The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-03-06
AsTORIAN PUBLISHING COMPANY.
THE CONTROL OF THE WORLD.

THE CONTROL OF THE WORLD,
A writer in a prominent eastern newspaper has
recalled the fact that De Tocqueville the eminent
French economist said nearly 20 years ago: There
are two great nations Russia and America which
are some time in the future to divide the world be-
tween them OF these the Anglo-American relies up
on personal interest to accomplish his ends and gives
free scope to unguided exertions and common sense
of the citizen the Russian centers all the authority
of society in single arm. The principal instrument
of the former is freedom; of the latter, servitude
Their starting point is different and their
are not the same yet each of them seem so the mark
ed out by the will of Heaven to sway the destnies
of half the globe. y
These two great powers are still contending, but
in widely different way, to extend their influence
says the Ledger The method of the one is autocratic
and military; the other is purely industrial. The
one seeks power for powers sake the other seeks
only to be prosperous, and to make its people pros
porous 1t seeks power only as the means to an end
In the one the sovereign is everything, the people
nothing; in the other the people are the power
their government is only aid to their progress and
prosperity, guarantee that they will be protected
in their peaceful pursuits
As very natural result of these peaceful con-
dton the progress of of these countries has been
vastly more rapid than the other In the autocratc
country the autocratic influence alone must make
such progress as is made In the industrial country
each individual is factor in the advancement Of the
whole. He is stimulated by desire to increase his
own advantages so far he can by his own industry
He therefore works ntelligently and works both with
head and hands He becomes inventive as well as
industrious, and constantly finds new means to in
crease the reward Of his own efforts As conSe-
quence constantly increasing population is increas
ing its efforts in the economy Of the world by rapid
ly increasing ratio, and we are acquiring power be-
yond our own belief, because we are becoming use
full to other countries and to other peoples.
A traveller who has recently visited the far east
describes the building of Harbin the new city at the
junction of the Port Arthur branch with the main
line of the trans-Sberian railroad, as one of the
wonders of modern advancement 1t has been built
within the last three years. and is today webuilt
city of $4,000 people Like ST. Petersburg it is the
creation Of czar Not only its public buildings,
but most of its industries haev been created by the
Russian government, for the industries are owned or
controlled by favorteS of the car or memebrs Of the
Russian nobility The rest of the population of Har-
bn even that part of it which Russian is like that
of Russia tself-composed of people who have lit
tie or nothing to hope for in this life They are not
progressive, they are scarcely Industrious, as they
have little to hope for result for their industry
Therefore, while Harbn is wonderful city, it isl
only wonderful in one respect and is one of the very
few wonderful cities in a vast empire.
That these two great power ever can or will divide
the world between them, as Caesar, Anthony and
Lepidus did two thousand years ago, is wholly impos
sible. Their methods and their purposes differ too
widely. Even if they could do so, the contest would
not end for the purely autocratc and military power
must inevitably be by the arts of industry
and peace.