September 19, 1904.]
THE
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YELLOW PERIL? AGAIN
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relations and sound commercial progress in these parts.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. except where they involve Imperial interests We have no just reason to doubt the bona lessen the chances of a disturbance of the or go counter to recognised principles, will fides of the Japanese in their declarations in be rigidly adhered to. Hitherto it has favour of a liberal policy both in politics away with the inordinate fear by China of peace, but, what is no less important, to do bien found quite possible to do this withoutnud in commercial relations. The iden encroachment by foreign nations which has any undue weakening of the Honie authority, that the Japanese were n people lacking quite as much as her natural conservatism which, within its proper sphere, is an in earnestness; only playing with European stood in the way of a progressive and liberal important element in Colonial Government. ' civilization, and ready to throw it off policy on her part. Rightly applied, it is the best guarantee for as quickly or
There can be no efficient administration and even-banded have adopted it, has been dissipated by attained, and the fact that such progress is more quickly than they serious "Yellow Peril" if this result be justice. But such authority cannot be main- recent events. Those events have shown made without danger to its independence in tained except it be exercised reasonably the Japanese to be possessed in an eminent a neighbouring country will surely, and within its proper limits, and it will be degree of two great qualities which are slowly, influence the Chinese in the same a bad day for Imperial as well as Colonial essential to success in political as well as direction. As long as oue foreign nation is ́ interests in all parts of the world if the ordinary life—thoroughness and method-actively aggressive in regard to China, other needless interference of former times on the and it is to these qualities that they owe foreign nations and China herself are placed part of the Colonial Office, now happily the successes which they have obtained both, at a great disadvantage. The former, with abandored in favour of a more liberal politically and in war. They have the the exception of course of Russia, are mainly policy, be revived in the form of interfer- essentials of the reliable and stable nation, interested in obtaining equal trading facili- ence by Parliaments, often only for party and the existence of such a nation in the ties, and these will be extended in proportion purposes, and too frequently without any Far East, able to influence the policy of as China feels herself secure. real knowledge of the questions upon which adjacent countries, is the best guarantee be brought about by recent events, the If this result irresponsible inembers undertake to dictate.which Westeru nations can have for peaceful West has no just reason for apprehension. The idea of some great Asiatic combination against Europe is not an unnatural one at The greatest difficulties which diplomacy the present time; but it is one unlikely to has had to conteud against in China, from be realised. Those who attach great im- the time of the Treaty of Tientsin to the portauce to it overlook the fact that there present day, have arisen not from her strength aro rivalries among Asiatic as well as but from her weakness. The consciousness among European nations. If we divide of her inability to hold her own against any the whole world only into East and West, foreign nation should occasion arise made the idea seems no doubt plausible. But her feverishly anxious to avoid every-con- there are divisions among Eastern as well as cession which might by any possibility give Western nations, and it will require some an opening for encroachment. Whatever great political force to render such a com- was asked, no matter how reasonable, China bination more than a matter of sympathy or stood as "the Eternal No," content to rely sentiment. Such a force might arise from upon pitting foreign nations one against a serious combination among Western another, certain that their mutual jealousies nations to subjugate the East - would be the best safeguard of her integ-gency which is not likely to occur; but short —a conlin-
This policy has in the main of this, there is little to fear. As between succeeded; but the curious thing is that China and Japan, there is small likelihood China, astute as she is, failed to see that her of uny coalition which would be a menace action was useless in the direction where to foreign nations. Japan may co-operate danger mainly threatened. Russia, while with her to resist a common danger, but making a show of conforming with other will certainly not be likely to work with foreign nations in their general policy, was steadily pushing her way through Mongolia menace to foreign nations, but would and in her in any way that might make her a and Manchurin, with the results at present making her a greater menace existing. With a nation so weak as China herself.
to Japan she fully relied upon being able to obtain all she wanted by the simple_process of pushing on to her bordes. Had China ever been in a position to make such opposi- tion as Japan has offered it is more than probable that Russia would have stopped short in her aggression, and the difficulties which arose when her advance threatened Japan as well as China would never have arisen. Further, we may be sure that the war with that former country would never have occurred had Russia not fondly imagined that the policy of "bluff" which had been so successful with China would be equally so with the much smaller Empire of Japan.
