The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-05-01
THE ORIENT AND CIVILIZATION

wear have afforded fruitful field for
speculation as to what may be the
outcome of our civilization. AS re-
suit of the war two years ago, Japan
has already taken her place among
the civilized nations of the world.
While some of the nations Of Europe
do not relish the idea of recognizing
her as power among the nations, the
fact is being forced upon them that it
is one of the things they have got to
do. In the meantime Japan goes
right along strengthening her posi-
tion, and putting herself in better
shape for any difficulty the future
may bring forth.
There have been many reasons given
for the cause of the war between
Japan and China. Among them be-
ing that the Chinese authorities were
preparing to invade Japan; that Japan
declared the war because of internal
troubles which were being forced to
the surface, and wished to divert the
attention of her people: that it was
merely design upon the part of her
statesmen to create military revival:
that it was plan Of conquest on the
part of Japan merely for the purpose
of displaying her own military force.
A writer in the current atlantic
Monthly thinks that most of these
criticisms do Japan an injustice. AS
to the real cause of the war, he says:
''The critics of japanese motives and
morals have been in the position of
persons studying only the currents and
cross-currents upon the surface of a
swell. For the ideas of statesmen,
the diplomacy of ministers, the vague
remarks suffered to escape from cabi-
net councils, the official utterances,
the official correspondence, the
preparations, the proclamations- all
were but the superficial manifesto
tions of the fact. The fact itself was
that the vast tidal wave of Occidental
civilization, rolling round the world,
had lifted Japan and hurled her
against China, with the result that
the Chinese empire is now hopeless
wreck. The deep, irresistible under
| lying forces that set the war in mo-
tion were from the Occident. and this
UNREASONABLE fact once recognized,
all criticisms of Japan from the moral
standpoint become absurdly hypo-
critical Another indubitable fact
worth considering is that only by do
ing what no western power would
have liked to attempt single handed
has Japan obtained the recognition of
her rights and of her place among ma
tions. She tore away the military
scarecrow of western manufacture
which China had purchased at so
great a cost land exposed the enormous
impotence which it had SO long
shielded" There is doubtless much
truth in this statement that the real
cause of the war was the pressure
| from the civilized world.
But what is going to be the final eff
feet of that war upon civilization?
That is now an interesting question
before the nations. When the war
broke out and Japan had won her first
victories and exhibited her ability to
successfully cope with the forces of
China, the St. James Gazette in com.
menting upon the possible result that
japanese victory might have upon
England, predicted that if Japan gov
erned China it would grow to be one of
the most powerful nations on the
earth; that in twenty-five years it
could command an army of ten mil
lions of men, and if they chose to start
out upon career of conquest nothing
and,could successfully resist them,
they could in a short time completely
dominate the entire eastern hemis-
phere. But Russia interfered and
bids fair to be the dominating force in
| China instead of Japan. Whether
| the effect of her domination upon the
| world will be for the better or worse
remains to be seen.
But the matter Of conquest is not
the great danger that threatens the
civilized world. 1t is the commercial
and industrial power which is already
fast developing in Japan, more es-
pecially the latter, and bids fair to
| develop to as great an extent in China.
that will have the most far-reaching
effect upon the more advanced ma
tions, and is just now attracting the
attention of sociologistS everywhere
| This development has received a ire
mendous impetus from the results of
the war, and while only just started,
is already having vast influence up
on the industrial affairs of other ma
tions. The ability of the Orients to
live cheaply and thus work for wages,
the total amount of which for week
being less than an American can exist
| e. Il l. L. .