The Saint Paul globe., 1904-06-05

cause or causes. On the other hand,
they have manifested that symptom Of
Inactive quietude which universally
characterizes old age. The life of the
Japanese has been a life of incessant
activity and impatience.
The japanese received the fine arts
from India, through China and Korea,
but they soon modified them, and
evolved a fine art which Is typically
Japanese. The literature. too, which
was introduced to them by their neigh
bors, soon lost its original character,
and was converted into the Japanese
literature. ANY new and foreign ideas
were great attractions to the Japanese
Where this intellectual activity is man.
ifestly wanting, there is old age. The
peaceful inactivity Of the Chinese race,
therefore, when viewed from this point
betokens old age. sOn the other hand,
the Japanese race is developing now
and from this it is evident that the
Chinese and the Japanese are not
cousins"
China's Vast Resources
The assumption that China must
grow because Japan has grown, is no
more reasonable than the supposition
would be that John must make a for
tune because his neighbor James has
found one. The belief, of others is
based upon the fact that China has
vast resources. Four hundred millions
of people, intrusted with such natural
wealth as China possesses, must, soon
er or later, develop civilization that
would defeat the civilization OF the
West. This proposition, from political,
economical and. commercial points Of
view, appears to be reasonable, but
from psychological standpoint, it is
worthless. Intelligence is the motive
force, and wherever this primary req
uislte power for progress is lacking
natural wealth would be of no more
benefit than q richly laid gold mine
would be to tribe of monkeys 1t
capab1l1ty Of the Chinese as to wheth-
er they are competent to utilize their
natural resources for their higher de-
Velopment or not. Let, US examine it.
During thirty centuries the Chinese
have made no progress. Is this not
a remarkable fact in the intellectual
history OF mankind, when we consider
that life is identical with progress?
Where there is young life, growth is
apparent. Does not the fact of China's
mental inactivity suggest the idea that
the Chinese race was fully grown some
5000 years ago, and that since that
time they have had no more energy
and life for growth? OF course, some
times circumstance or accident ar
REOWIn,
just as sickness affects a growing lad.
Such Interruptions Europe suffered
during the dark ages but the vital
force of the young CaucaSians has
overcome the difficulties, and they have
finally evolved the Christian civiliza-
tion of modern times. But China has
had no such interruption at any time
in Its history, and if the Chinese men
tai life was destined to evolve a civilf-
zation. what was the cause of China's
lethargy for 5000 years? The arrest
Of their progress is inexplicable, un-
less on the ground that the Chinese
are past race.
A Pioneer of Civilization
Some Of the yellow perir' alarmists
maintain that China has had no on
portunity for intercourse with the
worlds wide wisdom, which is indeed
the power to create greatness. Still
others assign the cause of C.hina'ss he.
ing torpid for centuries to the fact that
the Chinese have had no external slim
ulant to feed the intellect. Neither
theory is supported by reason or. expe-
Fience. The very fact that China has
evolved civilization within herself
refutes both propositions. Being the
pioneer of the worlds civilization
China could not have borrowed wis
dom from her younger neighbors. Yet
the very fact that China has pro-
duced one Of the most splendid cfvilf-