The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-01-01

1919 O'O 'sN 80
mandcrs in recent times, had striven 10y
ally 20 uphold the Sultan's control Of the
~Peloponnesus. but. after the destruction
Of the Janissaries. he became convinced
that the time was ripe for a revolution
In the Ottoman dominions. At he head
Of a large and disciplined army. equipped
with the best weapons OF the Franks. he
I conquered Syria, defeated the Turks in
two great battles and advanced far into
Asia Minor. Countenanoed as he was by
France. he would. undoubtedly. have sue
ceeded in his project but for the inter-
position Of Great Britain and other Chris
tan powers. 1t Is now easy TO recognize
that thei Intervention wa a mistake. Had
the son OF MEHEMET ALI been enthroned
at Constantinople, the whole Of the Turkish
Empire would have been thrown open to
Western influence. and would. probably.
have undergone the same regenerative
transformation by which Egypt has 20
greatly benefited. As 1t was. MEHEMEr
Ais descendants. and especially lsMAn-
Khedive, builded much better than they
knew. for the gigantic debts which they
contracted in Western Europe for selfish
purposes were to prove instruments Of
redemption for the long -sufferin te1aheen.
Moreover, 1t Is not to be forgotten that
to lsMAIL Khedive Is due the first annexa-
ton Of the Soudan and that. but for his
keen appreciation of the value and splendor
Of the work projected by NJ. DE LEssEps.
IL could not have been accomplished.
In the Far East. the transcendent event
Of the seventh decade OF the nineteenth
century was the beginning Of the Western
ization Of Japan. IL Is satisfactory TO recall
that It was an American squadron under
Commodore PERRY which forced the Sho-
gun. who had long displaced the MlSado
as the actual possessor of power. to make
a treaty with the United State and to
throw open to international trade certain
seaports In a country which for upward OF
two centuries had been sealed against all
foreigners except the Dutch. The privi-
lege thus conceded was quickly secured by
England. and in due time was shared by
other European natiOns The contact with
Western ideas seemed to e~lectrify the Japan
ese. They quickly developed marvellous
powers OF assimilation. and in a period
bewilderinRly brief they passed through
political phases which Europe had re-
CURED centuries to traverse. The Sho-
gunate. which. under that name or another.
had lasted for man. hundreds OF years
was summarily suppressed; feudalism was
abolished; the Mikado emerged from his
retirement in Kioto and resumed the per-
sonal exercise of his semi-saCred, semi
autocratic functions, nay. before the year
1870 had dawned. he had gone so far rs u
bestow on his subjects a Constitution
which permitted them To take a substantial
part in legislation. We shall have presently
TO glance at the unexampled and far-reach-
ing consequences which were TO follow
this domestic revolution. and which. within
the span Of thirty years. were to introduce
a new power Of the first class among the
factors OF the Chinese problem,
The three last decades Of the century
which has just ended had begun before
the Franco-Gerinan War was brought TO
Il close by the peace OF Frankfort. but they
beheld no other contest on the Continent
OF Europe except Russia's nearly successful
attempt 10 capture Constantinople and
the subsequent abortive demonstration
Of the Greeks against the Turks. OF small
] MdIr, I Y AAuH' b''li many li
other quarters of the globe. Russia has
overpowered the Turcomars and com
ploted the absorption Of the Khanates of
Central Asia, while an Anglo-lndian army.
commanded by Lord RoBERTs. recstah-
lished in Afghanistan the influence of the
Calcutta Government by placing It's can
didate. ABDURRHAMAN. upon the thron'
of Cabul. since hat event there has been
intermittent fighting on the northwest
frontier. and that part of BuTmah which
had retained independence, is now incor-
yorated with the Indian Empire. At the
coat Of a considerable outpour Of blood
and treasure. the French annexed Ton
quin and the Annamese Empire, and, IN
order to stop China covert interference
with their plans. they were forced 10 send
IA naval armament against foochow. We add
that during the last thirty years the Dutch
have been striving 10 extend their rule in
Sumatra. but a part of the island is still
unsubdued. In New Zealand the Maoris
long evlnced hostility to the English
, settlers, but for some time they have
been entirely pacifed. Kashgaria. which
YAcuB Khan had made an independent
principally, was. after "A good deal of
delay, ~reconquered by China, to which,
at about the same time, Russia restored
the ~neighboring Province Of Iii. The
quarrel between China and japan. caused
by conflicting claims TO COrea. brought on
a war in 1894. in the course of which the
Western world was startled by the revela-
ton Of Japan : military and naval Ell
cheney. Deprived through Russian. Ger
man and French intervention of the Liau-
Tung peninsula, which had been coded by
China as part Of the price Of peace, the
victorious Mikado secured, nevertheless.
a large money indemnity and the Island OF
Formosa. together with important 'om-
mercial concessions.
In almost all parts of Africa there has
been warfare during the last thirty years.
and on at least one occasion England's
military resources nave been severely
taxed. The revolt of Egyptian regiments
headed 10y ARAB Bey compelled Great
Britain To enforce an ultimatum by the
bombardment of Alexandria and by the
despatch OF a strong force under Lord
WoIsEIEY for the purpose of reinstatlng
TEwFIK Khedive in power Since then,
the nominal rulers OF Egypt have been wards
81, an. n,t,ish (.ovarnmapt which Suh-.-