ABSTRACT
A single day of selfish pleasure may result in a hundred years of misfortune and bitter suffering. How much more perilous is the present situation. Numerous foes exist on every side, who, like raging tigers, unrestrained by considerations of righteousness or benevolence, will never be satisfied till they have destroyed their prey. Under such circumstances international treaties cannot be depended upon, nor can reliance be placed on promises of peace. The habitation of the weak soon becomes the lair of the leopard. The natural defences of rivers and mountains are no longer sufficient to prevent the advent of enemies nor can the dangers of the deep restrain them. The savage Russians, filled with senseless pride, feed their horses upon the fields of Manchuria, water them in the Yalu, and
LOYALTY 43 proceed as though the country were uninhabited. On beholding their evil deeds and their ill-mannered invasion the Chinese and the Koreans are not alone in their indignation. Both the old and great nation and the small and weak one were heedlessly led astray by fair words and deceived by flattery. Grasping at a momentary pleasure they neglected to realise the inevitable sorrows which would follow. When they had fallen into dangerous circumstances they were greatly troubled as to how they should deal with the situation, and they tried to act as though it were not too late to extricate themselves. What a pitiful debacle!
