Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-28
By Es-Gov. LIOnel A. sheldon

CCIDENTALISM and orientalism
designate two radically different
civilizations confronting each other
on the borders of the two hemispheres,
across vast ocean, which interposes for
the time an obstacle to a close contact
on broad lines. They are already in
conflict, but not in the scope and inten-
sity that will be experienced in the not
distant future. The impact will assume
larger r-oportions and become more In
tensified through the inevitable develop
ment of more extended intercourse and
the expansion of commerce.
The peace of the world is most men,
aced by the ambition of the more ad-
vanced nations for commercial conquest
and supremacy. Their diplomats are
most largely engaged in arranging COM
mercial relations or treaties with view
respectively to obtain advantages over
each other. There is in process of devel-
opment an oriental ambition to take a
hand in the struggle. They realize the
superiority of the occidentals In wealth
and in industrial and commercial achieve
ments, and are exigent in endeavors to
acquire more light that they may be
able to enter into successful competi-
ton, at least to protect themselves from
spoliation.
The approach of these Civilizations to
closer contact with each other has been
gradual and slow in the past, and almost
wholly through the movements OF the
occidentals This movement of the latter
westward has been going on for twenty
centuries. The orientals have remained
stationary and at home, have shown lit
tie disposition to move eastward and to
confront the occidentals in their own DO
main, Latterly they have evinced more
of a migratory disposition, forced TO IL
by density of population and paucity OF
resources in their own countries to as
sure comfortable life.
The orientals are more inclined TO
migrate to the United States than to any
other country, because here population
is comparatively sparse, and virgin re-
sources have barely received toucn
from the hands of exhaustion Tnese
civilizations is likely to have a modifying
Influence upon each other when the I'M
pnct shall be closer and on broader hnes'
but in the general result one Will SUD
etantially supplant the other. and the
question is as to the CHARACTER anu UuA
tfon of the conflict.
These civilizations are products OF olI-
ferent causes What they were may not
he fully comprehended. Some maintain
that they are outgrowths from ullLer
ences in innate social qualities. 1ne
orientals and occidertals originated IN
the same continent and In localities not
distant from edCH OluSI. hO SNAA
nologtsts have discovered also that human
nature In all branches of the races is
very much the same. Environments
have mot been the same, and their dltter-
encas In all probability are sufficient TO
axnlain the wide divergences in the CIV
ilizatioms that have been developed.
If history is credible the Aryan prancn
of she human family originated In west
or, Asia. From it have been two imm1-
arcf aac ward and the sec
ond westward The first was to lndla
md adjacent countries. The emigres
,rust have carried with them the clvillza-
tion they had attained, and all historians
assert that it was superior to that when
they found in the localities where tney
eeta blished themselves, but their petter
civilization did not take root IN the minus
of the Indus. nor did the Aryans them
selves make progress. On the contrary re-
progression ensued until their ideals dis
anneared under the shadow of the lower
civiIfzation. The Parsees have preserved
zoroastian tenets and practices, but
have added nothing to the civilization
they carried with them and certainty
nothing to that which they found.
investigators of this subject have en-
aeavored to explain the causes OF the re-
+rooreasion of the eastward emigrant
Aryans, and why the people of India ana
adjacent regions have remained IN the
mt of the civilization that existed 1T re-
mote aa,es. They maintain that the Ar
vans were taken to make an impression on
+he numer existing population. Iney
also say that the physical characterlstlcs
~ the country and the phenomena OF ma
t,,ra orc 60 extraordinary as to create
Seelinp of awe, and to render people
~nnerstitSous-that the local civilization
Nod become so fixed and massive as TO
have been irnpervious to new ideaLs anu
influences.
The second emigration of the Aryans
NOS later and westward and their move
,.a,+ An that direction continued prac-
+ica1iv uninterrupted until they had
crossed Europe, the Atlantic ocean ana
the North American continent. Tenn
,oorerilv there is halt on the western
sbore of the Pacific sea, and in prepara-
tion for a further advance and TO grapple
with orientalism in it's own stronghold.
e,,ch is a manifest destiny. The present
occidental civilization has been gradually
developed through centuries and in con-
t,,,,o,s conflict with a variety of con-
fronting obstacles WhlcH were sucOeo0i''i'
surmounted.
Tn their westward march the Aryans in
all It's stages were aggressive and strenu-
ous proceeding in their achievements with
fnteIiipence. directness and the force of a
distinctive individuality. They were
awake. adventurous and original, while
the orientaIs seem to have had little
defniteness of purpose, and comparatively
were inert and somnolescent. The one
was materialistic and restless and the
other quite content with their state and
circumstances, and were dreamy.
The westward bound Aryans have ever
been more or less nonconformist and
iconoclastic, overturning or reforming
whatever was in conflict with their con-
ceptions of what was wisest and best,
and removing obstacles to the realization
of their ambitions. In all their move
ments they aspired to achieve in new
fields and on untried lines. This was
the handspring of their evolution toward
the higher and better. On the other hand
the orientals not only accepted existing
conditions but have been obdurate in their
rnaintainance.
AS should be expected by those ac-
ouainted with the causes and course of
human advancement, in the United States
are the highest ideals of civilization, and
logically so far the reason that progress
has been quite continuous from the time
the Aryans, westward bound, departed
from Caucasia. The American mind is
unreverential toward that which the