The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-20
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communication by sea and by land. as
affecting the life of people. OF course,
in this book, his view OF this matter is
introduced on account of the bearing
| which il has on China; and the conclu-
sions which he draws are of particular in
! terest. He says:
There can be little doubt that with China rs
with other countries that enjoy frontier
the latter will he the fruitful medium of
promoting commercc-thc interchange-whereby
nations IN vigorous life sustain and develop Their
strength through contact with outside sources,
which. in return, thus not exhausted, hut
renewed This general tendency viii receive
special impulse and force from the Iangtse-
! Eiang. which, being navigable by steamers a
thousand miles from its mouth, extends so far
the access from the TO the heart OF this
great valley Of China. And as with the country
possessing the seaboard. with those whose APP
proach her is through il, and by the sea.
The greater ease, and therefore the greater
copiousness, Of the stream of traffic result in a
corresponding increase in the weaith-the gain
which is the concrete expression OF the mutual
benefit. Greater benefit entails greater interest
interest in the maintenance and promotion of
the more favorable conditions; that Is, those
who are deriving the largest good from the eX-
change-from commercc-will be most anxious
10 continue and develop it, and, commerce
thrives by peace and suffers 10y war, ii follows
that peace Is the superior interest of those
countries which approach by the sea
The distribution of the Russian dominion and
the concentration Of its mass, already alluded TO,
combined with the fact of its irrenediab!e re-
mOteness from an open sea, render inevitable ITS
dependence upon land routes for the bulk of
its intercourse with the debatable ground OF Asia.
Natural conditions hopelessly adverse that
it is difficult 10 see what possible political eN-
tension can seriously modify them. BY this is
meant that wherever Russia touches the
sea, can shortly touch it. the points are SO
remote from the heart of her territory that ae-
u of all 70 nl
! by land
The author also points out that the OPP
portunities of states opposed to Russian
| aggression, TO harass that power by flank
movements, are many and great; and he
! then observes, in regard TO the condition
of European thought in general:
Without attempting to pronounce upon the rea
sonableness of the feeling it may safely be said
that uneaziness. which Is the mental equivalent
Of friction is VIGOROUSLY prevalent In the
councils Of nations In order that the worst re-
suits Of such uneasiness- war-may be timely
and eiIectually ayerted, general appreciation
of our conditions, and the attitude necessary TO
be taken. is indispensable Failing that. nations
drift. Through ignorance of their strength and
OF their weakness. OF the strength and weakness
of those opposed to them, and Of the elements in
which strength or weakness consists States and
Governments hesitate to act when action is oppor-
tune and hasty when time is not ripe. In either
case they act amiss, and incur danger, less or
more whereas. when thoroughly arouseH 10 iactS
they actually are, to the possibilities which
they contain. aud attentive to the preparations
which circumstances demand, the common readi-
ness and resulting mutual respect promote
n;easuredncss and precis ion of action that more
than aught else tend TO preserve peace. by fore
stallinG the occurrence OF situations whence there
Is no escape but by II is doubtless this APP
probation OF relative powers and position, join
Ell to care to maintain tiseir own as 70 render
Z conflict aTduOus, ii not OF unCeftan L.
sue that now most ehectually preserves peace
among the states Of Europe.
There is great deal of interesting ar
guuent and speculation in this part Of the
book, and the writer considers at length
the position and stability of the various
European Powers, and the influence which
the problem of Asia is likely to have upon
them. One particularly interesting para
graph contains this speculation:
Under conditions OF war. the continuance of
Egypt in its present tenure, and the security OF
the shortest route to the East. both depend uti-
mately upon the permanent political bias OF the
region now called Turkey in Asia, and in a
subsidiary degree upon that of Persia That
this Is 50 VIII readily appear If imagine that.
instead OF the existing misrule, Turkey in Asia
Asia Minor. Syria. and Mesopotamia-forIned
highly developed modern state, with an efficient
ly organized army and navy. Nothing be said
now of the power OF France in the western half
OF the Mediterranean that would not be true,
ana tuer. OF the control Of such state over
much gTeater Issues In its presence, if hostile,
Egypt would be insecure, she in the days
OF the Ottoman yigor; and the Strategic irnyor-
lance OF Egypt's position is n commonplace Of
The ages. This imagined state, touching the
Black Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea- and
the Levant, would control the issues from vast
territories to the outer world 1t does not now
exist; but the creation OF such a political
entity. and its development healthy lines are
as much one Of the problems of Asia. and as
important. as China itself The latter is prim-
arily and chiefly region simply OF production:
n mi
fulfill the far more vital role OF controlling
communications.
Again:
Not only is Great Britain for her own credit
bound 10 hold Egypt but the central position
of the latter with reference TO the whole Eastern
world L such that, even under present draw
backs, II Is hard 10 conceive any conditions in
which supplies can fail TO pour in from various
quarters. In military situation Egypt approaches
an ideal; for to local concentration Of force,
defensive and offensive, operative in two direc-
tons, toward Gibraltar toward India, il adds
several streams o; supply. diverse in origin
that no one navy take position to intercept
them all Reduced to the fewest, they flow in
by two channels; the Red Sea and the Mediter-
ranean; how shall any one feet close both?
There is rather a general impression
among people who have not studied inter-
| national politics very seriously, that when
England, or any other country takes pos
session Of some outlying strip Of the
earth's surface, such action is prompted
solely by greed. Such arguments as the
foregoing, however show quite clearly
that a place remote from the centre OF
government may be quite as necessary, for
purposes CT defence. as one on the out
skirts Of the capital. II is certainly neces-
sary for England to hold her own in the
outposts Of her Empire, If she is not to
! be reduced TO a dominion consisting simply
OF the two British Isles and their sur
rounding islets.
! Captain Mahan then turns HIS attention
| 10 Asia and the Asiatic character, which
is the real kernel of this very hard nut,
| the Asiatic problem. After all is said the
I factor which Is absolutely uncertain even
| TO the sagest prophetic vision, is the ORR
| entail nature. especially the Chinese nature
| its possibilities, its liabilities. and its
| behavior under coercion or persuasion. OF
this he Gays, in part:
Tho condition Of these people is not that Of
sheep to be owned although, in some respects
II much resembles that Of sheep without shep-
he:d, for strong and yiTle as may be their native
characters In individual manifestation, much OF
the force Of the Asiatc is expended in maintain
/ ing dogsed stationariness Of development which
has settled at least into apparent impotency
for self-regenation. whether OF social institu-
tiuns OF government II this generalization
be approximately correct-and there IL much 10
! justify IL in the known conditions-it follows
either that these races must remain thus I'm
mobile for an indeterminate future-which is I'M
thinkable-or else that movement PROCESS re-
form must start from external impulses In the
latter case the question Of the source and car
acteT Of thosr impulses ia themselves and m
the changes that they would tend 10 begct in
methods, and ultimately in character orgsnza-
ton. and action. is evidently OF the iirst i'm
portsnce 10 the world, II the Effective impulse
should be mainly Slayonic, there will be re
suit Of one character If Teutonic OF another; If
Asistic, vet a different Again II viii matter