The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-06-20
COMMENCEMENT AT
BROWN UNIVERSITY
Today's Exercises the rlost Memora-
bic in the History of the
Institution.

mote east. International interest no
longer centers at Constantinople, but
at Pekin and Manila. The United
States was absolutely powerless to
confine the war with Spain TO western
waters. In most unexpected and dra-
matte manner the sphere OF action was
transferred from the Antilles TO the
Philippines. Intent upon relieving Gu
ba from the misrule of Spain we sud-
denly found ourselves involved in af-
fairs on the other side of the world,
with which we never expected TO be
concerned. -
Several years ago the prime minis
ter of England declared that the east
ern question had resolved into the ques-
tion of the far east: and by that dec
laration he opened the eyes of the world
to truth which few had discovered.
But thus far. no statesman has recog-
nized the full significance Of that truth
and we can hardly hope that its entire
meaning will he disclosed for another
generation. Yet we may well believe
with our president, that the world has
passed one of the great turning points
in history. and that humanity has en-
tered n new and momentous stage OF
development
Toward this vast change, fundamen-
tai and historic forces have long been
moving. In the course of evolution IL
was impossible that the east should for
ever remain plunged i'm that deep sleep
in which IL had continued for hundreds
OF years: but even the keenest obser-
vers were unable to believe that the mo-
ment for its re-appearance upon the
stage of world-activity was so close
at hand.
THE coming OF that moment was ac-
CELEBRATED by the discovery that so far
as political organization and power OF
resistance were concerned the Chinese
empire was In a dying state and by
Japan's dramatic entrance into the
ranks of effective national forces. Eng
land had for several years been the
dominating influence in China.
France had made experiments at
Tonquin Russia was slowly and i'm
perceptibly moving eastward with the
resistless movement of a glacier. All
these signs of the times were sIgnifi-
cant.
Russia drew aside the veil which hid
the movements and has displayed TO
the world her policy of militarism and
limitness expansion. Her vigorous pur-
suance of this policy has been demon
strated in score of ways. The great
Siberian railway Is by no means COM
pleted but IL IS even now bringing about
some far-reaching changes on the map
OF Asia; and we may soon believe that
the changes VIII be still more rapid and
comprehensive as soon as traffic is once
opened across the Asiatic continent to
Port Arthur III
1T has already been the means OF
transferring Manchuria and the greater
part OF Liao-Tong province II be a
virtual protectorate of Russia: IL Is IN 81
converting Port Arthur into one Of the
strongest and most formidably garri-
soned fortresses in the world and 10
bringing the whole of northern China
within the reach IL not the grasp or
Russ a. Again Englands attention will
not much longer be drawn aside to af-
fairs In Africa. General Kitcheners
welcome victory has not only restored
the Soudan to Great Britain but has
also made II highly improbable that any
serious question as to English control
N Egypt will again arise. Thanks to
the Anglo-German agreement. Eng
land has a free hand in South Africa
so far as European nations are con-
cerned. and with whichever side our
sympathies may be. we are forced to
believe that tranquility will soon be re-
established in the Transvaal and the
Orange Free State under wise British
rule. England is rapidly becoming free.
therefore. to concentrate her power in
the Far East: and knowledge OF this
Continued on page Four)