New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-02

MANY men. many minds said Terentius Of
old. Many nations many points of view. may
be the modern diplomatic paraphrase. or this
the present in East Asia affords Il striking
Illustration. 1t is not strange that Russia and
Japan take opposite views of things 1t was
inevitable thar they should do Neither is
il strange that one of them should have occu-
pied II point of view different from that of the
rest of the civilized world. That, too was in
cvitable The remarkable thing is that that
different. solitary and unique point of view
should have been taken by the one which Is
supposed to be the more in touch with the rest
of the world Russia is claSsed. like the rest
of Europe and America, with the white race,
while Japan belongs TO the yellow. Russia has
been, great power in direct and intimate
intercourse with Europe at least four five
times as long as Japan. Yet upon at least one
important matter the japanese view has far
more nearly conceded with the European and
American than has the Russian view.
We refer not to the equities of the COntro-
yeTSy. but 10 the probabilities Of war. In the
imperial circular issued last week the Russian
government speaks, il has often before
spoken, Of the ''treaCherouS surprise" OH the
part Of the Japanese. The Russian Ambassador
to the United States also. in a current maya
zine article, carries that idea still further, de-
clarInS explicitly that Russia was not prepared
for war. because she had no reason To expect
war" We not disposed 10 challenge the
sincerity of such statements. which have been
numerously made by Russians since the war
began. 1t would he discOurteous TO doubt them.
and il would be uncompmentary TO Russia to
think that the condition her army and navy in
Manchuria We're in the best she could do
in the way of preparing for war with great
power Let us accept rs true, then, the state
ment that Russia did not expect war, and was
taken wholly lax StIrDriSp when came What
then?
Why. must say that Russias point OF
view different from that Of every other
nation and that she was blind to something
that all the rest of the world saw clearly. II
she did not expect war. she the only ma
ton that did not. Long before the actual OUT
break 1t was clear to the world at large that
probable. More than that. 1t
that war was inevitable unless Russia
speedily acceded to some OF the proposals of
Japan. We not considering the question
whether Japans proposals should or should
not have been accepted, but are simply record
ing the fact, upon which the world will agree,
that for month before the war began the
whole world outside Of Russia expected war
and regarded ii as certain unless Russia yielded.
That Russia thought otherwise indicates how
remote her point Of view from the points
Of view Of other nations.
With such divergence of vision We cannot
quarrel Each nation, as each man. Is entitled
10 its own point Of view. and itself pays the
penalty if IL proves Ia be erroneous. Rather
must the circumstance incline us toward great
or moderation and tolerance in regarding the
conduct of other lands. Obviously, il was 10
RuSSaS interest to take correct view of the
situation and to estimate justly the prObabili-
ties Of war. In that she failed 10 her own
grievous cost Then surely there is no need
to wonder if on other matters she differs from
our views. 1t is to be regretted that nations
do not more generally agree. So, too we may
regret that individual men do not more often
see alike. But il is human nature for them to
differ and If they differ stubboruiy rs individ-
nails. much more 50 will they as nations. when
Influenced by the mass interests. and mass
prejudiceS aud mass traditions of nations We
may not agree with some other nations point
OF view. and may not he able to understand
how II can take It: but that other nation NAV
think precisely the same Of us What is to be
stIiven for is not the impossibility Of getting
all men or all nations 10 think and TO see alike
but rather the possibility of getting them to
appreciate and 10 make allowances for these
inevitable differences and to respect the views
Of others rs they desire their own To be re-
spected.
TR1CYION ECONOMICS.