Page:The National Geographic Magazine Vol 16 1905.djvu/129

Rh When we come into contact with a foreign civilization we at first blindly imitate it, because that is, according to our idea, the shortest cut to our ultimate goal ; but we are never satisfied to re- main forever in the stage of imitation. This is clearly shown by our progress during the last thirty-seven years since the introduction of the western culture and science. Our recent evolution dif- fers from the case of our forefathers in this respect, that our era of imitation after 1868 was very short, and the stage of adaptation began very soon after, and even the latter stage was simply a pass- ing phenomenon before we reached the stage of origination. The proof of this fact was fully shown by our constitu- tion. If you examine the constitution of Japan from the first article to the last you will find it quite different from those of American or European coun- tries, yet its frame and foundation are in accordance with the principles of the western constitutions. Therefore I might say that the constitution of Japan is a living monument of the origination of Japanese statesmanship.

Again, in the realm of science, we have already reached the stage of origi- nation by Dr Kitasato's discovery of a new bacteria. He discovered it in Ger- many and was decorated by the German government ; and Dr Takamine, who is now living in New York, discovered adrenalin, a medicine which is used to stop bleeding, particularly by oculists in operations on the eye. Next comes Baron Ito, whose untiring investigation in botany made his name recognized by both American and European scientists. Major Shimose's smokeless powder is a Japanese invention, and is acknowl- edged far more powerful than the En- glish lyddite or the French melinite. This powder is by an actual test five times as strong as the European pow- ders. When a shell that is filled with lyddite or melinite is fired it will break into ten or fifteen pieces, whereas the same shell filled with Shimose's smoke- less powder when exploded bursts into 2,000 to 2,300 pieces. It is now con- sidered the most powerful smokeless powder ever invented, and its inventor is a major in the Japanese army. Thus we have already entered into the era of origination.

In closing I may here sum up in a few words that although we dearly cling to the memory of the past, yet we eagerly hope for a great future, and in order to realize this hope we mark out the "grand policy of a century to come" with a far-reaching foresight. For means to carry out this policy we come to Europe and America. We go to Germany to study the German system of exactness, for they are noted for thoroughness in everything, but their system was found by our experience to be too stiff and inflexible. As exact and thorough as their system is, it is much more liable to leave us handicapped; therefore we come to America, for the Americans are the most practical people in the world. They cannot mark out such an exact system as the Germans, but they always use their common sense and come out successfully whenever they encounter a difficulty. They do not care so much for academic principles, but they have the tact to solve any question from a practical point of view; thus in Anglo-Saxon practicability we found our indispensable rescue.

This "grand policy" for our national affairs, marked out "for a century to come" by our far-reaching foresight, coupled with German exactness and American practicability, will be the future course of the Japanese people. Then you will ask, What are your aims and aspirations? To this question I answer that our national ambition is by engrafting the western culture and science upon our own institutions to blend together and assimilate the two