THE JAPANESE NATION. 679 



grotesque masked helmets to frighten the enemy, with chain and lac- 

 quered armor for defense and protection, and were commanded by a 

 man with a fan. In 1871, their old arms were thrown aside; experi- 

 enced officers from France and Germany organized a new army, with 

 continental conscription and regular training. The transformation was 

 rapidly carried out without diminishing the warlike spirit of the Japa- 

 nese. In January, 1893, before the Japan-China war broke out, Japan 

 had an army which, though small, would not have done discredit to 

 any of the nations of Europe in organization, discipline, and equip- 

 ment. Its actual fighting strength was between 60,000 and 70,000 men, 

 with power to call a much larger reserve force into the field. The 

 Japanese had then neither great machine shops nor facilities for build- 

 ing ships, nor for the manufacture of large cannon, but they acquired 

 from Europe armaments, ships, cannon, and equipment for their army. 



NAVY. 



The position of Japan, with its inland seas and good harbors, early 

 led them to become good sailors. The vessels of old Japan have been 

 replaced by a large fleet of sailing vessels and steamers. 



In the recent war between Japan and China, the two countries 

 present strong contrasts. Its opening found Japan fully prepared, all 

 plans for the campaign rapidly made; China, without any plans. The 

 navy of each nation composed of the best modern ships and guns built 

 in Europe; the Japanese fully equipped and manned by their own offi- 

 cers, the Chinese officers generally aided by Europeans. The fleets of 

 China now either lie at the bottom of the ocean or fly the flag of Japan, 

 enrolled in its navy. The campaign was as well planned and carried 

 out by Japan as the campaign of Germany against France in 1870. 

 The war was the contest of civilization against barbarism, of intelli- 

 gence with ignorance. 



The ports of China were opened to foreign commerce before those of 

 Japan, and China had for a long time more intercourse and larger com- 

 mercial relations with Europe than Japan. But China represents 

 ancient conservatism, neither change nor progress, stagnation with- 

 out life. What China was three thousand years ago that she is to-day, 

 while Japan represents entirely new conditions of environment, fol- 

 lowed by the most rapid and striking development the world has ever 

 witnessed. 



Japan is not only the foremost nation of the East, but her civiliza- 

 tion compares in many ways favorably with that of Europe. 



INDUSTRIAL ERA. 



The natives of Asia, unlike those of Africa and America, have always 

 been industrious, economical, and hard workers. They have not, there- 

 fore, to learn the hardest of lessons — to work — but only to apply their 

 work in new directions. 



