The _terra incognita_ of olden times has become the busy field of competitive industry. The vast empires of China and Japan have caught from the American Republic their own best stimulus, and a timely suggestion to resist aggressive strangers. From America, they fear no unjust demands, no plunder of territory, no violation of sound principles of international law. China, indeed, only feebly responds to the quickening impulse; while Japan recognizes and accepts her opportunity to become an independent, self-respecting power—a truly modern State! At the famous Berlin Conference, Count Schouvaloff of Russia, recently retired from public life, proposed a formal Resolution, that no modern arms or ships be sold to the empires of the East; declaring that “if those nations, India, China and Japan, were thus armed, and once began to contrast their millions of subjects and associated poverty, with the smaller populations, but vast treasure-houses of Europe, the cities of Vienna, Berlin, and Paris, would be in more danger, through some tidal-wave of desolation and plunder from the East, than from all the standing armies of Europe.” And now that the earth is but a sensitive “whisper-gallery,” and every hammer’s stroke and every anvil’s ring reverberate in every machine-shop where despoilers of the East fabricate implements for its dismemberment and ruin, those same Eastern nations in part accept, and Japan quotes, the wise maxim of Washington: “In peace, prepare for war.” Washington’s career as a soldier is replete with counsel which finds its crowning opportunity in the present attitude of America before the world. So long as we deal honorably with all mankind, the buzzing electric energies of peace are our best assurance of success in a righteous war. Only wanton neglect of prudent and adequate preparations for the protection of our commerce, and of our citizens wherever they chance to sojourn for legitimate business or pleasure, can engender mistrust of our courage, and invite the very aggressions otherwise beyond the possibility of occurrence.