The Foreign Service Journal, May 2010

the delegation. In 1873, American of- ficials had urged Tokyo to invade Tai- wan to punish those who had massa- cred some shipwrecked sailors; the U.S. even dispatched military advisers to accompany the Japanese fleet. The same officials encouraged greater Japanese prominence in the region, a concept Tokyo would later, and infa- mously, co-opt as the “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.” As early as 1900 Roosevelt had writ- ten, “I should like to see Japan have Korea.” Within two months of the Taft mission, the president shuttered the U.S. embassy in Seoul and left the country to the Japanese. (The depart- ing deputy chief of mission observed that the U.S. was leaving Korea like rats fleeing a sinking ship.) And in 1906, Roosevelt had the word “Korea” deleted from the U.S. government’s Record of Foreign Relations, placing it under the heading “Japan.” For its part, China viewed the Taft mission with grave reservations, as did the U.S. legation. Even though Taft ar- rived secretly at night on a U.S. Navy gunboat, his visit triggered demonstra- tions and trade boycotts. In contrast, the Philippine segment of the trip was largely peaceful, though the delegation cautioned Filipinos not to look for in- dependence from the United States anytime soon. In addition to covering the Taft mis- sion in great detail, the book includes an extensive account of the Spanish- American War (the conflict that put the U.S. in Guam andManila immedi- ately after we annexed Hawaii), as well as an account of Theodore Roosevelt’s life up to that point and stories about his family (particularly his always-col- orful daughter, Alice Roosevelt Long- worth). Bradley writes in a lively, journalistic style throughout, but has done, and documented, his research. Any Foreign Service member who has ever served in East Asia will revel in the numerous anecdotes proving that, to paraphrase Ecclesiastes, there truly is nothing new under the (rising) sun. ■ Fred Donner was an Air Force officer and a Foreign Service officer in East Asia before retiring from the Defense Intelligence Agency as a Southeast Asia intelligence analyst. M A Y 2 0 1 0 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 67 B O O K S Active and retired Foreign Service employees from foreign affairs are invited to nominate colleagues (or themselves) for a two-year term with the Foreign Service Journal . Editorial Board members, appointed by the AFSA Govern- ing Board, set the general edito- rial direction of the Journal , in consultation with the editorial staff, each month. Members evaluate manuscripts, decide on future focus topics, and weigh in on other matters affecting the Journal ’ s style, substance and process. Board members must reside in the Washington area and be able to attend monthly midday meetings at AFSA. Share Your Expertise! Join the Journal ’ s Editorial Board! If interested, please contact FSJ Editor Steve Honley (honley@afsa.org) by June 1.