Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 5.djvu/97

 East, secure the sea route between Vladivostock and Liao-tung, and consummate her long-cherished ambition by giving her full access to southern oceans. If in the past her aggressive progress had shown any symptom of finality, or if Japan's vital interests and hereditary inclination suffered her to abandon Korea to its fate, the situation now created would be less perilous.

Another important result of the Chinese complication has been to bring Japan, the United States of America, and England into very close relations. Japan has always regarded the United States with exceptionally friendly eyes. In every instance she has found America considerate, sympathetic, and appreciative, and she cherishes a firm conviction, which even the absorption of Hawaii and the Philippines has not shaken, that territorial aggression will never disfigure American policy in the Orient. Towards England her feelings used not to be so cordial. She doubted at one time whether Great Britain's growth might not yet be attended by catastrophes to Far-Eastern nations. But being now fully persuaded that the unique aim of British policy in China is to keep the markets of that Empire open on equal terms to all the world, and to avert its partition among States which discriminate commercially against other nations, she sees in England a Power with which she would willingly clasp hands in any common emergency.

It may be added that Japan has not lost all