The semi-weekly messenger., 1904-02-16
mE INEVITABLE CONFLICT.
The Far Eastern Confiict-Trouble
Has Been Brewing for Nine Years.

An Oriental writer, Muhammad Bar
akatuuah. in the latest number Of The
Forum. gives the most concise state
uent of the far eastern situation that
We have seen anywhere. Many Of the
facts are, OF course. familiar to the
general reader. 1t is his grouping OF
them that makes the story so interest
ing. and We have drawn Largely upon
his ideas of the matter in the para
graphs that follow.
no begin with the will of Peter the
Great was the dream OF a Slavonic en-
SzSA, embracing the continent Asia
iu the Ru.so-Turkish war Russia learn
ed the lesson that she might De con-
auered in the field, and that her surest
weapon is diplomacy. Consequently.
for the last twenty-five years she has
been slowly expanding her vast empire
Nv peaceful means and uniting the most
widely severed parts by railway and
telegraph lines
Japan is the wonder of the nations
fer the rapid progress in Western CIV
nlza tion she mas made in the same
period of time. 1t was as late as 1871
that Japan began TO acquire hght.nS
Shipa Now she has a splendid d navy.
with one of the best drilled and most
effeGdYe armies on earth, making her =
formidable rival to any po"ef
would Ike 10 try conclusions with neT
on her tight little isle. and formidable
also as an aggressive enemy. on sea or
iend.
The far-geeing statesmen of Europe
have long dreaded the yellow Peril
In cas realm Of international pol tics
de centuries are but as the years.
what a giant would China be. II aWak-
eAad. IL as thoroughly imDued with
Western progress as is Japan tooay!
RhaiI the AongoIian race, after all. TIL
unpa over the white race with all its
boaAted prowess!
Ehe Japanese were not slow to realize
this fear. senseless or otherwise OF the
Esople of Europe. Moreover, the ag-
sTeHsfTe policy of the Christian ma
finas" was warming TO Japan what
sze might expect in the course OF time
There was White Peril to the Mon
Eelian mipd. The islands OF the Indian
Arehi pelsgo belonged TO the powers ol
Europe. Australia was an Angio-odAon
Seatinent, close at hand. The opium
war tRat England waged with China
was net a savory memory. In 1895
Hnslazd annexed Burmah and france
Teaqvin. And then, in May. 1881, 'Lhe
Great White Gar issued his ukdse
eo<ananding the construction or the .
Acriaa railway. And in the same yea
Rrauce made an alliance with Russ a
uhioh meant French capital for carry
tag on 10 completion the grant Trans
Asian line.
Whereupon Japan undertook the uni
6aatioa OF the yellow race. First sh'
had to show herself the leader. Chimes
predominance in Korean affairs gaE'
tha excuse for war with China. and Z
Che aStoRishment of the nations. Japal
conquered the unWeildy empire a.
haoxE. dems!isning the Chinese fleet ant
poaQuering the coveted LlaotunS pen
iusuIar. BY treaty this DenInsu ar wa
Ts4y,
or victory. when Russia. whose plan
aade il the terminus of her Siberian
railway interposed. Britain left Japal
at the critical moment. despite prOtes
faGons of friendship, and Japan ma
succeeded only in showing 10 the "orI
how helpless China was. Inc Lhr
tian nations Immediately took adVan
tage of that helpIessness. The Ca
stood security for the indemnity fun
that Japan demanded OF China. RUSSIA
Gs<maEy and France marked Oh
'Spheres OF influence" on tne map Q
China. Germany soon seized and rort
fisId Kiaochao.z Russia took possess o
or pert Arthur, for gaining which +
kspan the Japanese went to war An
-Sae- the Boxer riots, which were large
tU the result of this invasion OF Ch
nese territory. gave Russia the oppo'
tunity of seizing Manchuria.
This oriental writer says that II
Boxer war had another result. 1t CAV
the japanese the opportunity 10 s.
what Russian and French and Germl
soldiers would do when it came TO the
treatment of the helpless yellow ne
and women OF the conquered land.
may thank God that British and Ame
. icsn soldiers did not stain the repli;
ton OF their respective countries I
yheir excesses. Russia was the ~or
sinner depOpulating whole sections
Nanchuria. choking the Ydlu river vi!
the corpses of the slain and terrorizii
the remaining population. The Japa
ese had an opportunity to reflect wn
might be their fate in war with hu
sia or in the performance OF fSuss
on the eastern Pacific
So the trouble between japan al
Russia has really been brewing for nj
Years. Our author made the apt pr
diction that Russia would play trun