The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-09-22

and japan 10 make peace proves true, 70
viii be an injury 10 the cause OF enlight-
ened civilization. The mere transient in
jury that war between China and Japan
may do 10 the commerce of Russia and
England lie thing Of small account COM
pared with the certainty that the war be-
tween Japan and China. If not prematurely
interrupted, will force China IN self-de-
Tense to initiate Japan and Europcanizs
her ancient and obsolete civilization and
methods Of government.
China has an area Of 4.6ss, 80 square
miles inhabited by 3os, 250, coo yeople. This
vast territory, which exceeds the area Of
the United States by nearly million
square miles. is completely shut out from
European civilization save at few great
commercial ports on the Pacific. The
Chinese maintain their ancient national
dress. system of education and religion.
European civilization. social habits.
forms of government and material
improvements are viewed with utter
contempt By the Chinese government
and its people. Railroads, outside
short line completed by Ii Hung Chang,
hare no existence. the people viewing
with horror the 'roreign devil" that would
channel its way through the graves of
their ancestors. Nothing short Of q
vigorous war will ever let the light OF Eu-
ropean civilization into the heart of China.
The instinct of self-preservation might
compel the Chinese to Europeanize its
civilization as Japan has done with won-
derful success. The spectacle of Japan
rapidly mobilixing her army and by her
superior power of concentration beating
her unwieldy adversary on both land
and sea will probably open the eyes of
China TO the fact that until she webs her
vast area with railroads she can neither
assemble her vast population effectively
for war. feed them. or move them rapidly
after they are assembl Japan has
shown China that the art Of war consists.
az the Confederate Gen. Forrest said. sin
getting there first with the most men," or,
as Napoleon said, sin scattering for sub
sistence and concentrating for battle"
The superstition of China stands in her
light; her vast numbers are useless
against her nimble adversary. who ''gets
there first with the most men," In
the sixteenth century China's enormous
numbers were effective against the Japan
csc in Korea because, given an equality of
arms and methods of military warfare,
an enormous numerical superiority mus.
ultimately win the day. Bat the sixteenth
century is not the nineteenth. and the
Chinese not only are not naturally a mill
tary race. like the Japanese, but they have
utterly failed to keep pace with the Japan
csc in their absolute adoption of European
arms, methods of warfare aud govern
mental machinery. The Chinese. on the
mere edges of their civilization, have SUI
perficially initiated the drill and discipline
of Europe TO very limited extent, while the
Japanese have not merely initiated II /; they
absolutely substituted European methods
of war for their ancient battle tactics and
strategy. The military weakness of the
Chinese was shown in the great Tapping
rebellion until a distinguished English
soldier. Gordon, was finally obtained to
drill and discipline the imperial forces.
The imperial government was In great
danger. and nothing but the genius of
Gordon crushed the rebellion. No native
Chinaman on either side displayed
superior military talents. and today the
army and navy OF China depends for
it's efficiency on European soldiers en-
pioyei IN the service of China On
the contrary the japanese army and
navy Is differed throughout by able Japa-
nese officers who have been educated in
European military schools, and their mill
tary aptitude and scholarship Is attested
BY the brillianey of their success on sea
and land thus far over China Japan
holds the sea, SO that China cannot de-
bark her troops upon the coast of Korea;
Japan holds the mountain passes leading
from Korea to Manchnria, and until the
situation is altered China is hopelessiy
beaten. She must either assemble a navy
that can wrest the supremacy of the sea
from Japan or she must force the mount
ain passes now occupied by the japanese.
Ii is too near winter in that latitude to
make a successful mountain campaign,
and even in summer il is doubtful whether
China has any trsops equaI to forcing
mountain passes barred by ear.hworks de-
fsndsd BY cannon and mnskstry.
Speaking of the fearful repulse of Barn
sides gallant right wing at Fredericks-
burg. Gen. Longssreet stated that with
the 1890 troops and cannon he had
rIanted behind the stone wall on Marye's
hill he could have easily repulsed the
whole Army Of the Potomac, $4,000
strong, had they charged upon IT, Thu.
statement illustrates how poweriess mere
numbers are IN charging 9 narrow front
defended by modern cannon and mus
ketxy. II the mountain passes leading
into China fron Korea are really ia the
hands Of the Japanese IL is safe TO say
that they viii net be forced By any land
attack from NanehuriA
Tn. only recourse Of China Is TO beat
the Japanese at sea and dshark large
army on the coast OF Korea. The navy Of
China In IFS present shattered condition 10
ne. equal TO this task Is Is easy 10 sag
,ha. China can buy ironoisds in Europe;
she cannot buy them any faster than can
JapAa. and when she possesses them she
cannot ash, them half 50 skislially; IL
may 10 doubted whether any og the
rossrs OF Europe have any hrst-class
ironolAas % sell; and ironelsds snnOt he
baas in 100 days As they we're when
Ericsson contracted 10 build the Monitor
in thai tina