The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-05-29
to exploit China rather than to up

to exploit China rather than to up.
lift it.
But granting that Japan is sincere
and does wish to conquer China fol
the purpose of extending western
civilization, even then it must fail fol
I it could not in a quarter of a CEN
fury become a fit teacher of the ideals
of the West, born of a thousand years
of blood and toll. The Japanese tel
the Chinese that they have selected al
that is best in Western learning and
that the royal road to knowledge is
by way of Japan. China listens to
this and sends it's thousands of stu
dents to Toxic. employs it's 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 a
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 it does merely because it
lis Japan. 1t demands that it be treated
as one of the world powers and the
equal of any of them. Therefore it
must come up to standard with its ac-
lions as well as It's pretensions. 1t
holds itself to be full-grown. and it's
accountability must be in the same
measure. 1t hopes to accomplish it's
purposes by force. Instead of trying
to build up it's industries by taking
advantage of it's 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-
n o. oh no tyoiron1 hx- hnldiror ho ndo
off. 1t is shown in their business by
the fact that industrial concerns divide
their earnings in dividends Immediate
ly 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. Blu. 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
they hope to have all China in their
grasp before it can awake to resist
them, and before the rest of the world
is convinced that it is justified in in
terfering.
. ;a;e % e
enemy of Japan, nor do they solely
the opinions of those who are
hostile to it. It's friends would be
blind indeed could they not see the
drift of world opinion against Japan.
and foolish if they contended that there
was no justification for it. But Japan
depends upon it's own diplomacy to an
swer the objections without changing
the conditions. To complaints that
other nations are denied equal rights
Of trade in Manchuria, Japan declares
that the "open door" is open. To pro-
tests against harsh treatment of Ko-
reans and Chinese, the reply is made
that Japan is treating the Koreans
and Chinese better than they have ever
been treated before. The complaints
and protests may multiply, but the at
titude of the Japanese is ever the same
-denials and promises that are not
Here is a great storm brewing. If it
breaks it may plunge the nations into
the bloodiest conflict in the history of
war. The biggest and richest market
in the world, the greatest storehouse
Of undeveloped resources. and the most
abundant supply of intelligent labor is
the stake. The white man has never |
yet voluntarily retired from a contest |
with another race, and it may be de- |
pended upon that he will not abandon |
the riches of China to Japan. He has
signified his willingness to permit |
Japan to come in as an equal to share |
and share alike, but further than this |
ne will not concede. If Japan, having |
an inch, demands an ell, there will be |
4 day of reckoning and even that little |
which it has will be taken from it
The outcome depends largely upon /
the Japanese themselves. They are |
having their inning and the world is |
ooking on in judgment. No young ma
ion ever had more admirers or we'll /
vishers 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-
bile if civilization demands something
,etter in the way of interest than
heating in trade and misrepresenta-