The Glenwood post., 1908-07-18
Orient
Would Resist
American
Intrusion
Copyright. by Joseph B. Bowles.)
BY ST. NIHAL SING

Copyright, by Joseph b. Bowles)
1t is but recently that the oriental
has begun to awaken to an apprecia-
ton of himself. Hitherto he has not
only allowed himself to be treated by
the occidental as chance ordained, but
has measured his ability with the critic
rions set up by westerners. 1t is but
yesterday that the Asian assumed an
aggressive attitude and vowed that
he would resist the intrusion of the
European and American, employing
the occidental weapons to accomplish
that end.
The change in the attitude Of the
east towards the west during the last
two decades has been phenomenal. 1t
has led the Asiatic to resent the west
ern insinuation that the oriental is the
inferior of the occidental in mental and
moral caliber. 1t has also wooed the
Asiatic out Of his inaction and leth-
argy of ages, inspired him with the de-
sire to break the shell of his limita-
tions and set his face towards modern
ization and evolution.
Time was, and not long ago, when
the rank and file of even the cultured
orientals were obsequious in their at
titude towards even the mediocre
westerner. To the Asiatic, white"
skin was synonymous with superior
talent and character. The white man
represented to him great strength of
mind and body and skill of arms, Of
fensive and defensive.
The Asian no longer mentally or
physically prostrates himself before
the Caucasian. To him. no more the.
Anglo-Saxon boast of surviving as the
fttest has any weight. A brown or
yellow hide has come to be, to him,
as good an index Of character and cal
iber as the white.
What the new occident wants to-
day is reciprocity. 1t demands for it.
self perfectly even privileges in re-
turn for those which 1t extends to
westerners within it's gates.
This attitude is likely to assume
more aggressive and intensive form
as the awakening proceeds apace and
as the oriental succeeds in learning
the arts and crafts of subjugating the
forces of nature and utilizing them.
Considered in this light, it is easy
to understand the oriental view of
Asiatic immigration to North America
and the British colonies. The first
thing to be noted in this connection is
that the oriental is no longer prepared
to brook the aspersion that he is the
inferior of the Americans or British
colonials. Another and more impor-
tant feature Is that the hostile treat
ment of the oriental immigrants can
not but lead to untold and vexatious
trade complications.
The peddler who sold his wares
from door to door had no status in
the minds of his buyers and he could
well afford to cheat as he never
wished nor expected to duplicate a
sale. The modern metropolitan de-
partment stores find that it is essen
tial for them rather to lose a sale
than dupe customer. In business
circles more and more the retention
Of good will and the satisfaction Of
qua non Of success. 1t is not the
new-fangled salesman, who induces a
state Of hypnosis and dupes the
buyer into taking some article that
he does not need or that is not its
moneys worth, who Is the cornerstone
Of a successful store; nor is the impa-
tient and unobliging man behind the
counter or at the desk the keystone of
business enterprise. In the long
run, both prove failures and represent
the capitalization of penny-wise-
pound-foolish philosophy.
AS 1t is with internal trade, SO is it
with international commerce. The
economic is an essential feature of
inter-continental trade relations; but
1t has been the experience Of business
people whose operations extend world
wide, that, other things being equal,
the business man who is the most
gentlemanly and obliging wins out in
the race.
To verify this statement, one has
but to see how much business the
Englishman loses in India through his
snobbery and boorishness In his deal.
ings with the native East-Indian
trader.
In the past 1t has been the case
that on account of the weakness and
inalertness of the oriental. the west
erner In the east has had his own way
1t was very much similar to what he
did In North America. The North
American Indians, unable to cope
with the aggressors and incapable OF
civilizing themselves according to
the western canons, found themselves
driven to reservations and extinction
in several of the oriental countries