The Saint Paul globe., 1904-02-13
THE YELLOW PERIL.

Forecasts made by students of the
worlds politics during the past fifty
years have sought to prepare the world
for the coming of a Lochinvar out Of
the East. According to these fore
casts, the nation that will set in motion
and then control the inert bulk of
China is the coming world power.
Hence the unusual anxiety felt by even
remote nations for the outcome of the
present conflict in the far East. Now
the assertion is a safe one that Jap
anese sympathizers have been made so
by the adjective little" tackled on to
the Island Empire. They have glanced
at the map and have noted the slender
crescent in the Pacific, and then they
have cast their eye over the great Rus
sian bulk, and pity has thrilled their
hearts for contest that must be so
uneven. Yet it is probable that if ia
pan should reveal herself indisputably
the conqueror sentiment would veer
around and people would talk fearfully
of the yellow peril" Blood is thicker
than water, and no white man would
survey with equanimity the prospect
of yellow domination in the worlds
affairs.
In spite of forecasts, however, it does
not seem likely that the present war
will settle for good and all the fate of
China. In the first place, Russia and
Japan are much better matched than a
glance at the map would Indicate 1t
is quite possible that they may worry
each other for so long time that in
the end the conqueror will be as ex-
hausted as the conquered, too exhaust
ed to say may" to any coalition that
may dispute with it the possession OF
the unexpected happen and Japan or
Russia prove itself beyond question the
master, the progress of a new world
power might still be impeded. In the
past the map of the world has been
altered not by nations but by indf-
viduals. Alexander, not Macedonia,
conquered the world; Caesar, not
Rome, made all nations tributary to
the great Italian one; Mahomet, not
Arabia, made the sight of Mecca the
reward of millions of pilgrims. A great
leader with Japan or Russia behind
him might today change the boundaries
of empires, but, unlike Alexander and
Caesar and Mahomet, he could not say
that they would remain unchanged
even during his own lifetime. The rise
and fall Of Napoleon has shown that
the awe inspired by personality, the
magic of name, have been robbed by
modernity of their potency.
The neutral nations Of the world
will follow the struggle that has
just begun with an interest abso-
lutely cold blooded. Today alliances
and traditional friendship between ma
CAOAiO oPOAAJ dS IIOy nave always SD6lt,
expediency. No one has ever heard of
one nation sacrificing itself for another.
And no one has ever heard of any ma
ton sitting quietly by while pie was
being divided if it was to it's interest to
have a finger in it. If Japan whips
Russia and shows disposition to COB
bic up China, interested nations will
spoil the feast. The law of self-pres-
ervation will prompt every other ma
tion to guard against this yellow peril.
Of course an assured victory would
give either of the fighting nations an
opportunity for more rapid develop-
ment and the degree Of their ciyiliza-
tion might in time make them a domi-
nant power But civilizations domfna-
ton is not a peril, and the world has no
reason to fear it.