THE “YELLOW PERIL.”

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 374, 18 April 1908, Page 3

THE “YELLOW PERIL.”

A Vivid Forecast.

Helpless Australasia.

A vivid forecast of the “ yellow peril,” in which, apparently, he has full belief, was given on Sunday evening last by the Rev. G. H. M’Neur, of the Canton Villages Mission, in the course of an address at the Kent Terrace Presbyterian Church, Wellington. Mr M’Neur was sent to China six years ago as the first Missionary of the New Zealand Presbyterian Church in the Canton district. The immense population about Canton is less subject to Christian influences than remote districts in the middle and West of China, the reason being that the Canton Chinese, having had the longest and closest experience of foreigners, have had reason to hate them most. Mr M’Neur referred to the old atrocities of Portuguese, Dutch, and Spaniards near Canton, and to the action of the British Government in forcing opium on China. It happens, however, that eight out of ten Chinese in New Zealand, are Cantonese, and the Presbyterian Church in this country was able to make this its pretext for introducing missionaries into the Canton “villages.” Six of these villages have a population of 20,000; three of them have the population of Dunedin and Christchurch. They are private settlements, belonging to the different clans; no other foreigners than the New Zealand missionaries could have dared to set foot in them. Mr M’Neur audhis fellowworkers did so, armed with messages from New Zealand Chinese to their relatives in China, and authorised to receive messages from them. Now the New Zealand Presbyterian Mission has six churches round about Canton; three which it has built itself, and three which it has taken over from the American Presbyterian Mission. Assisted by a band of enthusiastic Chinese helpers whom they have gathered round them, the missionaries are making fast progress, and they see open doors before them in every direction.

AN KNOKMOUS ARMY. At least every fourth person in this world is a Chinese. “ What a tremendous problem we shall have,” • Mr M’Neur e*xclaimed, “ with the awakening of the East.’ China, he said, was now forming a huge army, which in time would be proportionate to its vast population. Against it the army of no single European Power would be able to stand. On all colour questions Japan would be allied with China, and the speaker doubted whether India would be found outside the compact, for India, too, belonged to the East. The whole matter was of burning importance to New Zealand and Australia, which lie in the gateways ot the East. That China had already awakend, Mr M’Neur declared, there could be no possible doubt to one who had lived in China. He knew that au immense garrison —one of several had been gathered at Canton during the last four years. Numbers of young Chinese officers were being trained by Japanese and German instructors ; the rank and file wore ordinary uniforms, carried up-to-date rifles, marched to the kettle-drums, and were as good soldiers as the best. Eord Charles Beresford had said that the Chinese soldier, properly disciplined and led, was as good as the world good show ; that was also the opinion of General Gordon. Past wars were absolutely no criterion. Formerly the Chinese had been without patriotism; now they were intensely

patriotic. Formerly one part of the country was in absolute ignorance of what was happening on the seaboard, and war might be

waged for months with a foreign Power, and millions of Chinese not know of its existence. Now the

Empire had been welded together J'y means of the telegraph, it wa s filing welded yet more closely by the railways and newspapers It was impossible to touch Chinese interests in any part of the world without China being at once a ware of it A chinaman could not be shot to-day in the streets of W ellingtou without it being known in Canton to-morrow, and published

in all the native newspapers. There were from 15 to 20 dailynewspapers in Canton alone. All this had introduced an entirely new spirit of patriotism in China, which was going to make that country in the future a tremendous power. A great educational revival was now in progress, » and the only difficulty was to find teachers for the schools, which, formed upon European lines, were springing up in every town and village. Ten thous-

and Chinese students now in Tokio, and thousands now receiy-

ing a European education in America and elsewhere, were coming back to mould the destinies of China, which must inevitably creep up into the front rank of the world’s powers. GREAT REFORMS. Great reforms were also being undertaken by. the Chinese Government, including the repression of the opium vice. In Canton last August, 1700 opium saloons were closed in one day—prohibition with a vengeance and no riots followed, because the people were in sympathy with the reform. He had noticed that only a few weeks ago a Chinaman had been arrested in the North Island for smoking opium, and medical testimony was given that, after his long addiction to the drug, if he - ceased smoking -now he would inevitably die. Despite this evidence he was 'fined £5. Yet the British Government

introduced hundreds of tons of opium into Canton. In one year they sent three million pounds worth to Hong Kong, and they derived a revenue of six million pounds a year out of the .traffic in this drug. It was something to know that the Government had promised to reduce the importation by one-tenth in each year, if China kept to her agreement-. China had promised constitutional government to her people in ten years, and was taking steps to bring this about. VAIN LAWS AGAINST ASIATICS. At the present time China had hardly touched her immense mineral resources. When she did there would be an industrial revolution such as could hardly be conceived. The Chinese were not going to let foreigners interfere with the development of their mineral wealth. They were crying out against concessions to tlie foreigners in this particular, and the whole Empire was rallying to the cry of “ China for the Chinese!” We demanded the open door in China, and said, “No” to the colonising instincts of the Asiatic. Our legislation as regards Eastern emigrants would very soon be worth just the force we put behind it, and absolutely nothing more. And, when we remembered that the whole Chinese Empire was developing a volunteer force, what would our force be worth ? No legislation of ours would keep Australasia white, for if the Chinese or Japanese wished to come in, they would. Where could we find an army that could defend the great coasts of Australia, for example, against the hosts which China or Japan could bring to bear ? Just at present the danger seemed greatest from Japan, because she had no room for expansion. The population of China was chiefly about the sea coast, and when railways were built and the development of the country began, the railways would take more of the people inland. He would not wonder if we saw an exodus of Chinese from all parts of the world to develop the resources of their own country', for the Chinaman never willingly lived away' from his native laud. The first fear of the yellow peril was in regard to Japan, but China, it must be remembered, had many old scores to settle. When we had it in our power we had held might to be right, and we had done what we wished with the face of God’s globe. What could we say against China and Japan if they went seeking colonies ? Also,fin regard to the opium traffic, and many other things, we had cruelly illtreated the Chinese ; we had treated them as if' White were God’s colour. We were disposed to look down on the coloured races as beneath us ; to forget that Christ was born an Asiatic, and that the Bible was an Asiatic book, written when our forefathers dwelt in caves. We held the Gospel as a trus' - , and if we did not give it to the Chinese and others we should lose it, with its blessings. If we did not Christianise these great Eastern nations they would paganise the world. More money and more missionaries were needed, if the work was to be done properly.