The sun., 1914-08-24
INDIA, CHINA. JAPAN.
some Questions for Professor Arthur VI
Wheeler,

To THE EDITOR or TIE SUN-Str:
have read with great interest the COM
ments In THE SUN OF Professor Arthur NJ
Wheeler on India, China and Japan and
their places In the present and in the
future. | should like TO ask Professor
Wheeler some questions Has he ever
visited and studied those nations within
their own boundaries. or does he speak
only from books! He calls China
great nation" to-day. In what way IL
she great? AS to area and population |
grant you, but in what other way? II
may be true that she has forgotten more
than the rest % the world ever knew. but
II so she has forgotten and benefited not
at all by her knowledge. Visit, for in
stance, the observatory in Pekin and what
do you find? Rust and disintegration over
all It's Instruments. How long is II since
the professors of China have given the
word food for thought? What is China
save a huge unwieldy jelyhsh which
scarcely minds the looping off OF chunks
OF her body by the lesser fishes? Is there
or will there ever be any unity in China?
Do western China and Tibet care
at all for or pay attention to the Tstar
sections. and how about the Mongollans?
Their hatred for the Tatars Is well
known 1t may be that China will con-
quer this world but II so 1t will be as
mould and rust conquer and smother and
1t might be otherwise but she does not
and never Will II Japan can take China
and be suflCient leaven to affect the whole
loaf. great changes Will occur in this
world, but II Will take centuries to ac-
complish much. Professor Wheeler states
that a union is probable In the pres mt
time between Japan, China and India.
How could India come in? Her millions
would possess no possible leadrs and are
absolutely divided and antagon!stic TO each
other. Nothing save the presence ana
power Of England prevents confusion
murder and rapine worse confounded in
that land. Let her withdraw that power
and no thought would be turned to the
outer world by the masses she left be-
hind her They would be at each others
throats in twenty-four hours, Mohamme-
dan against Hindu, and the mountain
tribes against everybody Loot and mur-
der the only objects desired. The time
will never come when the follow IS OF
the two great religions OF India will lie
down together. 'lamhs and lions" In
peace. autonomous" never. Surely
Professor Wheel'r knows India and the
Indian races not at all. and ! venture to
doubt the truth of his assertion that Eng
land would desire the ending Of her power
and dominion In that far land
/ The professor states that Its principal
value Is as n market" That is certainly
very great value, ana that reason, In
/ India and elsewhere is the true and only
one for which Germany has declared this
awful war Her determination is to seize
the commercial supremacy OF the world.
She was accomplishing this much faster
by peaceful ways and means than she ever
Will do by war Napoleon hundred
| years ago knew and really could know
! little of the Far East, and especially OF
China and Japan. They were sealed
/ kingdoms then.
| II his prophecy could come true, II
the 100000. 900 OF China could ever move
with such single purpose and patriotism
/ rs Is shown In Europe to-day. the Fiowery
! Kingdom could alone rule the world and
/ Joined by tho hundreds of millions OF
/ India and Japan what could not happen
But this will never occur. II IL fortunate
for our day that while the sections OF
China hate each Other they are too In
dolent TO desire 10 fight; fortunate also
for all the world that England holds the
masses OF India at peace with each other
American readers would greatly like "a
hear from Mr.. William w Rockhill on this
subject. lie knows China as few OF our
! countrymen do. not only through deeu
study but years of residence and travel
| In that enormous empire and do not be-
lIeve he will agree with Professor Wheeler.
As for Japan. while America may
not agree with much that she does, each
and every man must admire her tre-
mendous progress toward what We con
slider civilization. II she can keen up
/ this good work for century or two Il
may be for tho good of mankind that
she should dominate the world,
NJ. NJ. g.
BENNINGTON, VT. August 20.