Page:Japan by the Japanese (1904).djvu/136

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
104
JAPAN BY THE JAPANESE

the creation of this the combined effort of our Government and of our people is to be directed. Our territory extends in a narrow band from Kamchatka, in the frozen north, to tropical Formosa. This gives us a varied production. Our land, surrounded on all sides by the sea, gives us great facilities of navigation. We have many of the best ports in the world, and are favoured with a temperate climate. Our race is remarkably intelligent, and we fully appreciate its industrious spirit, which is also being recognised by the outside world. We are serious in our search for education, and as for the patriotism and loyalty of the people towards the Emperor, we are not equalled by any other nation.

We possess, then, every qualification necessary for the development of our country into a great nation—namely, the commercial supremacy of the Pacific and of the Asiatic continent. This problem the European nations are most earnestly studying, but among all the competing countries Japan is most advantageously situated. We are so near the region of the impending struggle—the Asiatic continent—that we can reach it in less than twenty-four hours. We do not lack the means to accomplish our purpose, and the attainment of the end depends only upon our diligence and effort.

This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.