Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-09-29
DRIPr OF NATIONAL POWER.
Civilization. Goes Westward Around the Globe
The Currents Of Destiny and the
Situation in the Orient.

Civilization. Goes Westward Around the Globe
The Currents Of Destiny and the
Situation in the Orient.
BY BYRON MILLETT.
When Alexander the Great crossed
the Granicus, a small stream in Asia
Minor, about 800 b. c., civilization
was turned westward, whence its
march ever since is mainly through
what is now known as the North Tenn
perate Zone. All OF the vitality ex-
pressed in the Christian religion, aided
by the strenuous efforts Of the Apostles
and early disciples of the Nazarene,
proved unavailing to spread the gospel
in any marked degree eastward of the
hills of Judea and the plains of CALI.
lee. While on the other hand the
tenets of the new dispensation spread
with remarkable rapidity westward
among the Gentle nations, particularly
on the continent of Europe and in the
British Isles during the oncoming CEN
turtles. Commercial and economic de-
velopment proceeded along similar
lines in the same localities for the
conquest OF place and power.
While it might seem that this cur
rent OF manifest destiny was obscured
for some centuries during the dark
ages, it could not be turned backward.
Again it would seem the Mohammedan
nations were governed and impelled by
this unseen force in their western
marches Of conquest. After the period
Of the dark ages, when new light
seemed to dawn upon the religious
and commercial worlds in the Euro.
pean continent, this spirit of progress
spread across the Atlantic, touched
the eastern shores of this continent.
The Star of Empire taking its onward
westward flight through our dense for
ests, the solitudes OF the desert, wind
ing its courses through the mountain
passes and across the valleys, planted
the banner of civilization on this
western coast, where the glow of its
promises and the CLEAN OF its hopes
shone forth with resplendent rays. In
the meantime, gathering force with
which to leap across the waters of the
great Pacific ocean, this new light
spread to the islands of the sea and
the continent Of Asia; within q COM
paratively short period made the little
empire of Japan one of the great ma
tions of the earth. From present in.
dications it would seem this spirit of
progress is about to lay vigorous hold
on the great Chinese empire with its
four hundred million OF inhabitants,
awaken these Mongolians from their
long barbaric sleep, push them forward
and upward to higher planes of econ.
omic and intellectual development,
which may cause the Caucasian ma
tions to become alarmed at the rapidity
Of their material progress and the mar
velousness OF their achievements; for,
in times like these, though political
science may lag, physical and econ
omic science has put on the seven
leagued boots, and is making gigantic
strides. Therefore, we may find that
q real yellow peril confronts us fraught
with danger TO existing economic con-
ditions. History is replete with illus.
trations that the scspter Of prestige
and power has, heretofore on many
occasions, passed from one nation to
another very different in morals, man.
ners and religion. Other things being
equal, like causes produce analogous
effects. The open door to Chinese
trade may not result in much benefit
to the commercial Caucasian nations
of the world, after all, notwithstanding
treaty regulations and the great work
of John Hay, late U. s. Secretary OF
State, in his efforts to preserve the
integrity of the Chinese empire; for
the Cinnamon are devious in their
ways, and have peculiar methods of
their own.
We must also take into considera-
ton the aptitudes and physical endur.
ance of the Chinese laborer; that he
is able to work nineteen out of the
twenty-four hours each day; live on
simple diet, costing on the average
about three cents daily. Therefore, it
is not unreasonable to conclude that
the Chinese may at some time in the
not very distant future, give these ma
tions an object lesson in the methods
of modern competition, of which they
had little dreamed. Again, there is
another force at work among the edu.
Gated class in China. Doctor Sen, a
Chinese scholastic, recently visiting
Belgium, Is reported as having assert
ed that heretofore his countrymen
have been greatly prejudiced against
the use of the modern machinery OF
production, on the ground that such
machinery was liable to be- manipulat.
ed by the few to the detriment of the
many, thereby causing wealth to be.
come concentrated in the hands of a
few rich men, thus spreading poverty
among the masses of the people to a
greater extent than has ever before
been experienced in his own country;
that at present there are fifty-four
papers published in the Chinese Ian.
guage, devoted exclusively to the con.
sideration OF economic subjects for the
purpose of overcoming this old preju-
dice, endeavoring to persuade the peo-
pie Of the economic advantage in keep.
ing such machinery and also the means
of distributing commodities in their