Sympathy with their aspirations is, of course, cordially welcomed from every quarter by the Japanese; they are delighted to receive help of any kind from Occidental friends at such times as, in their view, render such assistance or sympathy necessary. When the occasion has passed, and they feel independent of foreign support, they not only cease to make any effort to attract, but take no pains to conceal their indifference to it. This attitude, induced by the severely practical nature of their policy, is repugnant to Occidental feeling, and has caused the accusation to be brought against the Japanese that they treat their foreign friends “like lemons, to be thrown away once the juice has been squeezed out of them.”
This course of conduct should not be judged too harshly; it should be remembered that such a proud, hypersensitive nation is ever desirous of displaying its independence, and is consequently averse to appearing to solicit help or sympathy from the outside. A gifted Frenchman, a true friend of Japan, the late Félix Régamey, several of whose spirited pictures of Japan are reproduced in this History, and who did much to gain sympathy for that country amongst his compatriots at a time when they were little inclined to extend it, said to the writer: “It would, indeed, be a pleasure to help the Japanese, but they will not let one help them.” It is noticeable that this coolness towards foreign sympathy is usually coincident with a period of national elation, consequent on the victory of Japanese arms or the obtaining of some solid advantage by Japanese diplomacy.
Reviewing impartially the good and the bad points of the Japanese national character, one must come to the comforting conclusion that its faults are likely to disappear, or, at least, to be considerably attenuated in the future, as Japan enters more and more into the active life of the family of nations. The pressure of the public opinion of the vast majority of civilised mankind must exercise a beneficial influence in bringing the Japanese gradually into line with ourselves where the points of view are still too widely divergent to admit of cordial co-operation between them and Occidentals. The virtues now pre-eminently Japanese may, indeed probably will, suffer to a certain extent in the process; it is the writer’s firm conviction that enough of them will remain to enable the Japanese to accomplish the glorious destiny towards which they are marching. Their patriotism, their valour, their thoroughness, their wisdom in matters of national moment, are of the virtues that make nations great.
ARTHUR DIOSY
