Norwich bulletin., 1916-10-31
THIRD IN SERIES
 OF POPULAR LECTURES Prof. Albert Bushnell Hart Addressed Slater Hall Audience On Asia In World Affairs.


 The third lecture in the popular course at Slater hall was given on Monday evening by Albert Bushnell Hart, Pt. D. IL D. Litt D. Harvard on Asia in World Affairs His grasp of the subject and the insight reveal ed in the reading of the basis of his facts are only possible to the trained historians mind. He spoke to a deep ly interested audience.
 Asia, as a continent, is an imfash- ionable element. For centuries Europe has arrogated to herself all the civilization, all the religion, all the art and science of the world He (for we are primarily European) have felt ourselves to be the chosen of the Lord. Asia has had inflicted upon her European government from earli- est time England in the centre and Spain and Portugal in the south made themselves master. China was com pelled to accept traders whether she wished or not. It was felt that Asi- atics were an inferior people and should be subjected to the other na- tions In 1890 we acquired the habitants, mainly Asiatics and hence forth we must share the responsibil- ities with Europe.
 We are apt to think of the Chinese and Japanese as being totally different in their race characteristics from us but after all they are extremely like our friends at home. They are oc- Ecupied mainly with their every day 1 problems-how they shall get their dinner, how earn enough to keep clothed and . roof over their head, all the domestic problems. And po- Gtfcaliy they are trying to do what we are all trying to do-to make the national combinations which shall i keep them as nations intact and best further their national interests We . csfJ1 1Ixr are coming closer to them year by year through various channels; by trade, bs our missionaries. etc.
 1 How is this present war going to affect China, Japan, Russia, all these 1 Asiatic countries?
 l Asia has always been desirable. If we go back to the earliest settlement | we find Greece pushing her way into Persia and the month of the Indus at | the time of Alexander the Great, and for centuries following, Greek culture held sway in Asia. Asia is old in habitation. Seven thousand years i ago she was the center of culture. The religions of Buddha, of Christ and of Mohamed all came from Asia Our Christian faith of today and much of l our language was founded on an Asiatic basis
 | There are from Asia into Europe | three great natural 1oads-one by the l Black sea, to Hungary, another by the Bosphorus to Central Europe, and the last through Spain from Africa
 Until five hundred years ago Rus sia lay under the Tartan yoke. Every 1 year her rulers must journey to Asia to bow to their terrible master and | there still survices in her the idea of the single, despotic ruler. This pe- riod of their history was so terrible that they arose but slowly.
 There are two stable elements in
 Asia today, China and Japan. For fifteen thousand years China has been an empire and Japan for twelve | thousand They are two mighty em- pires-the first because of her inn area, the Second because of her spir- i 1t. Neither has ever yielded to the conqueror. China is richer in coal | and iron than any other country in | the world, has a larger area than the
 United States, her land is fertile and | four hundred million people. These two countries are the only perman- | ent nations in Asia.
 Ceylon and India is British. Here three hundred million people are kept l in order by two hundred thousand l Engl/sh. Burmah is English. Siam is noninally independent. Siberia, nev- ] CT thickly populated, has always had enemies to civilization in the Mon golians, but Russia has gradually 1 puSneQ her way Into Cf1S country un- til now there is a population of thirty million people, the only true Europ- can colony in Asia. She is there to stay, with her own people and she has a hold that will never be let go | while there is a Russian nation.
 If the question of dispossing Japan comes up there are two grave difficulties in the way, first the great distance to come by other nations second, the absolutely homogeneous nature of the people. They are all just alike, they think alike, they are alike They are very tightly govern ed, they have an excellent education al system, an excellent army, and practically no others than Japanese in their own country.
 As for China-about thirty years ago the nations formed scheme for dividing China, some to take one part some another. China never knew it She is now confronted by Japan, who demands too much. At present she Is somewhat cowed but when she gathers herself together again she will ] be strong as before. Neither China nor Japan expect or will allow Europ- can influence to be as strong as it has been in the past. Nor will Japan allow her citizens to be excluded from the United States on the ground of
 unsuitabi1fty or lack of morality, but only on the grounds of what may be expedient or for the best trade inter 1 ests of the countries.