United States or Luxembourg ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Hers was a graceful figure; but her expression was spoiled by the blue-tinted spectacles which completely hid her features. "Miss Sadako Fujinami, daughter of Mr. Fujinami Gentaro," said Ito. "She has been University undergraduate, and she speaks English quite well." Miss Sadako bowed three times. Then she said, "How do you do" in a high unnatural voice.
So the subject of little Kenkyo was dropped and Madame Ito, hurrying away, returned in a moment with an armful of linen and silk on which she had worked the most wonderful floral designs. In the meantime, the faithful 'riksha man, Komatsu, had trotted all the way through floods of rain to the Campbell villa half a mile distant, and now returned in company with O'Haru.
But Asako was the clou of the evening; and besides, an English gentleman would be insulted if his wife were not invited too. And as Mr. Ito went on to urge any woman, Japanese or foreign, would be ill-at-ease in a company composed entirely of men.
Where Ito had beaten men with whips, he would beat them with scorpions. Every one knew ahead what was coming. The usual plan was followed. First, the official and semi-official plan was followed. The Seoul Press, now the lickspittle of the great man, gave good value for the subsidy it receives. It came out with an article hard to surpass for brutality and hypocrisy:
Marquis Ito was received in formal audience on November 15th, and there presented a series of demands, drawn up in treaty form. These were, in the main, that the foreign relations of Korea should be placed entirely in the hands of Japan, the Korean diplomatic service brought to an end, and the Ministers recalled from foreign Courts.
Nothing now remained to Taro but to take his beating like a Japanese and a gentleman. With a cheerful smile he made three low bows to his conqueror. Kanaya, with the utmost gravity, returned the bows before he ran away to secure the kite he had won. Now, there had been a very interested and attentive observer of this battle in Ito, Taro's younger brother.
In spite of the small powers of the Diet, it succeeded, in the first four years of its existence (1890-94), in causing some annoyance to the Government. Until 1894, the policy of Japan was largely controlled by Marquis Ito, who was opposed to militarism and Chauvinism. The statesmen of the first half of the Meiji era were concerned mainly with introducing modern education and modern social organization; they wished to preserve Japanese independence vis-
I seized his hand and held it loosely in mine for a few seconds. It was firm and steady as a rock. "Good!" I said. "You will do, Ito. Go down and work the tubes, my boy, and see that you excel yourself to-night.
"Yes, yes; I see," replied Ito in crestfallen tones; "you are honourably right, of course. Aha! there goes the cruiser. The honourable Captain Matsunaga has evidently honourably satisfied her. He honourably speaks Russian like a native."
The practical result was that after a period of extreme tension between China and Japan which was expected to lead to war, that political genius, the late Prince Ito, managed to calm things down and arrange workable modus vivendi. Yuan Shih-kai, who had gone to Tientsin to report in person to Li Hung Chang, returned to Seoul triumphantly in October, 1885, as Imperial Resident.
Word Of The Day