The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-10
ASIA FOR THE AAATYCs.
Tho Feeling OF India Described by an
Educated Hindu.

To THE EDITOR or THE SuE-Sir: have
been much interested, since coming TO this
part Of the world three years ago, IN the
articles which have appeared In IHE Sun on
matters relating to India. and have been
gratiled to notice more than once contri-
buttons from my countrymen OF India throw
Ing valuable light on important Indian PROB
lens. In your paper Of June 20 appeared
letter entitled NO General Asatic Spirit, In
reply to remark In which it was alleged that
the name of the Mikado il whispered with
mysterious reverence" in India and Turkestan
alike. and that all differences Of creed are
sunk under the electrifyng influence OF racial
gratitude and pride" The writer (Mr. Crosby
Is perfectly right in bringing out the fact that
any idea Of solidarity OF race feeling has no
historic basis for Asia as whole. l speak
from knowledge gathered from private letters
and newspapers sent to me every week from
India. that there is no such mysterious rever-
ence" for the Mikado in that land
The present war and the victorious career
OF Japan in 1t have shown to the various
races Of India only tho great possibilities that
are In store for Asintic races II they will sue
cessfully master the principles OF material
progress and assimilate the methods of Euro
pean warfare Japanese victories have
heightened midas respect for Japan In
limited sense. as being successful adapters
and shrewd users Of the products Of Western
civilization There is. however. not the least
probability Of a Alikado worship In India, for
India Is already overburdened With more
gods than the Hindu cares to look after.
Japanese gentleman writing to New
York paper some time ago commented on the
fact that although the genius OF his people
had manifested itself In masterpieces Of art
which have been the despair OF European
would-be imltators, Japan had no recognized
place as power In world politics: but now
that she has vanauished a Western nation
(even yet regarded by England rs serious
menace to her Indian empire) with Western
weapons, she is accounted a great nation.
The fact Is that greatness is measured in the
West by ones ability to strike good, hard
physical blow; whereas in the East great
ness rests on those immutable principles OF
conduct which have been exalted by the
noblest and greatest world teachers, GautaIna
tho Buddha and jesus the Christ (both Orien-
tails, by the way)- 1t Is one OF the curious
puzzles Of modern times that the spirit of the
Sermon on the Mount should breathe through
the normal thought and be largely apparent
In the life Of the heather" nations of the
East; whereas might is right" Is the basic
principle Of the christian" nations of the
West Those Of your readers who wish to
discover a recent Illustration OF the latter
statement may read an article in the current
number OF the Forum. entitled "The British
Invasion Of Tibet" while those who would
learn What the East Can Teach the West"
can spend profitable half hour In reading an
article bearing that title in Public Opinion
OF June II.
Returning to Mr.. Crosby's letter. however.
while his conclusion that Asia is many-not
one is sound, he is not equally fortunate
In the use Of his arguments. He lays too
much stress on irrigation. adding that 1t
produces "suticiency," and thus the stimulus
to strenuous endeavor and invention Is lost.
He then assumes an inevitable doom Of
occasional famine Observant people who
have lived in India cannot help kno wing that
Inda's food supply depends largely upon
the monsoons tperiodic ra!nfa ~ and on the
water supply which results from them. as
we'll as from the ever melting SHOWS Of the
Himalayas, Irrigation canals which were
those of British origin. are few and far be-
tween. and are not the mainstay of the apri-
Gqturist, although valuable as aids in the
distribution OF water.
As for ndia's famines far from being an
inevitable DOOM" they are the result. not
so much of natural causes as Of the un-Chris-
tan economic policy. pursued by England, in
her administration Of the aft airs, Of divided
alien populace. The, history. Of famines in
stands in ghastly contrast to tho economic
history Of India India in British times Eyie
the last decade of the nineteenth century.
and that throughout the famine years, in
spite of deficient rainfall and primitive meth
DDS of agriculture, there was sufficient
grain supply TO feed the wretched. overtaXed
victims OF starvation. who suffered because
food. "AN NV S''N''' '''''' 'e'' " 0N' VIC
1t is becoming fashion with many to take
India, or other Asiatic lands, and write sensa-
tional books or newspaper articles, which
are, often meant to amnse rather than instruct.
people ever fond OF novel modes of excite
ment. We in India have no quarrel with
such writer, for IS Kpl53s has well put y
too busy to reply, to silly lihels on, their life
and manners: 8" journey through Central
stitutc sufficient claim to speak with au-
thority on the rast history %, and present con
ence has forced him to complain that "they.
we're travelling for pleasure; and that sort Of
fsos 70 forming
A prejudiced mind is by. no means difficult
to detect. for it betrays itself invountarily
pressions in speaking about the subject In
favor of or against which II is prejudced.
the article under tbs Mt crG9Ssb
gall. "servne..' DC. May ask in all serious
Bengaiis: that there are and always have
been mtaTE races in as the Go ,p
leadership and disciplnc) have achieved and
stll maintain military renown Of which
any Western nation might be proud2 With
n d discriminating assimilation of Western
methods OF warfare they are more than likely
to provo superior TO the Japanese or any foe
worthy of their steel
The statement that the man In the Indian
bazaar ia trbally near to the Wsstcrncr is sub
icct to very important modification The
number OF Indian natives who have not
a drop of Aryan blood exceeds the number of
those who riGhtfully can claim Aryan de-
scent Qualities OF courage and personal
bravery are az much the heritage Of the born
soldier Of the Oriental as of the Occidental
sections OF the Aryan race. with the difference
that tho Hindu soldier. unlike his Western
brother has always been under severe
moral and religious discipline.
The closing part of the article assumes
thet it IL a matter of perfect Indifference to
tho Bengali (which term is presumably used
by Mr.. Crosby ~ n synonym for "Hindu")
as to who rules over him. and that he has
always been "timid" and "servile" under any
master that might happen along. Nothing
could be more erroneous. Any reliable
history Of India would have informed Mr..
Crosby that prior to the Mohammndan in
vnsions the Hindu Aryan extended his re-
lgion. civilization and political control over
the various indigenous races OF India through.
out the country; TINT even in the, nalmiost
had by no means disappeared from the scene.
scheme OF Mdhammcdan administration;
and that when tho Mughal Tor "Mognl) en-
nire began to show symntoma Of decay. n
,.n-.rf,J ronfe.lcracy ~ Mnhrntta Hindu