382 E^SUM^. 



to stand on, has a difficult problem to solve. She 

 might then, indeed, be ideally compared with ourselves : 

 cut off the safety-valves for the enormous increasing 

 propensities we show, and we should very soon eat 

 each other. At present there is no immediate fear 

 in Japan under this head. The strong, robust, and 

 healthy only reach maturity, and of these, certainly not 

 half that are born. 



When the day comes, if it ever does, that she has 

 to look round for breathing space for her extra popula- 

 tion, where will she find it ? Barring numerous small 

 islands dotted about the Pacific Ocean, there remains 

 at the present day, under native rule, the eastern half 

 of New Guinea, the northern part of Borneo, and the 

 north-west end, or nearly half, the island of Sumatra ; 

 among which are large tracts of rich and beautiful 

 lands. 



One of the greatest mistakes we ever made was to 

 give up to Holland Sumatra and Java, the two most 

 productive spots in the East. The Dutch have done 

 well for themselves by Java, and are now striving hard 

 to gain the north end of Sumatra. It is impossible to 

 say what we might not have done with these grand 

 islands ; it is quite impossible to understand our 

 folly and short-sightedness in not keeping them ; it is 