(Daily fress, 13th September. In the course of a valuable and thoughtful paper on the "conflict of new world forces in the Far East," which was read by Mr. VALENTINE CHIROL at the Royal Military College, Woolwich, and is published in the National Review for June, a reference is made to the much-debated question of the "Yellow Peril" which is worthy of careful consideration by those who desire to see the establishment of the relations between East and West upon au equitable and stable basis. Mr. CHIROL says: "In some quar- ters the succeszes of the Japanese have already served as a pretext for reviving the|rity. cry of " Yellow Peril," as if the surest way to create such a peril were not to proclaim that, whatever a non-European race may do to conform to our standing of international ethics, and however legitimate the cause in which it takes up armis against a European Power, the band of every white man must nevertheless on racial grounds bo against it." Mr. CHIROL goes on to say that he cannot believe that such a cry will find a serious echo in Great Britain; and points to the inconsistency there would be if those who for three or four generations have been preaching that it is time for Easteru nations to adapt themselves to European civiliza- tion should take part in ostracising Japan, the only nation that has listened to the advice.
The inconsistency is manifest, and there are certainly few who would be disposed to gainsay the soundness of the view thus put forward. But consistency is not the most striking characteristic of politics, and the warning which is given is by no means superflupus or ill-timed. A large number of people have already become alarmed at the bare idea of any people who are, as they are pleased to put it, heathen, being able and ready to hold their own against a nation that is Christian; and they become still more apprehensive when they consider that it is within the bounds of possibility that there should be a combination of Eastern nations against the West at large.
Imagination being once started in this direction, a fine field is of course open to it, and this fact has not been lost sight of by those who desire for various ultimate ends to impress upon Europe the danger of the Yellow Peril," of which we bave of late heard so much. That such a peril might | arise under· certain circumstances it would be too much to deny; but the fact that Japan is. able to take up and to main- tain a strong political position, so far from tending to increase such a peril, must have a precisely opposite effect.
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THE BATTLE OF DIPLOMACY.
(Daily Press, 15th September.) Whatever be the military results of the Russo-Japanese war, it is certain that they will end in a diplomatic campaign, only equalled in intensity by the international struggle which followel the final defeat of NAPOLEON at the battle of Waterloo. The whole of Europe in fact is laying itself out for the battle of the diplomatists; and in- dications are not wanting that it is one which will need the entire devotion of our ablest 80118. A feather shows how the wind blows, and one or two of these feathers are already The concessions which other foreign in the air. One of these is not inaptly nations-with Great Britain at the head heard of from Peking. The position of of them in this respect-really require France in face of the ever-recurring mis- both from China and Japan are not ter- sionary question is a case in point. While ritorial domination, but equal commercial modern France has at home been endeavour- facilities; aud China, will be more readying to free itself from its traditional. to concede the latter if once she feels dependence on the ultramontane section of certain that by doing 80 she is the Church at Rome, abroad she has ever not jeopardising her territorial integrity; been, mainly for political purposes, the and her views upou this are certain to be taunchest_supporter of the ultramontane largely influenced both directly and indirect element. The policy here is of no recent ly by Japan. Lessons which she is chary growth, but has been traditional ever since of learning from foreigners she will be wil CLOVIS availed himself of the good offices of ling slowly to accept from a neighbouring the Church to complete his victory over the nation, who, though differing from her Gothic kingdoms, and her greatest kings widely in many respecta, is not so and statesmen have ever since followed in widely separated from her as
are his steps; and up till the recent differences foreign nations. A strong Japan, by being with the Vatican it has continued the ruling able, either alone or in conjunction with policy of the Republic. Some quarter of a China, to place a arrier against Russian century ago China made efforts to deal with aggression, is thus likely to work in favour the Vatican direct, but as at the time such of stability in the Far East, and not only to ■ solution did not comport with the views
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