New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-15
THE LATEST EUROPE4N ,SC1RE

Not satisfied with the plentiful alarms grow
ing out of the enormous ornaments 0fthe
day, the people Of Europe excite themselves
periodically By looking away to the East and
asking one another what is to prevent the over
grown Mongo horde from repeating its irrup-
lions of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
Lord Woseley in a recent magazine article,
discussed this question quite seriously, and
indeed gave his readers not little ground
for the conclusion that he considers such
movement within the not remote possibilities.
No doubt the immense population Of China
forms the root Of all these imaginings. The
idea of practically homogeneous mass OF
four hundred millions of semi-civized people
can hardly be entertained without some sug-
gestions cropping up as to the probable results
of the instruction of this mighty host in the
modern arts of war. Those who know China
best are the least inclined to regard the notion
of another Golden Horde as a practical ques-
ton, but the use of a good many "ifs' and
" supposes' will give an air of reality to the
programme sufficient to interest and amasc
if not to alarm, the average reader. In all
theories Of the kind the ineXhaustibe le
sources Of China in the raw material OF con
quest ..,rSt be kept well to the front, more
over for it is upon this factor all the alarmists
rely TO overcome the champions of Western
civilization.
Suppose, they say, that the conservatism Of
China breaks down sufficiently to give her
all the advantages of scientific mitarism:
modern tactics and drill and formation. modern
arms of precision and artillery of every kind
Suppose China arms on the scale Of Germany
and France. There is no doubt that she could
put in the field an army of ten, fifteen, or
twenty millions almost as easily as the strongest
Continental Power can equip and maintain one
or two millions Of men. The possession Of
such force by half-savage race, however
would certainly lead to ambitious and aggrcs-
sive plans The increase of taxation made
necessary by a great standing army would
create a discomfort in itself a strong incentive
to foreign conquest. The demand for more
room for expansion would strengthen this ten
dency, and then some day the long gathering
flood would burst its barriers and pour over
the neighboring territories. What could
withstand such an Eruption? No Western
Power coud meet and check it on the border.
Central Asia and India would speedily be
overrun. Could Russia slcT the tide OF
haps, as in the march upon Ka,hgaria, the
Chinese army would halt at regular intervals
and sow IFS crops, and sit down to harvest them
before resuming It's march. There would be
plenty of time for Europe to prepare her de-
fence but could she devise an effective one
against such cloud Of human locusts?
The experience of the English in South
Africa has proved that whenever IA thoroughly
savage race does not fear death, possesses heaps
of men and is prepared to squander them per
sstenty repeating rifles and mitrailleusc are
unequal to holding them off. In such case
they end by literally overwhelming their civil
lied opponents by sheer force of numbers. Now
this is precisely what would have to be encoun-
tered in a great Mongol Eruption. The few
millions of European troops would have to de-
feat the many million Invaders; and these in
yaders would be as well armed rs their adver-
sarics Even if all Europe combined against
such an attack, it il maintained that the fight
would be losing one. AS to relative bravery
and physical efficiency the West would have no
superiority. Gordon proved, in the case of the
Ever Victorious Army, that when drilled and
led properly the Chinese make as steady and
plucky fighters as can be found anywhere
They have no fear of death and they are very