The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-02-06

The crisis in the East has stirred
up the whole world and arrayed all
the nations of the earth, practically or
Sympathctically OH one side or the
other, says The Pilot. In America
the imbroglio has brought out into the
open all the mean and contcmptible
elements, in the country; and has
shown that in certain cvcntlnlitics
there are men and newspapers who
stand ready to do the dirty work of
their ymastcrs-rcgardlcss
of the effect their conduct may have
upon the future and fortunes Of the
Republic. When we set aside our pre-
objections and prejudiccs; when we re-
crivc at it's true value all the frothy
talk about open doors, ASiatic trade,
diplomatic umtruStwOrthincss, the un-
der dog and the over lord, when we
discount the e----lllal ligl.----sources. from
| which we receive all our intelligence
of conditions in the Orient-thc qlcs-
ton in Eastern Asia reduced to it's
simplest clcmcntS-tO it's bOncs--is Il
question of the dominance of the
medieval Christianity of Russia of
the militant industrial Paganism of
Japan. When all is said, Japan repre-
scnts a moral system which, if tri-
umphant, means the expulsion of
European and Christian civilization
from Asia, and the organization of
Asia's paganism into a force which
may well Albright the world. 1t is Il
trite saying that when conditions are
ripe, history repeats itself; and the
commonplace of history is that every
staggering blow given to European
civilization was struck by Asia. ia
pan is organized pagnnism, a pagan
ism thinly vencercd by the least love-
| ~ feature Of our modern development.
Christian civilization represents n long
conflict between the spiritual and ma
tcrial forces of humanity; and while it
is far, very far, from perfection, it has
established firmly the principle that
humanity and its uplifting are the
main purposes Of religion and govern
ment. Into the religion and civiliza-
tion Of Japan this principle does not
enter; under the thin veneer which
Japanese cleverncss has supcrimposed
on the nation, we find militant fer-
dalsm, who ferocious energies arc di-
verted into two channels, a militarism
which looks forward to the day when
it can smite Europeansm on the bat
J tlcfcld, and a rcmOrsclcss Industrial
ism which will bankrupt and bcggar
it's European competitors. Such mat
tcrs as the dignity and sanctity of
mankind and the benevolencc, char
ity, pity and kindred graccs which
flow from our estimate of man and our
duty to our fellow creatures, are, if
not unknown in Japan's system Of
ethics, subOrdinated to the glory and
expansion Of the race and country. A
malign form Of patriotism is Japan's
religion; and despite the polish on the
surface, the assumption of certain
forms Of a democracy, the utilization
of certain physical appliances Of our
system and the adoption Of numerous
utilities of American and European
civilization, the spirit that leavens and
humanfzes life in Christian communi-
ties is absent; and fervid passion
for the dominance Of Japan and the
Mikad0 is substituted. In n phrase
the Jap is sugar-coated pagan. The
indnstrialism Of Japan is intense, con-
slant, aggressive and from humani-
terian point of view, remorseless; and
if continued and sustained upon the
lines upon which it has worked so far,
it must inevitably result in the brutal
izntion and degeneration of the in
dustrihl population. Alongside of ia
pancse Industrial methods and condi-
tiOns. the Hbh0rrcnt industrialism of
the South appears to be humane en-
lightcncd and admirable, for at least
the ugly Southern conditions exist in
a community whose Christian teach
ing will compel it in time to protest
loudly and compel reform. Japan is
without that hope; for industrialism