Pueblo chieftain., 1922-01-05
By Frederio ]. Hask!n

by Frederic y. hashlN
Washington, n. c., Jan. with In
dia harassing the British government
by means Of it's non-cooperadon move
ment. with Egypt in turmoil. with the
negroes forming a world association
under Marcus Garvey. with the jewish
Zionist movement well under way. ana
with the Chinese patiently but stub
hornly asserting their right to be let
alone. inviting all the other nations oil
the earth TO go out the open door and
close 1t after them. this seems truly To
be an epoch OF self assertion on the part
OF oppressed peoples.
The dominant nations absorbed IN
their own debts and wars, seem hardy
aware OF the widespread and spon-
taueous character OF this movemcn.
toward self-assertion on the part OF
the peoples who have worn yokes Tor
centuries. Servitude, exploitation, per
sonal and national prejudice, contempt.
these peoples have all known some or
all OF these expressions. Barring the
Hebrews. who are n case unique, theS
have all been known as inferior or sup-
jected races.
Now all OF them, but especially the
Indians and Chinese, are showing signs
OF growing inchoste strength. Ihey
Ila~k organization. unified purpose. ana
| they probably will lack these Things
for gonerations yet. But It is In these
things that they are growing. And the
racial vitality and persistence. Whils
the dominant nations of the earth are
becoming vast polyGiot fobs in whiSn
the best strains tend TO decrease whlls
tho poorer increase the chinese ana
Tho East Indies retain their racial
Identity and homogeneity. They are
conquered. owned, and exploited by
lalien races; they are carved into
spheres OF influence and protectorates !:
they are subjected TO massacre ana
famine and oppression; and yet py
tending steadily to tho business OF
raising babies and crops they have re
lmaincd distinctive peoples with dis
tinctive ideals.
RACIAL IDENTITY
An Eng!ishman or an American these
days may be a Mediterranean or
Mordic. He may be Of an old indiven-
Gus family or no may be an immisran,
of n few years ago. The streets OF all
of the principal cities OF the great
western nations are streets OF Baoel :.
In them swarm vast motley crowds o'
men who have nothing in common eX-
lcept their hunger for land and money
Melting pots whero tho ingredients 90
not fuse are these great cities, so that
an American or an iEnglishman may De
lanything. But when you say a Chinese
or an East Indian. you know exactly
what you mean. The word summons
a picture of distinctive kind Of man.
lThesc peoples arc united IN nspira ton
land purpose because they are uniform
in. blood and tradition.
That Is one great advantage they
have over the nations which now dom
Innate the earth. When you say Great
Britain you mean government, aud
governments have always been tran
siont and troubled things. But when
Iyou say China or India you mean n
people. solid and homogeneous and
that IS thing as real and permanent
az n continent
! The rearons why these peoples per-
sist. retain their racial Identity and
multiply. while the occidental nations
lose their identity and die out Mt the
top, seem to be chiefly two. In the
first place, they do not go in for war
and IN the second plnce they have no
talent for industry.
War, as has been pointed out a great
manv times IN the last few years real
ilv threatens the destruction Of western
civilization. The Nspoleonic wars
weakened France enormously. and are
said to have reduced the average heieht
of F'renchmen several Inches. Tho
Franco Prussian war was a further
blow Franco has not. in any line of
human eniesvor reached the great
ness she had before those wars.
The Civil War in It's effect on our
own South Is ono OF tho most striking
lcxamples Of tho result of prolonged
conflict But all Of these wars were
minor affairs compared TO the one
just passed We know that II killed ton
million good young men. that II Grip
uled the principal European nations in
every department of human endeavor
and that it left them all In n back
wash of reaction by destroying the
vouuE blood which IS the only possible
source Of progress, but It's full effects
are yet to bc seen. Furthermore. these