Sketches from Formosa.

XLV
BRITISH ALLIANCE WITH JAPAN
As the present writer happens to be a missionary, some
readers may think it would be better for them to follow
Mulvaney's advice and " arst the shop next door " about
matters relating to politics and trade ;
but it is not easy
to repress one's feelings over this new Alliance with
Japan. The flutter at headquarters in Tokyo will not
yet have spent itself for while our own ;
" "
grand old man
has been receiving his meed of praise, it should not be
forgotten that the other Marquis is also a " deep *un,"
nobody being required to inform Ito Hirobumi how many
beans make five I
Pleasantries apart, however, it would be well if our
merchants and others concerned began to take the
Japanese somewhat more seriously than they have been
doing of late ; to overcome mere irritation at their
so-called interloping, and refrain from patting subjects
of the Mikado on the back because of their cleverness.
One's hope is that the people of our own tight little
Island may not be too late in finding out that there is
practically no limit to the lawful patriotic ambition of the
Japanese, and that they are a much more level-headed,
far-seeing, and pertinacious race than many Westerners
suppose them to be.
Certainly this recent Alliance brings the search-light
to bear upon Russian aggressiveness in Manchuria,
but we Britishers cannot have it sufficiently dinned
into us that its value to our Allies is the leverage it sup-
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