The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-12-14
THE WASHINGTON CONFERENCE

THE WASHINGTON CONFERENCE.
Having reached a tentative agree
ment on the Pacific islands and dis
armament the delegates to the
washington conference are leaving
before the curtain is rung down. But
what about China? That country is
the real source of the possibilities of
future wars. Unless there be fair
and square understanding about
China, the agreement about the Pa
cific islands and future naval arma-
ment will not serve to stop war in
the Orient What happens there
within the next few years spells war
or pc for the world
Two elements have created the Far
Eastern question. The first element
is the spread of the white race. The
amazing expansion of the white race
over all the world, bringing under its
domination folk of every tribe and
people and tongue and nation, is, as
some one has called it, ''the most pro-
digious phenomenon in all recorded
history The white race constitutes
hardly one-third of the worlds popu-
lation, but by occupation or govern
1lent they hold nine-tenths of the
habitable area of the earth. In 1900,
the white race had hardly one-tenth
of its present land area. Then, first
among the races of mankind, they hit
upon the secrets of mastering the lat
ent resources OF the universe and put
ting scientific discoveries at the
service of their wants. The mariners
compass made the whites free-men
of. the sea. Gunpowder made them
masters of war. And like bees they
swarIned out from their old hives to
suck the economic honey of the earth.
What that process has meant has
been evidenced in Africa. In 1880
only a small part Cf Africa was under
European control. Within the next
ten year,, five million square miles in
Africa were seized by Great Britain,
France, Germany and other powers.
And before 1914, all of Africa, with
the exception of Abyssinia and Lii
IBERIA. was subjugated to European
governments. So the white race has
swept into its net nine-tenths Of the
habitable area of the earth.
This expansion Of the white race
has come at last to the shores of east
ern Asia. Long ago Great Britain
took India. In 1886 Britain invaded
Burma, deposed her king and an
nexed her territory French Indo-
China, Java, the Malay States, the
Straits Settlements, the Philippines
this rising tide of white supremacy
has swept around Asia until now it
washes the shores of China and ia
pan.
OF course, the dominant motive be-
hind this expansion of the white race
has been economic. other motives
have been braided into this central
strand, but at the basis of this bewil-
derinc spread Of the white peoples has
been the desire for markets and for
goods. And China is one of the most
exhilarating opportunities for eco
Aomic expansion that ever was pre-
scented to mankind.
The second element in the Far East
ern question is the rise of Japan.
While China is backward and weak,
Japan has been moving forward with
incredible CELEBRITY. She has adapted
to her purposes western ideas of edu-
cation and has actually achieved uni
versal education of elementary grade.
Government reports state that in 1916
of the children legally obliged to be
in schools 90 per cent of the boys and
SO per cent of the, girls were actually
in attendance. Japan has adopted
our western militarism. First she
borrowed from France. Then she
made Germany her teacher, and the
japanese army today, gathered by
universal CONSUMPTION that cannot be
escaped, Is built on Prussian models
and imbued with the Prussian spirit.
AS her army is German, her navy is
British. She copies everywhere the
best she can find, wherever she can
find it. Swiftly she has set herself
also to master the secrets of western
engineering skill. Her development
in railroads, machine industry and
commerce, is astounding. There IS
nothing she will not try. There is
nothing she does not think that she
can do. There is no hope of a happy
issue so long as the whites look with
indignant condescension on Japan, as
tho they ere internationally holy and
elect and she were the one great sim
ner. II they would prevent war in the
Orient they must take the lead in
abandoning their selfish program in
China and so compel Japan to follow
Henry Ford intfmates that as a re-
suit of his proposed operations at
Muscle Shoals he win be able to revo-
lutionize agriculture in the south. He