The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-02-01

IS.
that. because of the differences in our
it is not possible for us
ever to understand them, or they us.
Kipling says that East is East, and |
West is West, and never the twain
shall meet" The oldest inhabitant" |
in India or China or Japan is sure to |
tell YOU that the Oriental mind is
unfathomable. ! have not the temer-
ity to challenge these opinions. And
vet | venture to suggest that there
is an older authority holding a diff
ferent view, and that l still have some
respect for Cicero's idea that there
is a common bond" uniting all of the
children of men.
And whatever our ignorance of, or
Indifference for, the Orientals in the
past it is well to note that condt-
lions. both for us and for them, have
entirely changed within the last de-
cade. There is a new United States
and a new Asia. The Spanish War
created the one; the Russo japanese
War the other. When we acquired
the Philippine Islands we assumed
the government of eight millions of
Orientals and touched elbow with all
Asia When Japan defeated Russia,
the Oriental learned his power. For
untold centuries he had respected
powcr. His native sovereign was an
autocrat, who enslaved him, beat him,
/ killed him, if need be. Then came
the European, with powder and guns
and warships; and thereafter the
white man behind the gun represent
! ed power A handful of British with
cannon could enforce obedience from
hundreds of millions of people. Sud
denly the little Empire of Japan, one
of the least among the Asiatic pow
ers, challenged, fought, and defeated
the great European Colossus, Russia
The Asian discovered then that II
was not the white man, but the gun
that did the business; he learned
that a yellow man behind the guns
was quite as effective as white man.
and he found that the Christian sol
/ dier alone was afraid of death. Then
/ followed in travail the birth of the
new Asia. There were actual revolu'
lutions in Turkey and Persia, a start
ling recrudescence of unrest in India
and Ceylon, and, at this moment
China is in a state of revolutionary
ferment.
What is to be the outcome? Wha'
does all this mean for the future o
the world? Let us view the problem
from the political, the commercial
and the moral aspects. How loni
will the 5000 soldiers we have in thu
Philippines be abe to keep our fiai
afloat among 100000 of natives
How long will the $4,000 English so
diers in India be able to maintain
British sovereignty over 3OO,OOO,OOO o
, Asians? Believe me, these are no
, idle questions. They are up to us TO
t an answer, whether we will or M
: and upon our ability to make answe
, will depend the future of what W
i are pleased to call our Western civil
c ization. would have you feel tha
f Macauley's suggestion of the Ne
J. Zealander on a broken arch of Lol
4 don Bridge, sketching the ruins of S
' Paul, has come to be more than a
2 extravagant figure of speech.
And I am convinced that there
real danger awaiting us unless "
e mend our ways. 1t is not the Asia
?; who needs educating; it is the Ell
j. ropean. / am not worrying half
e much about the heather in his blinC
/: ness as am about the Christian
l. his blindness.
ID Asia is awake and preparing for Il
J. coming struggle, and we are doll
|. very much to force the issue and
10 prepare her for the contest. For
century we nave bSCh oShuih6
of enormous cost our missionaries to
j. parts of the hemisphere to civilii
There may be doubt as to the amou
at of PROSECUTING we have been able
id accomplish: there can be no possit
doubt of the work we have done
strengthen the Asian people polite
o. ly and commercially.
A statesman of Japan said rece
rs w, in a conversation had with hi
nd "Your missionaries undoubtedly ha
Of done good for the morals of our p
e. pie, but they have done far more
n our health and strength as a natl
ma They come to us with doctors, a
T. nurses, and hospitals, and schoc
Before Perry's arrival 100000
fants were born every year in Jap