INTRODUCTION

One of the most important events in Japanese history, the Sino-Japanese War of 1894–95, coincides remarkably with the period in office of the Liberal Party in Britain presided over by Lord Rosebery. Rosebery succeeded William Ewart Gladstone in March 1894. He had considerable experience in foreign affairs having served Gladstone as foreign secretary in his 2nd and 3rd administrations and tended to dominate policy-making. He straightaway encountered a serious crisis in East Asia over the claims of Japan and China for the kingdom of Korea. This was the first time that ‘Far Eastern Affairs’ had become a matter of conspicuous public interest in Britain and other European capitals. There was increasing newspaper reportage and debate in parliament which led in turn to discussion in cabinet.

There were formidable restraints on Rosebery's autonomy in pursuing an independent Liberal foreign policy. He belonged to the Liberal Imperialist wing of the party and found himself opposed within the cabinet by Sir William Harcourt who, because of his seniority, was chosen as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Rosebery being in the House of Lords could not present his case in the House of Commons. He appointed as foreign secretary Lord Kimberley who was a senior and well-liked figure in the party and had the unenviable task of acting as mediator between Rosebery and Harcourt. Harcourt was opposed to intervention in foreign adventures. The situation was summed up by Munro-Ferguson who wrote that it was ‘hard if not impossible to work decently with some of this team on Foreign Affairs.’

The other constraint on Rosebery was the international environment. Throughout the Western world there was an appetite for imperial acquisitiveness and the newcomers were particularly jealous; in particular, jealous of Britain and suspicious of Britain's every act in the foreign field.

Rosebery who was a great traveller had not visited either China or Japan. But he had spent time in Australia in 1883–4 which gave him some grasp of the situation there. In 1894 his anxiety about the effect of a possible war on China was expressed in one of his speeches: