Untitled

Te Aroha News, Volume XI, Issue 1719, 2 March 1895, Page 2

Though China and Japan havo been at variance before now, their past disputes are matters of only antiquarian interest. Their present war bids fair, however, to bulk more largely in history than any other, with the single exception of that of American Independence. Thirty years ago the Japanese were on the same level of barbarism as the Chinese, or rather, were some centuries behind the slackwater level of civilisation, at which the latter have mysteriously stopped for the past thousand years or so. Since then she has made extraordinary progress in, at any rate, all the outward and visible signs of civilisation. She has a Parliament on the only true English heaven-born pattern; a centralised system of Government on the equally divine French system; which Mr Reeves is striving so hard for here; and a thoroughly efficient army and navy, with a number of Moltkes and Nelsons. Her commercial morals are said to be bad enough for a Christian, or Manchester community, but her publio service is apparently a model of integrity. China, on the other hand, has steadily resisted the influx of modi ru ideas, her citizens’ private v rfcues, particularly their patience, irndustry and thrift, are such that the otherwise self-sufficient Caucasian in Australasia and the States has been compelled, in self-defence, to b xycott them, but her public system is notoriously corrupt, and while she has ent large sums on war material and competent European instructors, her army and navy exist, so far as personnel is concerned, only as a Tom Tiddler’s ground, for the superior officers, who draw the bulk of the military and naval appropriations by no more onerous qroeess than filling up the pay-sheets. Japan sees her opportunity of playing a Napoleonic game in the East, aid to do her justice, has played* it to perfection so far. Her admirals are quoted as Nelsons of the new system of naval warfare, and revolutionary theories on the harmlessness, of torpedoes are built upon the fact that neither par y appears- t > have had the skill to use them with effect. She may, however, make the same mistake as Napoleon in 1813-14, and by grasping at too much lose all. It would be a great mistake for English statesmen to look c n the war as simply an object lesson on tho advantage of civilisation, or the inutility or otherwise of torpedo es. Far greater questi >ns are at stake, and it may , be considered certain that if England d< es not see them Eufsi i will. The fr. ntiers of three great p iwers, Russia, Francs and England, march with those of China. The la te • has a popu atioa estimated at f< ur hundred millions, the greater ] art possessing in perfection the 1 est attributes of tie soldier, those which won for us Agineourt and Waterloo and in the impending battle of Armageddon her alliance will probably turn the scale. So far as human eye can see the future of the world lies between the English speaking races, which in the States rapidly absorb both Scandinavians and Germans, the Sclavonic race of which Russia is the natural head and the Chinese. The day of the Latin races is past, France for instance is steadily declining in population. With all three powers on her frontier China • has-causes of dispute but as regards England, these are* confined to questions of vague suzerainty and tribute in Buimah and Nepaul. With France and Russia on the other hand, the sore has been serious and continuous. For years a petty warfare has been going on with France on the Tonquin frontier, while Russia has seized every opportunity of Chinese embarrassment to filch territory from her. China has already compelled her peaceably to retire from Ili and Kuldja and made her keep her hands off Kashgar and Yarkand, and warned her that these were by no means the limit of her demand. That Russia should permit an aggressive power like Japan to get a footing on the continent is most unlikely unless indeed Japan is blind enough to join with her, as the cat to pull the chestnuts out of the fire with the reserved condition of being devoured last. China will no doubt grasp any band extended to her in her trcuble, without counting too accurately the immediate cost, being satisfied to bide her time and recover it, but for the reasons we have given England is the power which she would naturally lean on; and English statesmen had never a greater opportunity of securing a .mortgage on future Chinese gratitude than now. The combat between Japan and China has hitherto been like that between the thrasher and the whale, and as yet the thrasher has had the best of it, but when the whale learns to use his strength his - alliance will be worth having. And if the thrasher objects we can brush’ him off as easily as a mosquito.