Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-03-02
WAR IN THE ORIENT.
Some Reflections of Hon. Abe Jones on a
Subject Of Present World Wide
Interest.

The war between Russia and Japan
is causing q great deal Of speculation
as to which will win. ! say Japan,
but am aware that she is small. her
soldiers are small. but they are active
and no grass grows under their feet
when in war or at any other time. She
is at home and q people will fight for
home harder than for anything else.
Suppose Russia should get control of
Manchuria and Korea, near 'nelghbors
Of Japan how long would it be before
they would want Japan? It would be
like some foreign country gobbling up
Cuba. Because Japan is but an infant
in size and population compared to
Russia is no sign that Russia can lick
he-. She has population of about
so. 600. 600, and when it comes to fight.
ing they are about as good as Yankees.
It should be remembered that over 1876
years ago the thirteen colonies of this
country with q population of 3,0OO,- :
600. much less than the population Of
New York city today, with traitors
and tories innumerable, half clad
and half fed and in many instances
leaving trail Of blood upon the snow
from their frozen feet as they marched
to battle; yet after a seven years war
with the most powerful nation in the
world we came out victorious. In
those days there were true patriots.
Where would you find today such
man as Washington? After command
ing the army for seven years and win
ming the victory he would take no pay
but his actual expenses. and retired to
his country home asking no favors but
merely desired to become a private
citizen. That he received the highest
honors afterwards was not through con-
trivance or wire pulling by him. So
I think that Japan with sixteen times
the population the colonies had, with
their skill and activity. will keep
Russia guessinR; especially as they
are not nearly as dangerous as the
nation our forefathers fought. The
sympathy of most of the people in
this country seems to be with Japan.
It may be because they are 80 small
and it may be because Eussia has i'm
posed such indignities upon the Jews.
No country should have any sympathy
that does not allow people to have
their own religious beliefs. ! have
never yet seen any difference in people
IN honesty, citizenship or patriotism
on account of their religious belief.
Another point inJapan's favor ia that
China is OH her side. China is not as
heathenish as some think. She is
claimed to be the Oldest country in
the world, authorities placing the
formation of the empire at 2,S0O b.
c. On or about the year $50 B. @.
the great Chinese wall was built
along the northern frontier to keep
out enemies. 1t is from 10 to 30 feet
high. wide enough on top for six
horsemen to ride abreast, and extends
over mountains and valleys for dis
tance of !. 200 miles, showing perhaps
not good Judgment at the present day
but their capacity for great under
takings. The Chinese invented gun
powder, printing, paper, porcelain, and
the use of the compass, all of which
the world could hardly do without at
the present day. China is not lacking
in wise men and scholars. The chief
among them was CONTIGUOUS, who
flor rrished about 400 years B. @. His
writings are the chief books used in
schools and he is the founder of re-
ligion called Confucianism, which is
believed in more or less in all parts
of the world. History says he taught
series of elevated moral precepts
having reference however to mans 8
present and not his future state. To
show his good sense I will quote one
of his sayings: "wbat you do not like
when done to yourself do not to others"
have rambled from the main point
too much, but what ! intended to
show was that China can put as big
an amy in the field as Russia and
with Japanese commanders Russia
will have to return to her bear ken
nels sooner or later.
ABE JONES.