Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-10
BY FRANK III. sIMONDs


importance, seen with eyes which
have become wearied with national
and international struggle. Yet as
this Chinese revolution continues and
expands it is hard to escape the con.
clusion that IL is one more, ana by
no means the least important, of all
the consequences of the World War.
Beyond any doubt now, this Chi.
nese revolution has passed the point
which might make it merely a ma
tional disturbance. What we are see.
ing is the destruction of a position
which Europe--and to a lesser extent
the United States-had created for it.
self in the Far East in the last cen
fury. All the great period of colonial
and imperialistic expansion which pre-
ceded the World War and ended in
giving Europe it's supremacy from one
end of the globe to the other is ending
in disaster.
Moreover, it is impossible not to be
struck with the fact that in the face
Of a direct challenge to the policy and
principles which it has proclaimed and
followed, Europe is disclosing a fee
bleness and uncertainty of purpose
which can only be explained as the
consequence Of moral as we'll as physi
cal exhaustion following the World
War.
Combined European Activities.
If one goes back to the mentality
of two decades ago. it is easy to sex
that the Chinese events would have
then been the signal for immediate
and combined European activities
Nothing is more certain than thai
Britain, France, Germany-then ar
Asiatic power by virtue of Shantung-
would have united in a common eff
fort to meet what all would equally
have perceived to be challenge te
Western influence and prestige in tht
Far East.
Today, on the contrary. the Devil
dering circumstance is that all PEG
ples-British, French, American--are
in approximately the same state Of
mind. There is everywhere the same
tacit recognition of the fact that the
old order has passed and cannot DC
restored.
Nor is it possible to overlook the
profound and growing amazement OF
both the European and American cit
liens who have lived long in the Fan
East and are firm in their conviction
that they understand the Chinese
mind and the Chinese situation. They
see, none more clearly, that the up
shot OF the matter is to be the abdi
cation by the European powers. They
feel, clearly and manifestly, that al
the world which they know and in tbs
making of which they have shared Il
slipping down to ruin and destruction
They feel themselves not alone threat
ened bv Chinese violence but by be
travail by their own governments.
would Avoid Antagonist.
Yet. despite all the appeals which
come from these sources, there is the
same response to be heard in London
Paris and Washington. In all west
ern capitals there is the same desire
to avoid any action which may antag'
onize the China that is to come.
Here. then, is something which can
hardly be described as falling far short
of the deliberate and conscious abdi'
cation by the west, by France, by
Britain, and measurably by the United
states, of all purpose to pursue the
historic pathways of the nineteenth
century. The white mans burden is
being laid down. The old conception
of ruling native populations and earn
ing the right to exploit. through the
bestowal of order and efficient eco
nonic life, Is being abandoned.
But the important thing today is to
discover. il possible, how far the proc
ess is now TO go. If Europe will not
fight to maintain its position in China,
win Britain fight to hold India. France
TO keep Indo-China. the Dutch 10 re-
tain Java? We shall, ourselves. at no
distant future be face to face with
the consequences of the Chinese affair
in the Philippines, where the resent
ment at foreign rule grows steadily.
Surrender of Europe.
Nearly FIVE years ago and at the
other end of Asia, Europe collectively
surrendered in the face Of the Turkish
challenge. The arrival of few thou
sands of ill-equipped and ragged Turk
ish troops on the southern shore Of
the Sea of Marmora was the signal
for all the European powers to aharl-
don not alone the results achieved by
the World War, but all the special
privileges which had been acquired
during a century of Turkish disinte-
grafton. Nations which still numbered
their military forces by the hundred
thousand after the briefest hesitation
permitted the Turks to reoccupy not
Constantinople but Eastern
Thrace. to thrust a million and half
of Christian peoples out of Asia-Minor,
to den1olish the capitulations and i'm
pose conditions upon all the great
powers.
Exactly the same lack of resolution
has been disclosed in all the European
dealings with Russia. For nearly 10
years the Bolshevist state has been
at war with all western
Looking at the situation as it now
exists, one Is forced. therefore. to ques-
ton whether it is now possible to re-
strain the Asiatic upheaval to China
and to Turkey Backed by Russian
spurred on by the Chinese
example, is 1t not almost inevitable
now that similar movements, similar
violent risings, win take place both
In British and in French India In the
next few years?
yellow PERIL Legends.
Laying aside all the familiar and
perhaps fantastic legends of the
yellow Peril" as it has been de-
scribed. discarding all notion of the
or even the eventual ar
lions of Asiatic peoples, undertaking
to repeat the achievements of Attila, it
Is still necessary to perceive that this
Asiatic upheaval has for Europe, not
something of the signifl-
canoe which the invasion of the bar
barians had for Rome.
Nor can one fail TO he struck with
the parallel between the present in
ability OF the European states to de-
fend their Asiatic positions and priv
ileges and the abandonment by the
Romans OF the Rhine barrier. The
recall OF the legions was the signal
for the collapse of the empire. Natur-
ally no similar collapse threatens
Europe Immediately. But what does
threaten Is still another enormous
of European power and
influence. Not the home lands, but
much Of the empires Of France and
Britain are Immediately menaced.
In all this situation the attitude |