally to respect the territorial possessions belonging to each other in said region. 4. They are also determined to preserve the common interests of all powers in China by supporting by all pacific means at their disposal the independence and integrity of China and the principle of equal opportunity for commerce and industry of all nations in that Empire. 5. Should any event occur threatening the status quo as above described or the principle of equal opportunity as above defined, it remains for the two Governments to communicate with each other in order to arrive at an understanding as to what measures they may consider it useful to take. |