The Washington herald., 1921-05-08

" ANol liOll lIlo ISdSlt
Eastern life and culture. Japan has
absorbed Western energy, but it has
not absorbed in the right spirit. 1t
has grasped at Western material
ism. 1t has seen the great material
success of the West and has sought.
with success, to initiate that ma
terial success. but Japan has not
combined Western energy with
Eastern spirituality. Nor has Japan
even absorbed the best purposes of
the West. for tho West has its ele-
ment of unselfish humanitarianism
in conjunction with its material
ISM"
Nations of Future.
Continuing to speak of the pros
pect of combining Eastern spiritu-
ality with Western energy, Sir Ra-
bindranath said that China and In
dia would. at length. absorb suf-
fciento of Western energy, and this.
with the Eastern spirituality which
they already possess, will make
them the greatest and most for
midable nations of the earth. ia
pan is no good. China Is promis-
ing. Her roots go deep into the
past. When she is animated by
enough of Western energy without
being obsessed by it, as is Japan,
she will be great. This will be true
of India also. The Chinese and the
Indians are peaceful, content. pa
tient, contemplative. Their present
qualities combined with energy will
make them wonderful and powerful
peoples.
The great organizations of the
trial-are to be compared with the
great beasts of ancient geological
periods which, in the course of the
worlds development, were found to
be a failure. Bigness Of itself is
worthless. These great organiza-
tions impose unnatural, unnecessary
burdens, burdens impossible to be
borne, upon men. Mems own crea-
tions. instead of being the servants
of men, become the masters of men.
l find that the peoples of the great
empires are unhappy, while the peo-
pie of the smaller countries, with
out the vast and unnatural respon-
sibilities, are happy. The same un-
happiness is true OF the people OF
your huge industries. These giant
industrial organizations crush the
souls Of men and steal the Joy OF
living.
Great Leader Needed.
The West, and America in par
ticular, needs some great leader
or series of leaders-to arise and
furnish the plan now lacking, TO
give meaning and form to your vast
materials now meaningless and
formless, to guide the prodigious
energy and direct the ceaseless mo-
ton, to shape truly the purpose.
Sir Rabindranath believes that tbi,
inspiration will eventually come
from the East.
continuing to speak of the lead
ership needed, Tagore said that I.
was hoped that President Wilson
would prove to be the great leader
which America needed. But Mr.
wilson failed. He failed because he
was too much of a schoolmaster
laying down maxims. But he did
not make his maxims real His
esotism was his weakness. Ha wa.
nattered and tricked by clever men.
He failed not because Of his IDEAL
ISM, put because he did not persist
consistently In his idealism. Yet,
win MS failure to reach the greater
. hC uiu ulsplay TO the world
the vision of a higher and more
brotherly human relationship. Lin
coin would not have failed. Lin
coin was the great American, a
great moral force. America needs
a Lincoln now. It thought II had
another Lincoln in Wilson, but VIII
son lacked Lincoln's humility and
Lincoln's great soul"
League Of Nations.
The subject of President Wilson
inevitably led to that Of the Ieapue
OF nations. OF the beneficence of
this institution Tagore was not con-
WINGED. Institutions do not do
much good without a higher level
OF human mentality" said Sir Ba-
hindranath. The western nations
look upon the newly-created league
or nations as a ans OF making
more convenient and less subject TO
strife among themselves their smbI- |
tlon to exploit the world for their |
own material benefit. to make their
greed more effective" Sir Rabin-
dranath agreed. however. that. as
other institutions reflect the level OF
the people they serve. SO the league
OF nations Is an instrument which
may serve humanity when humanitv
mas reached point canabic Of using |
IL He admitted that the league has 1
~ up an ideal baa naInted Ia a '