光绪二十四年张之洞两次派员赴日考论

The Two Study Tours to Japan Dispatched by Zhang Zhidong in 1898

光绪二十四年,湖广总督张之洞两次派出考察团赴日。第一次考察团在日本军官宇都宫太郎的提议下派出,可谓张之洞对日政策最初的投石问路之举。湖南巡抚陈宝箴本来有意派员参加,但最终未能成行。此次考察团旨在考察学校与军事,奠定了张之洞派遣留日学生与聘请日人的基础。第二次考察团缘于日方邀请清政府派员参观陆军大演习。尽管总理衙门曾加以阻止,但这支考察团还是在日方的积极运作下成行。两次赴日考察令若干湖北官员对日本的近代化水平有了直观印象,湖北官场对日本的态度由此开始转变。两次考察的幕后都有日本军方、外务省的推动,民间势力也有所参与,体现了甲午战后日方对华政策的长远谋划与精细运作。

In the 24th year of Guangxu(1898),Zhang Zhidong,Governor of Huguang,sent two missions to Japan.The first mission was sent at the suggestion of Japanese officer Utsunomiya Taro to survey for the formulation of policy towards Japan.Hunan governor Chen Baojin intended to send members to participate but ultimately failed.The delegation visited schools and military organizations,which laid a foundation for Zhang Zhidong to send students to Japan and hire Japanese.The second mission was due to Japan's invitation to the Qing government to send members to visit Japanese military exercises.Despite opposition from the Prime's Office,the mission was made possible by the Japanese active promotion.The two visits made a number of Hubei officials have an initial impression of the level of Japan's modernization.The attitude of Hubei officials toward Japan began to change as a result.Behind the scenes of the two visits was the promotion of the Japanese military,the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,and the participation of civilian forces,reflecting the longterm planning and delicate operation of Japanese policy toward China after the Sino-Japanese War.