[Footnote 50:  The following account is taken from McLaren, op. cit. chaps, xii. and xiii.]

[Footnote 51:  The Far East Unveiled, pp. 252-58.]

[Footnote 52:  See McLaren, op. cit. pp. 227, 228, 289.]

[Footnote 53:  Coleman, op. cit. chap. xxxv.]

[Footnote 54:  See an invaluable pamphlet, “The Socialist and Labour Movements in Japan,” published by the Japan Chronicle, 1921, for an account of what is happening in this direction.]

[Footnote 55:  The Times of February 7, 1922, contains a telegram from its correspondent in Tokyo, a propos of the funeral of Prince Yamagata, Chief of the Genro, to the following effect:—­

“To-day a voice was heard in the Diet in opposition to the grant of expenses for the State funeral of Prince Yamagata.  The resolution, which was introduced by the member for Osaka constituency, who is regarded as the spokesman of the so-called Parliamentary Labour Party founded last year, states that the Chief of the Genro (Elder Statesmen) did not render true service to the State, and, although the recipient of the highest dignities, was an enemy of mankind and suppressor of democratic institutions.  The outcome was a foregone conclusion, but the fact that the introducer could obtain the necessary support to table the resolution formally was not the least interesting feature of the incident.”]

CHAPTER VII

JAPAN AND CHINA BEFORE 1914

Before going into the detail of Japan’s policy towards China, it is necessary to put the reader on his guard against the habit of thinking of the “Yellow Races,” as though China and Japan formed some kind of unity.  There are, of course, reasons which, at first sight, would lead one to suppose that China and Japan could be taken in one group in comparison with the races of Europe and of Africa.  To begin with, the Chinese and Japanese are both yellow, which points to ethnic affinities; but the political and cultural importance of ethnic affinities is very small.  The Japanese assert that the hairy Ainus, who are low in the scale of barbarians, are a white race akin to ourselves.  I never saw a hairy Ainu, and I suspect the Japanese of malice in urging us to admit the Ainus as poor relations; but even if they really are of Aryan descent, that does not prove that they have anything of the slightest importance in common with us as compared to what the Japanese and Chinese have in common with us.  Similarity of culture is infinitely more important than a common racial origin.