Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-23
ASIA AND EUROPE.
Japan, Defeating Russia, May Be Mis-
tress of the Orient.

From the London Spectator.
A good many persons among us, and at
least one or two journals, seem anxious
that the government should act with much
greater precipitation in the Russo-Japanese
affair, should, that is, declare war on Rus
STA whenever Japan does. Otherwise they
think we may have to do 1t just when
japan is too exhausted to be an effective
ally. We are wholly unable to concur in
that opinion and regard the agitation IN
it's favor as entirely mischievous II we
must fight for a cause which, except
through the operati of treaties. Is none
of ours, we must fight rather than break
our word; but we may at least wait till
the obligation is obvious or the necessity
past all question, more especially as we
have already done Japan a most impor-
tant service in neutralizing France. That
discussion, however, may wait, for parma
ment is not sitting and the government is
not likely to declare war till parliament mas
signified in some way or other its APP
prevail The local war, moreover, is not yet
officially declared.
Our object today therefore, is rather TO
point out what may prove to be the his
toric Importance of Japanese success. II
they clear Russia from the seas, they Will
undoubtedly control the policy of Picking;
and with the Chinese allies, they may
destrop great part of the Trans-S1Derlan
railway, and give Russia the most distinct
setback she has received for the last two
hundred years. The Crimean war ex-
hausted her, but did not set her back at all.
1t is the custom to regard China as
negligible quantity in war, but emma Is not
so weak on the frontiers as in the vice
royalty of Pechil. Tribes assist her there
which have more or less habit of fighting
and both France and Russia have been
compelled from time to time to acknoWl-
l-~cOz to- Taste o.
ands'' and mountaineers Our readers will
remember the retroceSsion of kuid1a, ana
the terrible lesson read to the people of
KaShgar.
central Asia out of which she is now
emerging, the position of Japan would be
a very imposing, and even formidable one
for she would have at least ten years with
in which to organize the endless masses of
China who include, we repeat for the hun
dredth time at least, an enormous minority
of men capable of being made into good
soldiers. 1t was rot European army
which was behind Gordon. If the yellow
power thus victorious, can fill the district
it occupies with immigrants receiving their
land on condition of serving in the militia,
the next Russian advance will be ter
ribly difficult affair, for she will have to
advance over tribes penetrated with the
conviction, now absent, that the Chinese
emperor can protect them. That en-
peror, it must be remembered too, may be
a man with ideas and aspirations widely
different from those which now prevail in
the imperial palace.
This result, 1t will be argued must be
beneficial to Great Britain, the pressure
upo,s India in the northwest, which is one
main cause of our military expenditure,
being THIS relaxed 1t may be beneficial,
and 1t also may not. The ambition of
Russia, If curbed in the far east, will be
directed with even greater concentration
toward western Asia, and India may be
menaced through Persia or through Turkey
as easily as through the khanates of
Turkestan. Moreover, the old historic les
son that Asia, though yielding to every
European attack, in the end survives them
all. which has been repeated certainly four
| times since the days of Alexander. may be
taught to the world afresh. Asia has a
comfy of its own, and throughout the vast
continent there will be an exultant feeling
that white and Christian power has been
driven back by one native to the continent,
and that a new Is at hand.