Geographic Literature 



261 



of Korea, explain the imbroglio over 

 the Samoan Islands, and touch upon 

 the Spanish War only so far as it thrusts 

 upon us a territorial and political herit- 

 age beyond the Pacific. The book con- 

 cludes with a graphic presentation of 

 the national factors now involved' in the 

 solution of the far eastern problem and 

 with the expression of a confident as- 

 surance that the Union, which has met 

 so well the emergencies of the past, will 

 meet equally well the emergencies of 

 the future. 



In the compressed limits of 438 pages, 

 to exhaust each specific topic discussed 

 was an impossible task and such as 

 no writer would attempt. The author 

 says in his preface : ' ' The treatment in 

 a single volume' of a subject embracing 

 several countries and covering more 

 than a century has required brevity of 

 statement and the omission of many 

 interesting facts. ' ' But a master's hand 

 is shown in seizing upon and presenting 

 essential facts and in throwing into dis- 

 tinctness not only those main facts 

 but the minor facts therewith intimately 

 connected. Hence there are left upon 

 the reader's mind impressions photo- 

 graphic in their accuracy and clearness. 

 Furthermore, the numerous footnotes 

 are carefully chosen and of value to ad- 

 ditional investigation. There is not one 

 that is superfluous, not one that does 

 not cast added light upon the text. 



An appendix of 36 pages contains 

 the Protocol of September 7, 1901, be- 

 tween China and the Treaty Powers, 

 the Emigration Treaty of 1894 between 

 China and the United States, the Treaty 

 of 1894 between the United States and 

 Japan, the Joint Resolution for annex- 

 ing the Hawaiian Islands to the United 

 States, the Samoan Treaty of 1899 be- 

 tween the United States, Germany, and 

 Great Britain, the Protocol of August 

 12, 1898, and the Treaty of 189S be- 

 tween the United States and Spain. 

 To the joy of the student's heart, there 

 is an admirable index of 22 pages. 



Certain personal characteristics of the 



author invest his book with a peculiar 

 charm. By international consent he is 

 to be ranked among the ablest and most 

 successful diplomats America has pro- 

 duced. In the special field of diplo- 

 macy concerning which he writes he has 

 borne a distinguished and a prominent 

 part. Yet in this volume he makes no 

 reference to himself. It is doubtful if 

 the pronoun I can be found from begin- 

 ning to end. His name is sought in the 

 index in vain. When forced by the 

 exigencies of his narrative to refer to 

 anything he has himself done he hides 

 his personality under the indefinite 

 designation of " a citizen of the United 

 States." Such- reticence concerning 

 one's own exploits is rare among the 

 men who have represented the United 

 States in the East. But General Foster 

 is as unassuming as he is great. 



Another personal characteristic is re- 

 vealed in his fairness and simplicity of 

 statement. The spirit of apology or 

 advocacy or partizanship is silent here. 

 Calmly, dispassionately the facts are 

 marshalled and the story told. A strik- 

 ing example among many which might 

 be cited is afforded in Chapter VIII, 

 upon ' ' Chinese Immigration and Ex- 

 clusion." This chapter deals with a 

 burning question, over which Chinese 

 immigrant and American laborer have 

 been wrought to frenzy. On no politi- 

 cal subject has there been more intem- 

 perance of feeling and expression. Yet 

 all that could be said on either side is 

 here put so comprehensively, so com- 

 pactly, so forcibly, that either party 

 might be content with this exposition 

 of its case. Such capability of intimate 

 appreciation and balanced statement is 

 not wholly the result of wide experience 

 and profound acquaintance with the 

 motives which move men. It is a con- 

 sequence far more of personal tempera- 

 ment and habit of mind. 



When American enterprise first 

 knocked at the doors of China, Japan, 

 and Korea, those countries — with the 

 exception of a few trading ports, diffi- 



