Evening star., 1924-01-14
EAST is EAST
BY FRANK II. HEDGES

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papers OF America have printed
many columns dealing with the far
east. The bandit raid on tho Blue
express between Peking and Shanghai
brought China into the limelight in
the late spring, and the toll Of life
and property that earthquake, fire
and Hood exacted from Japan during
the first month OF the autumn threw
that empire into high relief for the
reading public Of this country.
And what has America gained by
her increased knowledge and in
formation? In the case of Japan she
has gained 4 new light on the people
or that nation. comprehension of
their heroism and q bond of sympathy
for their suffering. In the case of
China, unfortunately, the reverse has
been true.
1t requires a startling event, some
incident sensationally out of the
ordinary, to turn the thoughts of
America in the direction of another
nation. The bandit outrage in China
was not, in essence, such an event.
Banditry is almost an everyday or
eVery-Week. certainly an every
month, occurrence in that republic.
me unusual prominence given the
raid OF last May was due TO the
number and Importance of the
Americans involved, to the location in
which 1t took place and to the fact
that several newspaper men, those
who supply the United States with
the bulk of Its information ON China,
were directly concerned.
Banditry is certainly one phase of
the present China situation, but it is
not, after all, dominant phase. 1t
Is to be regretted that it has been
oyeremphasized in the American
press. The oyeremphasis is relative.
The disturbed political and military
state Of China from which banditry
springs must be taken into account,
but dozens Of other factors must be
placed beside 1t in forming the pic
ture of the republic Of China today.
Economic life has prospered and
forged ahead despite the many petty
wars throughout the land. Business
ethics are praiseworthy. There are
many Chinese leaders who are con-
scientiously striving to do all pos
sible to bring peace and reuniflcation
to their country, TO establish a sound
and incorruptible government In
take all Of these conditions into con-
sideration, weigh them and assign
each its rightfui place In the whole
scheme. When this is done. banditry
detail that Is deplorable and trouble
some. but that is. after all. only
detail and therefore to be dealt with
as such rather than as the main
issue.
The Versailles treaty. which gave
ID lcd
tion. gave China even greater pub
Iicity than did the bandit raid of last
May, and in that case 1t was publicity
favoroble to China. 1t Is to be hoped
other news event that will help to re-
store the proper perspective on Chi
nese affairs.
The catastrophe that struck Japan
on September l has resulted in
greatly increasing the friendship Of
this country for the island empire
of the east 1t has revealed the
Japanese in a light that America has
largely forgot since the treaty of
Portsmouth. We had become accus-
toned to thinking of Japan as a mill
itaristic nation busily engaged in up
building a gigantic fleet and with de-
perhaps on our west coast. The
Washington conference partly allayed
this aDprehension; the earthquake
seems to have completely obliterated
1t.
In this Japan is fortunate But
once again II distorts American Wis
ion. The earthquake is only one fac
tor in present-day Japan, and others
must not be disregarded 1t is quite
possible that many of US will come
to regard japan as down and out
because of the force of the blow un-
der which she is suffering. That
would be as erroneous as was the
opinion held three years ago. There
seems to be no valid reason for fear
America, but America must not for
get that Japan is still a strong ma
tion. We cannot look upon Japan
as a nation whose power in the COM
mercial,- political or military world
is ended.
Public opinion is a curiously fiut-
tering creature. Now 1t scars to
heights and again it drops to the
bottom of an abyss. The best view
is not to be obtained either from Il
point far above actual conditions
nor looking up TO them from the
depths of a canyon. Midway some
where is a point that will give a
lea looks at Japan she scars to the
heights; China is seen from the
depths. Perhaps tomorrow the case
will be reversed, but 1t is to be hoped
that as public opinion of China begins
to climb upward 1t will be arrested
before the clouds are reached, and
that as our views of Japan begin
to decline the long drop will be
interrupted before completed.