Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-05

sciously exerted, as when, for instance
the good or bad precedent set by one
nation in dealing with its own affairs
is followed by some other nation.
| Sometimes the influence is inciden-
tally eXerted, as when, for example, q
nation in the extension Of its commerce
introduces it's language and enlarges
the horizon of the people with whom it
trades
The Mother Tongue
This incidental benefit conferred by
the opening of new markets must be ap-
parent to any one who has watched the
stimulating influence of the new ideas
which have been introduced into Asia
and Africa through the medium of the
English language.
This is not the mother tongue of very
many of the worlds leaders in religion,
craftsmanship, science and literature
but it has received through translation
the best that has been written and
spoken in other countries.
"He who learns this language, there
fore, is like one who lives upon a great
highway where he comes into daily
contact with the world
Without disparaging other modern
languages it may be said with truth
that whether one travels abroad or
studies at home there is no other
language so useful at the present time
as that which we employ at this BAN
quet board, and the nation which is in
strumental in spreading this language
confers an inestimabe boon, even
though the comforting of it be not in
cluded in its general purpose.
Helpful to Orient
England has rendered this service
to the people of India and the United
States, is rendering the same service to
1n na,,1o of flA r,-l,;I IL,
both England and the United States
have been helpful to Japan and China
in this way.
But the advanced nations cannot
content themselves with the comforting
of incidental benefits. If they would
justify their leadership they must put
forth conscientious and constant effort
} for the promotion of the welfare of the
nations which lag behind.
Incidental benefits may follow, even
though the real purpose of nation is
a wholly selfish one, for as the sale of
Joseph into Egypt resulted in blessings
to his family and to the land of the
Pharaohs, so captives taken in war
have sometimes spread civilization and
blacks carried away into slavery have
been improved by contact with the
whites. But nations cannot afford to do
evil in the hope that Providence will
transmute the evil into good and bring
blessings out of sin.
Nations Duties
Nations, if they would be great in
the better sense of the term, must in
tend benefit as well as confer it,; they
must plan advantage, and not leave the
results to chance.
81 take it for granted that our duty
to the so-called inferior races is not
discharged by merely feeding them in
times of famine or by contributing to
their temporary support when some
other calamity overtakes them. A much
greater assistance is rendered them
when they are led to more elevated
plane of thought and activity by ideals
which stimulate them to self-deVelop-
ment.
THE improvement of the people
themselves should be the paramount OBJ
ject in all intercourse with the orient.
Among the blessings which the
l Christian nations are at this time able
and in duty bound-to carry to the
rest of the world, 1 may mention five:
education, knowledge of the science of
government, arbitration as a substitute
for war, appreciation of the dignity of
labor and a high conception of life.
Education Test
Education comes first, and in moth
ing have the United States and England
been more clearly helpful than in the
advocacy of universal education.
IF the designs of God are disclosed
by his handiwork, then the creation of
the human mind is indubitable proof
! that the Almighty never intended that
i learning should be monopolized by a
few, and he arrays himself against the
plans of Jehovah who would deny intel
lectual training to any part of the hu-
man race.
1T is a false civilization, not a true
one. that countenances the permanent
separa ton of society into the distinct
classes, the one encouraged to improve
the mind and the other condemned to
hopeless ignorance.
Equally false Is that conception Of
International politics which would make
the prosperity of one nation depend up
on the exploitation of another.
while no one is far sighted enough
to estimate with accuracy the remote,
or even the immediate, consequences of
human action yet as we can rely upon
the principle that each individual
profits rather than loses by the pro-
gress and prosperity of his neighbors,
so we cannot doubt that it is to the
advantage of each nation that every
other nation shall make the largest
possible use of its own resources and
the capabilities of its people.
Japan's influence
mo one questions that Japan's in
fluenee has been a beneficent one since
she has emerged from illiteracy and
endowed her people with public schools
open to all her boys and girls.
"The transition from a position of OBJ
scurity into a world power was scarcely
more rapid than her transition from a
menace into an ally.
China is entering upon similar ex-
perience and l am confident that her
era of reform will make her. not yell
low peril, but a powerful co-laborer in
the international vineyard.
I'm India, the Philippines, in Egypt
and even I'm Turkey statistics show
gradual extension Of education, and l
trust l will be pardoned if l say that
neither the armies nor the navies, nor
yet the commerce Of our nations, have