Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1920-11-04
Oriental and Occidental Aims
By ZOE HARTMAN

The difference between Oriental
and Occidental civilization is found in
the emotions. and the emotions are
determined BY the dominant motive
in social life.
Speaking Of Oriental civilization. it
is proper to class under that heading
the Mongoians. the EIindus, and the
Russians; for their emotions are sub
stantially the same.
They number more than 900,000,-
900 souls.
Practically all the resi- Of the world
belongs to Occidental civilization, be-
cause their emotions are substantially
the same.
They number more than 100000
600 souls.
These are the powers that will soon
be arrayed against each other.
The 900,000,O0O inhabit the most
productive part Of the globe, and are
all nestled close together, with their
resources practically intact and we'll
conserved.
The 600,000,000 are scattered from
pole to pole and from the shores of the
Atlantic to the shores Of the Pacific.
Strategically and emotionalIy the ORR
entails have an enormous advantage.
The emotions are the energy, the
steam in the boilers, that drives the
engine.
The character Of these emotions is
determined by the motive Of the peo-
pie, and the motive Of the people is
fixed by the dominent desire of the
respective civilizations.
1t is the persistent desire that mo-
tives the heart. The dominent, ever
present, persistent desire Of almost ev-
cry man and woman in Occidental civ
ilization is to make money" Not on
ly do they desire to make" it. but
they desire to accumulate. and hold
fast to it. This desire has persisted 50
long and so intensely that it has in
famed the brain and chilled the heart.
1t has crushed almost all our altruistic
impulses, supplanting them with sell
and greed. and ambition for
social and political power. So long
has this desire persisted that our hearts
are motived with such craving TO
possess material wealth that the intel |
lect, the tool Of the motive, is win
ming its greatest victories in financial
Nor has this intellect any conscience.
1t is merely a tool, an engine made to
whatever the motive de-
mands Hence we see, throughout Oc- /,
civilization the clash of arms :
between individuals in business, in ev-
cry locality, in every country, and be-
tween countries and clusters Of coun-
tries. 1t is ever war-first with brain
and then with steel. War for CONNER
cial advantage; war for territory; war
for tribute; war for wealth. The in
.ellect Of Occidental civilization leads
IN the battle directed by the motive.
which in turn is fired by the Unsuitable
1esire for money.
This is the spirit of the West.
Between this spirit and the spirit Of
Oriental civilization there is an insur- l
passable chasm. Indeed. the spirit of
The East is the very antithesis of that
IF the West. i
There has existed for ages through
out the Orientals, Russia included, in
little cooperative commun-
ties. as thick in each country as the
cells of the honeycomb in the hive,
and the spirit of these communities is
As sweet as the honey in the comb. L
IN these little communities, the un-
broken line of ancestors reaches back
for centuries. They have the com
nunity interest. They live for each
other, labor for one another, suffer
and rejoice together. and their hearts