Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-03-24
che Dfu1ofrat.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH "a, 1909.
NATIONAL TROUBLES.

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While the world just now is enjoy
ing an era of exemption from levas-
tating war, the nations of the world
are far from being free from mem
acing problems.
Commercial rivalry between Great
Britain and Germany has lead to a
more serious estrangement than sur
face conditions would indicate. The
people of Great Britain have reason
to believe that their safety depends
upon the maintenance of navy far
superior to that of their continental
rival and the recent evolution in
naval construction is disturbing
element of the first magnitude.
Dreadnoughts are just now the test
OF naval strength, and war vessels
more than ten years old are consid-
cred little better than junk. What
will be the test in few years from
now there is no way Of telling, and
the uncertainty is troublesome, to
say the least, to nations that have
to rely upon their naval strength for
protection.
For the past several months the
hornet states of the Balkans have
been holding their war dogs in leash.
The trouble over there is side is
sue in the DID, old struggle between
the cross and the crescent, between
Christianity and Mohammedanism
Were it not for the enmities and ri
valries between the Christian nations
of Europe the Turk would have been
driven out of that continent long,
long ago. But every time the rule
of the Turk is rolled back toward the
Bosphorus there is a crisis in Eu-
rope over the division of the terri
tory thus reclaimed. That is the
cause of the present difficulty be
tween Austria and Servia And Ger
many and England are believed tx
be standing in the shadow of these
two countries, and Russia must al
ways be reckoned with when there
is a change in national boundaries il
that part of Europe. While peac,
is not yet assured, there is goot
reason to believe that the presen
Balkan disputes will be sadjuste,
without resort to the sword.
In our own country while there is n
immediate or even prospective dar
ger Spf war, we have a race problem
which requires earnest, thoughtfu
treatment.
In speaking about the menace o
our race problem, no account is IA
ken of the ten millions of black PEG
pie who are citizens of this country
They are little more. than J, childre,
when compared Intellectually witt
the Caucasian race, and as rule
they look up to the dominant ract
for guidance and development. The!
constitute national problem bu
not national danger.
The brown men of Japan, however
are entirely different from the Negro
Much as we may try to escape from
the admission, they are our intellect
ual equals. While their standards o
morality are in some respects en-
tirely different from ours, they ar
high-spirited, resourceful and viril'
race.
On the other side of the oceal
which bounds us on the east we hav'
Europe with a population of 100000
900 white people, and across the Pa
cific from our western border, lie
Asia, inhabited by no less tina,
1000, 100000 of the brown and yello,
races.
The United States is a country c
unrivaled resources, exceptional al
vantages, and high standards
every thing which makes life wort
living. And it is not singular tha
the surplus population of Japa
should want to secure homes in thi
country the same as the European
have in the past and undoubtedl
will continue to do in the future.
1t is not possible nor is it desil
able to amalgamate upon the sam
soil, races differing in color. Tw
races differing in color, but equal i
mental qualities, have never in a
the ages of history been able t
mingle and live in peace with eac
other. Such attempts have invar
ably lead to race wars.
No matter what the cost may be
this country can not permit a grea
immigration from Asia.
If this country and Great, Britia
had not furnished Japan with money
and in that way enabled Japan t
destroy the power of Russia in tn
Pacific ocean, we would not hav
this troublesome question to des
with. Before the war with Russi