The sun., 1901-11-13
MHIrHER THE DRIFT.

An interesting II not ulfectls pertinent
and profitable line of thought is sug-
gested in the contrasting conditions be-
tween the civilization OF the Occldent
ana the Orient, and the inquiry as to
which of these civilizations Indicate the
ultimate human condition.
The awakening Of the Orient the adop-
tion of Occidental ideas, and the promo
ton Of its civilization involves the utili-
cation of the illimitable industrial resour-
ces of the Orient. and naturally the liml-
tation Of commerce in both extent ana
profit, to level between the two mt
which profit ceases. When that comes
commerce will practically cease and each
race, country and section must live with
in and upon itself. That was the condi-
tion of the Orient for ages before the
discovery Of what is now Europe and
America, and it thus appears that the
conditions then were produced by what
appears to be the reasonably antci-
pated conditions Mt the goal of what
we are now calling human progress.
There must have been, with China for
instance, Il period of rise in which all
the elements of our own progress We're
active, aud the exploitation of new ideas
was rife; that must have been followed
by period of great wealth and pros
perity in which the customs OF the race
became fixed and from which there was
4, conditions lnnlt-
less the chosen isolation Of the Chinese
race had much to do with this the
shutting ont of the barbarian and the
inhreeding of ideas resulted in IL Chinese
civilization--a human development that
in its conditions that demand dispersion
of the race, and its numerical power
threatens the world, there being no new
continents to discover, explore and de-
invasion and conquest, in which the
Orient and the Occident are pittcd
against each other, and the future-the
ultimate con,ition of the human race
is To be the result of that conquest.
Which will win? OF course the advo-
Gates Of Occidental civilization will say
I'VE win..' The truth will conquer err
ror. But has the truth Won? and is it
sufficiently forccful to sustain the present
European civilization? What means the
industrial and commercial commotion in
Europe? What means the many repeat
ed suggestions of Engand's decline. In
some particulars England seems to have
reached condition not unlike China.
She cannot feed her people; her indus-
trial supremacy has gone and her com
merce is declining; the squeeze of an in
evitable isolation has apparently be-
gun. When Il people cannot be well-fed
off the products OF the soil ON which they
live thcy must buy food; and il that
people depend unon manufacturers fol
money, the loss Of market fol theil
manufactures means IL gradual squeezing
down of the standard Of living to merl
the Unit Of the food product Of IL,
land-mcans, for the masses Of the pro
pie, reduction to the barest ncccSSlt,e,
OF subsistence. China and India ha,
feachcu that level, perhaps not by tht
exactly same route as that by whici
England and Europe appear to be ap
preaching il, but by somewhat similnl
one.
1t is not strange, therefore, that Euro
pean statesmen and economists are Ok
pressing alarm over the tendency o.
things in that quarter Of the globe. 1t il
not the spectre OF war that frightcnS
but the facts Of human experience ~
worked out in tho Orient, whore states
men are turning to the Occidcnt for les
sons il Statrcraft, and where the masses
Of the denscst population on earth ar,
turning their races to the Occdcnt fo
room to live and bread to eat.