The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-02-18

been stated by Or. Dillon. Any one
who has 20 deal with the sitting Of
news from ignorant sources, will know
how easily person can be deceived,
and how quickly one isolated act may
be multiplied into a hundred acts.
! Stories of this kind are being multi
piled over the world, the papers of
every language publish them 1t is al
ways noticeable that the national pa
per throws the blame of the atrocities
upon all other nationalites, save their
own, and all unite in casting the great
est blame upon the Russian. Merely
arguing theoretically, for it is impos-
sible to argue upon absolute facts, one
is surprised at this characteristic of the
Russian. The Russian is a very kind
ly individual, he loves his family, he
may not as the lower class be highly
educated, though his education has
been improving, he has a sympathetic
nature. When the Russian gets
drunk, and the poet says "in vino veri-
tas" he does not get to fighting. He
will fall on the neck of his vinous friend
and kiss him. The southern races of
Europe whip out their knives under
similar circumstances. The north wes-
tern races take to their fists.
One would like people to call a halt
upon their judgment of the western
troops in China. That there may have
been wrong done, is not only possible,
but certain, but that it was wrong in
hicted by any particular nationality,
one cannot believe. War calls forth the
BLACKBOARD as well as the chivalrous
side of humanity. If you let loose the
dogs of war you may very well be salts
fed that their methods will not be
those of peace. But that all the stories
of ravishing, murder and rapine are
true, will require evidence to be believ-
ed.
But after all this is only a side issue.
An important one as involving the
honor of the Western nations and the
safety of the missionaries. For how
can the latter expect to be welcomed
and believed in their statements of uni
there are such terrible indictments.
And the indictments do not only ex-
tend to the crimes mentioned, but they
extend to looting on the part of mis-
sionaries. 1t is a terrible condition of
affairs. 1t is unbelievable, but a majo-
rity of Chinese believe it, and how
many decades will it take to get rid
of the belief
After all the main issue is trade Up
on Chinese trade depends the wages of
hundreds of thousands in the New Eng
land States, in the oil region, in the
South, in fact all over the Union. Cut
off the Chinese trade and you have a
very similar condition in the United
States to what occurred in Lancashire
at the time of the war of the rebellion
The Chinese question on this issue is
momentous, and no one can tell how
serious and far reaching it will be. 1t
is occupying the minds of all statesmen
but however clever they may be they
do not see a solution. Indeed as things
stand now, who can tell whether there
will be hard war in the coming spring
or not. Who can say who will wage it?
/ The United States is not likely to take
any part, and yet if the United States
does not and any other power is sue
cessful in a military point of view,
where is the present magnificent and
growing trade of the United States in
the East going to be? The wheat and
corn growers of the Middle West who
never see ship, do not understand
that their prosperity lies in the mer-
chant marine and the commerce of
their country 1t has always been the
way with people of this class. 1t has
been impossible to make such under
stand the advantage of the seaboard
and it is Senators and Representatives
from such states that hamper the gen
eral policy of the executive The Chi
nese question touches the United States
seriously.