The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-30
,rRE YkLLoly PERIL.
The subject Dlscusssd Rrsr the Psint 81
View Of an Inteiliesnt Oriental.

View Of an Intellieent Orientai.
To THE EpIToR or THE SuN.-Sir: Mr.. L..
EeuIllants able exposition Of the yellow Peril
and equally able calculation Of means 70
ward of the same. In your paper OF yester-
day. are as interesting as they are puzzllns
TO an Aslatio mind. II the Orlentals remain
Indifferent to Western institutions. they are
called reactionaries and q hndrance to tho
general advancement OF mankind. But. on
the other hand. when they try to fall into
line with modern progress their action ~
deemed as tantamount to an impending
danger to Europe and America.
II will be difficult. to put II mildly. Tor
your correspondent to prove the existence
OF q single well organized. aggressive. rells-
ious movement throughout Asia which may
be characterized with the spirit Of anti
European activity" Tho Orientals' attitude
so far has been merely defensive. and they
have been. even In the absence OF proper
means. able to Withstand the aggression OF
Christian missionary propasands. There 10.
however. ono religious movement. originated
In Persia. that has reached Europe and 70
making considerable progress In this coun.
try. Its tenets are. however. to believe all
the existing religions to be true In their origin.
to forget all past animosities and to love all
men a. the children Of the Most High.
He blames tho Powers for deleRating men
Of science to teach the Japanese TO fashion
the rods which to-day are turned against
them" But he forgets the fact that Whenever
Euro peans 60 to new country they often
60 there under the pretense Of civilizing the
people Of the country; there would be no
markets opened for European manufactures
IL the people did not acquire taste for them.
1t Is only possible In countries under direct
European control to prohibit subject races
from learning modern sciences. But The
Japanese. being free from foreign tutslage
and remotely situated from Europe. could
not very well be prevented BY the Powers
from learning modern sciences. Moreover the
Europeans looking upon the Japanese. a. they
do on others Of the Oriental peoples, Is merely
an inferior Asiatlo race. permitted them to
learn the results Of modern discoveries and
Inventions.
The remedy su sgested by Mr.. L. Feuillant
for the prevention of the yellow peril is moro
dangerous than the peril itself. He says that
"the Old World and the New should form
close union TO prevent by every means Japan
from becoming the educator OF China; IL
must prevent at any cost China from becom-
ing the provider Of men for japan. Japan
must be confined In her sphere" This betrays
the same psychology which led Russia, France
and Germany In 1895 to Intervention and to
deprive Japan OF the fruits Of her victories.
He overlooks. 1t seems. the baneful effect Of
that unfortunate act Of the three allies that
has been the real cause Of the present war In
the Far East.
II the European Powers and America were
to combine (which Ia beyond the pale OF
practical politics) against China and Japan.
as he 81 gsssts. the result would be that the
instinct Of self-preservation would bring
about a close union between the two. To
harbor the idea OF revenge Is not the mo-
~
1t seems strange indeed that Mr.. Feuillant,
in the face Of recent events In the Far East.
should, in the capacity Of Peter the Hermit
Of modern times. excite the passions OF the
Old World and the New TO a crusade against
the Mon golian races and urge on the Powers
the establishment Of a guardianship over
China; the Limitation Of her land and sea
forces: a permanent occupation proportional
to the forces Of the oocupiers; an international
council to direct In ternal and external affairs
To carry this colossal program into effect
could not be but through war before whose
magnitude the Russo Japanese war would
sink into insignihcance. All this is to be
done in order that Europe and America
should preserve their predominance In Asia,
"or else they will DO driven out Of 1t forever"
Why should Europe be predominant In Asia
forever, one might ask2 Is there any crime.
moral or natural. II Asia. like Europe. be
inhabited by independent nations?
1t Is a curious thing that nations like in
divduals never learn q lesson through the
experiences OF others. The Europeans. since
they have attained wealth and destructive
weapons. have arrogated to themselves .
title OF superiority over the rest Of mankind.
as II the Brahmans In their palmy days did
not look upon others as maiichas (unholy),
the Persians upon the Arabs as the eaters
of she camel g milk and billiards. the Romans
upon non Romans as barbarlans. and the
Arabs in their turn upon other nations az
ojums twitless). 1t was the economic con-
ditions-the few patricians dominating over
the multitudes Of plebeians--that nece ssarily
brought about the downfall OF tthe former
in every cycle. The European domination
in Asia causing misery to millions IL bound
to have similar ending.
The only way to avert the yellow peril is
to recognize Orlentals as human beings en-
titled TO be free and live on the produce of
the earth that produces enough for all and
TO spare. International trade 10 compatible
with independence OF nations. as between
this country and European States. In fact.
the richer and the more enlightened the ma.
tions the greater their interdependence and
exchange OF commodities.
MoHAMMAD BARAKATULLAH.
NEW YORK, Aug. 20.