The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-05-23

and does wish to conquer China for
the purpose of extending western
civilization, even then 1t must fail for
/ it could not in d quarter OF CEN
fury become a fit teacher Of the ideals
/ Of the West. born Of a thousand years
4 Of blood and toll The Japanese tell
/ the Chinese that they have selected all
| that is best in Western learning and
that the royal road to knowledge is
] by way of Japan. China listens to
/ this and sends its thousands of stu
dents to Toxic. employs its thousands
| Of Japanese teachers and reads mil
| lions of European and American books
translated and published in Japan.
But the japanese teachers have failed:
the Chinese students could not learn
everything in a few months at Toxic,
and the books tell of a broader and
richer field beyond Japan. IF China is
to receive Western civilization it must
have other teachers than the japanese,
for their very pretensions of knowing
all that is best is additional proof of
the fact that "a little learning is
dangerous thing"
Japan is playing a serious game now,
and with grOwn-ups. The time is past
for looking with wonder upon the sim
plest thing 1t does merely because it
is Japan. 1t demands that it be treated
as one of the world powers and the
equal of any of them. Therefore 1t
must come up to standard with its ac-
tons as well as its pretensions. 1t
holds itself to be full-grown, and its
accountability must be in the same
measure. It hopes to accomplish it's
purposes by force. Instead of trying
to build up its industries by taking
advantage of its cheap labor and max
ing goods to be sold in open compete
ton, it seizes Korea and binds up Man
churia to make an especial market for
Japanese wares. If China does not
wish to buy japanese goods, then
China must always be in danger of a
sound whipping.
The japanese do not look ahead or
beneath They initiate the appear
ance of things with supreme disre-
gard to copying quality. They are
willing to sell a cheap imitation for
immediate profit, and depend for future
orders on their strength to keep out
competitors. This characteristic is
shown in their diplomacy which seizes
upon a small thing today for tenn
porary advantage. for instance the San
Francisco school affair, without look |
ing forward to see what larger advan- |
tage might be gained by holding hands |
off. 1t is shown in their business by |
the fact that industrial concerns divide |
their earnings in dividends Immediate |
~ and leave no balance for working |
capital. They have initiated the |
superficial appearance of Western |
things without comprehending their |
spirit.
So they are browbeating old China |
today. and attempting to keep the rest
of the world in the dark. all for the /
sake of an advantage which they see
in the immediate future. True, all |
hope of Japanese greatness lies on the
mainland of Asia, but if Japan would
proceed along lines which would not |
irritate the Chinese and antagonize the
rest of the world, its opportunity
would be many times greater. But the
Japanese do not see things in that |
light. They are going ahead with their
Korean and Manchurian programs in |
spite of every warning rumble, and Il
they hope to have all China in their
grasp before it can awake to resist i
them, and before the rest of the world
is convinced that it is justified in in
These criticisms are not those of an
enemy of Japan, nor do they solely
represent the opinions of those who are
hostile to it, It's friends would be
blind indeed could they not see the
irift of world opinion against Japan.
md foolish if they contended that there
vas no justification for it. But Japan
depends upon its own diplomacy to an
;wer the objections without changing
he conditions. To complaints that
)ther nations are denied equal rights
If trade in Manchuria, Japan declares
hat the "open door is open. To pro-
ests against harsh treatment of Ko-
cans and Chinese, the reply is made
hat Japan is treating the Koreans
md Chinese better than they have ever
been treated before. The complaints
md protests may multiply, but the at
itude of the Japanese is ever the same
-denials and promises that are not
Here is a great storm brewing. If it
Freaks ii may plunge the nations into
he bloodiest conflict in the history of
var. The biggest and richest market
n the world, the greatest storehouse
# undeveloped resources, and the most
abundant supply of intelligent labor is
he stake. The white man has never
ret voluntarily retired from a contest
With another race, and it may be de-
pended upon that he viii not abandon
he riches of China to Japan. He has
ignified his willingness to permit
Japan to come in as an equal TO share
md share alike. but further than this
he viii not concede. If Japan, having
IN inch. demands an ell. there will be
day of reckoning and even that little
which it has will be taken from it
The outcome depends largely upon
he Japanese themselves They are
having their inning and the world is
ooking on in judgment. No young ma
ion ever had more admirers or well
yishers at the outset. and no people in
history have ever been SO pampered ,
md assisted They have borrowed and
until now it is not unreason-
lble if civilization demands something
better in the way of interest than
heating in trade and n1isrepresenta-
ion in diplomacy. If Japan wishes to