Page:Japan by the Japanese (1904).djvu/235

On arriving in Tientsin, Count Ito was officially informed that Li-Hung-Chang was appointed Plenipotentiary to deal with the Corean affair, so that there was no need of the Ambassadors proceeding to Peking. Here, however, Count Ito had to choose between two courses, both of which found warm advocates among his suite, containing such able men as Ki Inouye and Miyoji Ito. As China was just at this moment suffering under great pressure from France, our Mission could take advantage of the situation and bring matters to a hasty close by threatening her; or, by pursuing an entirely opposite course, he could sympathize with her misfortunes, convince her of Japan’s sincerity towards China by not taking advantage of her distress, and make her concede Japan’s demands through the moral persuasion that it was for her interest not to sacrifice the friendship of such a nation as Japan, understanding the true idea of Eastern morality. For placing the relations between Japan and China as regards Corea on a firm, endurable basis, the latter course seemed much more preferable, and for the purpose of convincing the Chinese that we did not intend to take advantage of the action of France, Count Ito showed them that he was in no hurry, but willing to wait till China’s hands should be free. So he decided to go to Peking merely for the purpose of presenting credentials and attending the funeral ceremony of Sir Harry Parkes, an old friend of the Count, lately deceased in Peking. He left Tientsin on the 17th of March, and arrived in Peking on the 21st. Although there was no audience on account of the youthfulness of the Emperor, yet there was a grand reception of the Ambassador by the Yamen Ministers on the 27th, and the funeral of the English Minister took place on the 30th. The Mission returned to Tientsin on the 2nd of April, and the negotiations were opened from the following day.

On this occasion Count Ito is said to have substantiated his demands by the following argument: The claims of China over Corea were historical only—i.e., as the history of China reckons Corea among her tributaries, and as China had the greatest repugnance of changing the face of history as the worthy legacy of ancestral emperors, so she was intent on claiming Corea as her vassal state. The claims of Japan over Corea were economical—i.e., she did not claim any legal authority over Corea, but, from her geographical position and the necessity of providing for her constantly increasing population, she was intent on utilizing Corea as the best source from which the defect in the home produce of rice was to be supplied, as well as the nearest field in which the future sons of Japan might find employment. For this purpose Japan would have Corea always independent and under no foreign influence; but within