Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-01-11
JApAN's FUTURE.
A Vision of What Might Follow Upon Her
Victory over China.

mud forts of the Japanese about their
ears, he supposed that he was merely
opening a new market for western prod
ucts. In the light Of recent events it be-
gins to look as if Perry's cannons really
decided the fate of the entire eastern
hemisphere.
The result of the adoption of Euro
pean civilization by Japan is now seen
in the fact that the mighty empire of
China is helpless in the presence Of the
japanese army and navy. No one any
longer doubts that Japan can with ease
conquer China and establish a new and
greater japanese empire, with its CAPT
tai at Picking. The Chinese many years
ago were conquered by handful Of
wild Tartars and have ever since sub
mitted to Tartar rule. They would sub
NIT much more easily TO the rule OF civ
ilized and intelligent japanese.
Let US suppose that Japan takes pos
session of China and establishes strong
and enlightened government. The new
japanese empire would then have pop
ulation of 400, 600, 900. The introduce
ton of universal military service would
give Japan an army Of 40, 600, 600 men.
Gordon has proved that the Chinaman
can be made an excellent soldier An
army of 40, 600, 900 Cinnamon, well dis
ciplined, well armed and differed by
japanese, would be irresistible even by
the combined world in arms.
Under japanese rule China would be
covered with railways, and her material
prosperity would be enormously increas-
ed. An intelligent system Of taxation
would yield the government an almost
fabulous revenue With this the Japa-
nese could build such feet as the world
has never seen, a fleet so numerous and
powerful that not foreign vessel could
sail the Pacific or the Indian ocean ex-
cept By the permission Of the japanese.
With its army and navy Japan would
find it mere holiday task to overrun
and take possession Of India. On the
north it would have no foes, for Russia
would cease to be aggressive and would
not merely be compelled to stand on the
defensive, but rely for its defense not on
its armies, but upon its SHOWS and des-
erts. Masters Of India and China, the
time would come when the japanese
would seek to extend their possessions
Following the path Of the Turkish
hordes that long ago invaded Europe
the japanese would conquer Turkestan,
Persia and Syria, and the Mediterranean
would become a japanese lake. The in
vaders would then pass into Europe,
which would be powerless in the face OF
the innumerable soldiers and immense
fleets of the Japanese The invasion OF
the Turks, which in the middle ages fill
cd Europe with CONSERVATION, was
child's play compared with an invasion
of millions of disciplined Chinese and
japanese The European fleets would be
quickly destroyed and the combined Eu-
ropean armies dispersed. The japanese
flag would float over Vienna, Berlin,
Rome, Paris, Madrid and London, and
in course Of time even Russia would no
longer find protection in her wintry
climate and vast distances, and the
whole of Asia and Europe would be Jap
anese.
Only about a year ago, when there
was no reason to suppose that war would
break ont between Japan and China,
and when it was supposed that China
would always be more than match for
her little island neighbor, Lord Wolse-
ley predicted that the day would come
when China would adopt western meth
DDS of military organization and would
then be in position to Oyerrun all Eu-
rope Should Japan completely conquer
China what Lord WolSeley predicted
might speedily come to pass. 1t is idle
to say that so small an empire as Japan
can never hold so large and densely
populated an empire as China. If 49,
600, 600 Englishmen can hold and gov
ern 200 600, 900 Indians from distance
of thousands of miles, 40, 600, 800 Japa-
nose can certainly hold and govern
China, which lies almost within sight
Of Japan.
The prospect that the empire Of the
world NAV become divided between
Japan and the United States may not at
first sight seem a welcome one, but it
does not follow that it would be wholly
q misfortune were Europe to pass under
the dominion of Japan. In such case
there would be an end of European wars.
The peace Of Japan would be as great a
blessing to Europe as the peace Of Rome
was to the Mediterranean nations Ger
mans and Frenchmen and Italians and
Russians would no longer be armed to
the teeth and waiting for the Opp0rtu-
nifty to spring at each others throat
They would all have a common master,
and that master would keep the peace
for the reason that there would no lon
ger be any enemy to fight. The japanese
troops woul9 keep order and the people
of Europe, relieved Of military service
and safe from all aggression, would be
able to earn their living in peace under
a government that would be at least rs
intelligent as the government Of the
French parliament, the English house
of lords or the Russian car. The pope
of Rome would probably object to be
superseded by Buddhist priest, and the
archbishop Of Canterbury would dislike
to give place to Confucian sage, but
the common people, on whom now falls
the burden of European misgoyenment
and Of the hatred and distrust between
European nations, would, after little
while look upon the japanese as deliy-
erers and become the most loyal Of all
the subjects Of the mikado New York
Times.