660 B.C. by the Emperor Jimmu who was a direct descendant of the sun-goddess. Be that as it may, modern Japanese history begins with an American fleet sailing into Japanese waters in 1854 to force the backward feudalistic country to open its ports to foreign trade. Commodore Perry didn't have any idea what he was starting when that was accomplished. The Japanese, militarily unable to resist, capitulated in humiliation but in no time at all decided that the only way to resist was to end feudalism and establish capitalism. So rapidly did they assimilate western ideas and industrial techniques that by 1894 they were strong enough to fight a war with China and take over Formosa and the Pescadores Islands. And that was just the beginning. Russia at that time was considered a great world power, but in 1904 Japan took on the Czar's forces and trounced them, gaining a foothold in Manchuria. Korea was taken in 1910 and suddenly the western powers realized they had created a Frankenstein monster, who, far from being a market for their manufactured goods, was now competing with them. In less than sixty years from the time Perry's squadron of American ships had humbled Japan, the dynamic little country had become a world power. We all know more recent history. The ruling class of Japan made its big bid in 1941—and failed. Occupation followed and some changes, surface changes in the governmental form. However, today Japan is once again one of the great powers of the world. Her textiles and other exports are flowing out of the country at a rate considerably greater than before the Second World War, and once again the mercantile nations of Europe and America are aghast at her competition. Her merchant fleet, all but completely destroyed in the war, once again is to be seen in every port. I'll never forget standing on the bridge of a rusty Liberty ship, now floating the Dutch flag, and watching a Japanese freighter overtake and pass us, new, fast, and smart. The Dutch captain muttered to me, "Who won the war, anyway? We can't begin to compete with their shipping rates." During the war years we Americans were subject to the usual war propaganda which gave us to understand that Japanese products were all shoddy and inferior and that the Japanese were capable only of copying the developments of the more intelligent
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