Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-18
PROBLEMS
STATED FOR u. S.
Three Important Books Dis
cuss China and Japan,
India and Korea

hensive books on the subject il Ameri .
can ignorance of and Indifference TO the
numerous problems--commcrc social
and moral--of its foreign relations and
obligations continue to the extent and
profundity of the past The popular
mind is just waking to the important
implications of Asatic policies. They
AFFECT us deeply in the present. and they
VIII be even more and more emcrgcnt
ana urgent as time goes on. An under
standing OF them is very much worth
whlle establishing Immediately. that our
traditional unconcern may not reach its
clmhN IN new "unprcparedncSS. -
Three new books on Asiatic matters
help very informingly and definitely in
this much to be desired comprehension
And, like Mr.. Thomas Nlillard'S recent
book on China and Japan. Il very au-
thoritativc book, and one OF special
value, ms it emphasizes the American
standpoint, these three volumes are very
strongly urgcful of our moral oblga
tions to China and our sefshly eco
nomic interests there that need cautious
safeguarding they are strongly sympa-
thetic to the Chinese side of such mat
ters as the Shantung controversy
Il. l.. Putnam Weale. the author of
The Truth About China and japan, ="
was born in China He has spent many
years in the Chinese customs and other
official places. He has Travelled widely
in both lands and learned at first hand
and he is brilliant writer as we'll rs a
keen observer. His book sketches Chi
nesc and japanese history from early
eras. thus setting racial and traditional
I backgrounds md psvphnlpgv II thpu
traverses the high grounds of Occi
dental diplomacy in the Orient, show
ing what mess has been made OF q
delicate state of affairs. He is not at
all anti Japanese, but he never hesi
tatcs to tell what he conCeives to be
Toklo's sordid aims and imperialistic
policies in the Celestial republic, He
says that it lis force that is back of
the japanese program, not equity or
justice, but force mixed with Corrup
ton Japan, Mr.. Weale holds. today
stands at the crossroads. 1t is for her
to elect what her future is to be ;
whether the bacillus of imperialism IS
to be blown out by explosions or dissi
pated by reform Speaking of Korea,
as suggestively limiting at what will hap
pen to vast areas of China if the i'm
perial route is chosen, he says; here
if ever there was case is Il country
which should be administered by man
datory derived from league of nations
for what has Korea done that She
should be treated as a conquered prov
ince? And why should AIanchuria and
the province containing the birthplace
of Confucius Shantung be menaced
by the same fate. 1t is not true that
these regions are necessary for the
ornr1n,I1 nf Inn ,,nnp1,lin, e.,
they are densely populated and are not
attracting japanese immigrants Mr..
Weale reprehends the financial and dip.
lomatic subtleties and crookedness that
give the Chinese question "a vicious in e
ternational character. But he looks
for no berterment until the Occidental
nations publicly repent and send as
eDvoys to the Chinese capital men Sc
lected by virtue of q long parliamentary
experience in their own com tries -
plenipotentiaries who understand the
necessity of the Legislature, even in
China He points out that until the
United States wrote the indscrect
Ishii Lansing notes. and he points out
how Ishii with dark cleverness hood
winked lansing Japan was obliged &c
restraint. but mo sooner were the
notes in her archives than she began tc
act in an imperious way Japan's
challenge to the worlds decency anC
honor must be taken up. since
imperiaist Germany cannot be cousid
cred properly crushed until her copiet
methods have been eradicated from tn,
I Far East" Mr.. Weale gives very
full series of texts of various agree.
ments concerning China, such as th'
, Sino japanese military and naval pacts
. the twenty one demands, the lshii.
Lansing entente, etc. OF them he says
''No impartial critic can deny. after
studying these dark doings, that tn,
whole structure of japanese foreign pol
icy must be changed if she is to b,
treated on equal terms with the rest o
the world" In such wise, more thar
, once he offers constructive criticism t
Toxic.
NJ. II. Hyndman, the great EngliSf
editor and publicist, is much more
philosophical and embracive i'll "Th'
Awakening of Asia 1t is II very
vital, substantial and stimulating book
indeed even more notable than hii
able and inclusive study of the darl
diplomacy of European chanceleriry
, that gave the background in "Clemen.
ceau: the Man and His Time Sucl
) dark and devious diplomacy the worlC
hopes is ended for the western nations
with the downfall of PrusSianism
though it is not yet convinced. Blu
with the eastern nations left open fol
exploitation, there is the menace of
diplomatic repetend. Mr.. HyndmaI
warns against it, and indicates the way
to avoidance. He writes in an eXalte,
strain. but his arguments and pleas arr
solidly buttressed by citations and au
! thentic data. He considers not only
, China, about which his conclusions arr
! the same az those of Mr.. Wealp, bu
also the tragedy of Korea. the sQuar,
; policy for Japan to adopt and Britisl
j. misrule in India. In fact, he is sin
gularly frank for an Englishman. Dis
cussing the opium trade, which ha
been the greatest curse 10 Chinese de
: velopment, he says: s"England, by he
: inhuman policy, virtually forced tn
10 Chinese Government to permit tn
growing of opium in China itself
So" L believe no Englishmau cal
3 read IA plain account of what was don
= without understanding why foreigner
e denounce his country as nation which
c while claiming high morality, never al
Y lows any consideration of well being {
interfere with it's greed for gain" Tn
Boxer indemnities have not been for
+ gotten in China. "It was recrudes
n cence of the brutality and ruffianisr
! displayed by the English in their opiur
il wars. I" " The seizure Of importan
% blocks of territory by England, Russia
h Janan, andAeven Germany, made mat
ters still worse. Only the United States
=, bv returning its share Of the indemnity
i, | Il. 90 thn htfrk.