The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1905-01-27
RUSSIANS NOT YET READY.
FOR A CONSTITUTIONAL FORM
OF GOVERNMENT,
Professor A. VI. Wheeler, of Yale, on
''Nhat is Really at Stake i'm the Far
East'-Lecturc Before bridgeport

East"-Lecture Before bridgeport
Society.
Says the Bridgeport Standard:
THE eternal conflict between the ORR
entail and thet occidental, crystalized
into a phase i as the explanation of
fered by Professor A. NJ. Wheeler of
Yale as the cause of the war between
Russia and Japan, in his lecture before
the Bridgeport Scientific and Histori-
cal society last evening on What is
Really at Stake in the Far East" The
direct cause is Russia's ambition for a
warm water port. which is centuries
old, and Japan's love of independence,
only to be gained in her opinion by
either having Korea in which to grow
rice and other food products, or else
having access to it, commercially, UNI
impeded by any other nation.
Professor Wheeler was introduced by
Attorney Howard H. Knapp, who said
Professor Wheeler really needed no in
PRODUCTION, as he had lectured here pre-
viously. Professor Wheeler spoke rap
A8ly ell1A NONStCu GDllSiuGIdp1G
skirmishing off of the direct line 10
bring stray facts of history into align
ment with his argument. He contend
ed that it was not a question of religion,
not of civilization, but the everlasting
reason of occidental conflict with the
people of the orient, conquest. He
made the broad assertion that there
never had been a war between the east
and west which was not at bottom for
reasons of pillage, from the Crusades
to the Philippine question. Russia in
Turkey, Russia in Upper and Lower
Asia, England in India. Russia, Eng
land France and Germany in China, the
United States in the Philippines. None
were to civilize or Christianize.
With this general assortment Of the
underlying reason, which he said the
war between the Jap and the Russ
would not settle, he went on to show
Russia's insatiate desire for warm
water port and Japan's demand for in
dependence. The difference of opinion
between the east and west has come
about he said, by the west going to the
east with it's nose in the air and dorhi-
neeringly handing down a civilization
which possibly the nation to which it is
offered has outgrown..
This led to the definition of ctviliza-
tfonein which the professor sarcastical-
ly said it did not consist of arnored
ships and rified cannot. He then re-
viewed the alternating thrusts from
east to west from the Arabs into Spain,
the Turk into Europe, England into In
dia, Russia into Asia. He characterized
the sacking of Tientsin in 1900 as a dis
grace to the nations, Japan showing up
the best of them all. ~r
He corrected the false impression that
Japan has arrived at its present stage
of development in halt a century. He
said there had been twenty centuries of
development of national characteristics,
which include, loyalty to country and
emperor, economy and simplicity strict
honesty among the officials. The Japs
have only accepted Of civilization that
which they deem good and they have
left by far the larger part Of the so
called civilization.
Professor Wheeler reviewed the histo-
ry of Japan, including the two hundred
and fifty years of exclusion when Japan
lived on it's own resources and showed
the world a power in concentration
along agricultural and economic lines.
That welding of national characters
tics makes the Jap what he is to-day
The fighting class are first, then the ag-
riculturists and then the middlemen or
,o1,o tx, hh &c,
tive class is most highly esteemed.
The producing class next, and the dis
tributing class because it produces
nothing, is lowest. The need Of more
agricultural land is the cause of the
fight of the Jap over Korea.
The history of Russia's endeaver to
get warm water port was also ad-
vanced in detail. The battle is unusual.
1T is fought ON neutral ground. A com
promise is conceivable, but not it each
insists on the ground 1t has taken, for
the positions are Incompatible The I'M
fair treaty the powers forced China to
make with Japan, after it had made a
treaty satisfactory to the Japs still ran
kles in the Japanese bosom. Professor
Wheeler said the Russians We're. more
Oriental than any of the other nations.
From the question of ability to keep
men in the field, Japan should win. 1t
was Napoleon's line of communication
from Moscow to the border which ru-
ined him, and it is six times as far from
Vladivostok to Russia. Japan's re-
sources, men and money, are near at
hand. There is no such union among
the Russians as among the Japs. The
Taps use the new strategy, the Russians
the old.
He touched upon the clamer of the
Russians for constitution and he set
tied that with short parable, saying:
II would not give my fine Swiss watch
| to dog to turn over and over. 1t
would not improve the dog and am
sure it would not do the watch any
good So it is with Russians and con-
stitution. Seventy per cent. of them
can neither read or write. What would
they do with their constitutional right
of suffrage? They would do as ignor-
ant men in this country do. Sell it.
One-third of them have to be held by
the throat or they would leave the coun-
try; take the Jews, Firms, ETC., for in
stance.
Russia has not waited long enough
for her civilization to be assimilated be-
| fore she acted Constitutional rights