The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times FRIDAY, JULY 31st, 1925. RACE ANTAGONISM.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 July 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times FRIDAY, JULY 31st, 1925. RACE ANTAGONISM.

Tin-: exclusion of tlit' colored races from Australia was touched upon by .Mr Bruce, I’rimc .Minister of Australia, at a banquet to the American oliiccrs of the licet in Sydney liarhor. Mr Bruce took credit that Australia had learned from the exjierioiico of America and was avoiding mistakes made there in regard to the color issues. The color question is an unsolved jirohlem for America. .So it is, also, for the British Empire, of which Australia is a part. As far as the I'uited States is concerned, the immediate dilliculty is Governed liv the exclusion of the Japanese. On this subject there is a spied deal to say, and the Japanese can say it very well. Perhaps Mr Brine had the Japanese in mind when bespoke of the problem as referring to Australia. Bo that as it may. here is an expression of opinion by a. leading figure of Japan, who as a Christian minister, social reformer, and pacifist will he road with interest, and though his views may not he acceptable. it is plain that the viewpoint of Japan in this matter cannot, he ignored. The notable Japanese in question. Toyokiho Tvagawa, logins by saying that under the recent Exclusion Act of the United Stales the Japanese as a whole have found thaL the United States is no longer a Christian Nation. It was preached by American missionaries that America is a through-and-through Christian nation. In the classrooms of Japanese Crammar Schools the picture of (leorg-e Washington and Abraham Lincoln are hung, and the .Japanese think these great Presidents belong not only to the United States hut to the world, and to Japan, because they were the emancipators from the old bondage of tyranny. In the spring of last year they were alarmed that the United States was acting to exclude Japanese from her territory, and they were sorry to find out that the spirit of George Washington does not abide in the hearts of the United States citizens. America to-day is only a land of liberty for the white race. It is no more a land of liberty for the yellow race. America has closed her doors absolutely to the Oriental nations. In future we Japanese must discriminate between two kinds of people in America, namely those who are Christians anti those who uphold the principles of senators. While we uphold the principles ol senators we can never have a "World’s Republic. Warfare will continue between races. Hatred will be powerful rather than goodwill. We must arm and must he prepared to fight each other. We shall need more and more armaments against enemies. "We shall not he able to believe in our neighbours. We shall repeat again the tragedy of the great wars, and civilisation and culture will he destroyed over and over again. We shall never Ik? able to rise up higher than physical civilisation. Civilisation, however, means more than material things. In science, art. industry. and religion there is no colour line. The religion of India may influence China and Japan. The religion of the Hebrews may influence Greeks tnd Romans. The geometry of Euclid

may be preserved by Saracens, and algebra preserved by Arabians, may bo studied in Oxford. The inventions of Thomas Edison may be utilised in the country villages of Japan. Science and art have no boundaries of nationalities. So we must climb up higher to cherish our culture of mental and spiritual evolution. Without religion we shall never unite races. The true religion is the only one to unite human races. Because religion was deformed into nationalism, science is to-day more co.smo|K)litan than religion. Yet the spirit of Jesus Christ was that of cosmopolitanism. He lielievcd in one Heavenly Father and world brotherhood, hut in the last European war men could not believe in world brotherhood. Germans hated French. Turks hated British, and the principles of Jesus Christ were trampled under foot. Trivial instinct is stronger than the true teachings of Jesii- Christ. The United States senators have carried this mistaken sentiment hack from the European battlefield. They are still guided by nationalistic ideas and they consider that even Japan is aggressive to-day against the United States. But Japan is very idealistic to-day. She has found that the world can never find peace while it i- armed. Japan kept her promise at the W a-hingtou Disarmament Conference and the preachine- of the American Christian missionaries were vecoived ;ts the truth. Leaders el Japan are following the Christian jiririciples of loving-kindness aiming races. While the Japanese leaders and the nation have awakened to idealistic principles the old idealistic nation of America has deserted her principles of the Christian faith ami gone hack to nationalistic and trivial instincts, anil lias discriminated between the White and Yellow. 1 do not consider that Christianity has failed to solve the racial question. The failure is on our side. i.c.. that we tire not, willing to follow the principle of Jesus Christ. We are too egoistic, and the nations to-day are selfish enough as to exploit other small nations. hook at the whole continent of A-iit. Japan is the only nation nV has independence, and the whole of Asia is under the white man’s control Though the white races believe m Christianity, they are not believing in true Christianity. Their Christianity is only in words. Ihe Sermon on tho Mount has never been practised by tho European nations. As individuals, quite a number of people iollow the steps of Jesus Christ, ami to-day within a nation we have a Christian culture. hut as nations we are brutal its wild beasts. Tho principles of Jesus Christ were not those of individualism. The idea ol the Kingdom <>l Heaven and its realisation is as much a social gospel as communism or socialism. The nations must follow the principles ol Jesus t hrist. and only by following those principles with a gospel of forgiveness and mutual aid can we find a true society m the world’s republic on the surlaee ol the earth. These views given so force! idly are entitled to all respect, more especially as they must lie the views also of maiiv of those with whom Toyohiko Kagawa has been associated. In that fact lie the special complexity of the problem the solving of which it is difficult to forsce or forte'll.