The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-10-25
Russia and China.
The Relations of Mongol and Russian
Civilization.

Civilization.
In his article on the Eastern CUES
ton, which appears in this issue of
The Times, Archer Butler Huber,
touches upon a matter which has been
practically ignored by most of the
writers on this subject the blood re-
lationship of the Russian and the
Mongol, which makes il comparative
~ easy for the civilization of the
former TO adapt itself to the latter.
In the eyes of the Russian diplo-
mat or pubEcist, this relationship Is
tic keynote of the whole situation. and
It may come to be so IN the eyes of the
world before the history of the Orient
has gone much further. We have be-
come so accustomed to regard the An.
gio-Saxon race as The great civiIizing
influence on the nations of the earth.
that we have nearly overlooked the
fact that other races have as effec.
tnally, If not so noisily. gained control
of barbarOus or semi-barbarous tribes.
and led them at least a few steps TO-
ward civilization. That is what the
Russian has been doing with the Tar
tar tribes of Northern Asia. and wha;
j. likely to be done with China if the
vast. irresistible force of the SIav
forces Its way into the walled empire.
The influence Of the Russian over
the Asiatie rests primarily on the fact
that his conception of human life is
very much the same To the Asiatic
the family. not the individual. is the
unit of civilization and of religion.
For this reason, the command of
Christ 10 leave father and mother for
the sake of faith seems to the Japa-
reese essentially wrong. Centuries of
Western teaching could not eradicate
from japanese or Chinese character
tins inbOn conviction, that the family
is the root of human society. Russian
civilization also is built on the family.
That of England and America Is built
orc on less definitely on the individ-
nal. and while TINS system undoubted
~ makes for Individual and racia!
progress, by steadily eliminating the
weaklings and enabling the strong TO
reach positions Of power, it certainly
does not fit Its representatives for tho
understanding Of other peoples reared
on totally different plan.
The Anglo-Saxon plan of eiviliza-
ton for conquered peoples rests on
the assumption that they are TO ne
come Anglo Saxons. The Russian
Plan does not require any such radical
change Possibly the Englishman OF
the American may do more good ii
the end, bat he will not do il in nearly
so short a time. Contrast the Russian
occupation of Central Asia with the
probable system by which Anglo-Sax-
ons would have attempted the same
task.
Under Russian rule the essential
hahits Of the Tartar have not been dis
turbed Ia 50 far as he could assimi-
l:te Russian customs. he has been ell
couIaeed TO 10 so. There is no very
great Russian population ancng tire
Tartars, nor Is there likely to be.
The scheme Of civilization which
would naturally suggest itself to H.
Anglo-Saxon mind would be. first, the
establishment of military posts ard
the extension IF commerce; next. mis-
sion and other schools for the enlighi
eminent Of the native; next, perhaps,
Anelo-Saxon immigration; all of
which would inevitably have been at
tended with friction. At the end cf
twenty-five years OF so OF this system.
the Tartars would undoubtedly be
bJying high hats, gilt mirrors, Amer
ican-made rocking chairs, or some
such trlfies; many of them would
speak. read and write English; some
or them would be living in houses
built more or less I'm imitation OF Eng
Esh cottages; and there would be a