Tokyo, April 14, 1904.
Dear Sir:
In answer to your letter of February 17th, let me first of all thank you most sincerely for the constant sympathy you have shown to our country’s cause. Your friendly efforts on the occasion of the Chino-Japanese war are still fresh in my memory and in the memory of all those who have heard of them. And, in general, the sympathetic attitude of public opinion of your country is a great encouragement to us in our faith that in fighting for our own future security and undisturbed enjoyment of the fruits of civilization, we are to a certain extent fighting also for the common cause of all. Just as you say, the supremacy of Russia in Corea would mean not only a constant menace to the very existence of our island empire, but would also mean the wholesale destruction of our commercial and industrial interests already legitimately vested there in the past, not to mention the loss of natural outlet for our expanding people. The constant policy of Russia in this part of the globe has steadily inclined toward monopolization of natural resources of the country she conquers and annexes. Her Manchurian policy is the irrefutable evidence of the above statement. So that in fighting for our own interests we are at the same time fighting for the principle of “fair competition all around” in these new markets of the world. I am indeed very sorry that the negotiations carried on on our side, with sincere “bona-fide,” were not crowned with success so earnestly desired. If the Russian Government were a little more inspired by the spirit of moderation and of toleration for the legitimate interests of others things would not have come to this pass. As it was, there remained no other way for us but to try to enforce by arms what we could not do by reason. And we had to do so ere it would have become too late, for Russia was steadily and rapidly augmenting her fighting forces available in this part of her empire, so that before long the sheer mass of her fighting power would have made it a folly for us to attempt to resist the unscrupulous march onward. It has been nothing but a coolly thought-out step in the cause of State necessity. And I am much gratified to see that you as well as the general public opinion of your country, have understood our motives in their true light.
Hoping that you are enjoying as robust a health as when I saw you last in New York, and also hoping to be able to see you again in no distant future,
I remain, yours sincerely,
(Signed) MARQUIS H. ITO.
Henry Clews, Esq.,
New York City, U. S. A.
The following article, which I wrote at the time for one of our leading magazines, contains matter which may be instructive to my readers:
May 24, 1904.