The Yellow Whirlwind.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 57, 11 March 1904, Page 3

The Yellow Whirlwind.

NO. ni.-"THE COM IXC, RULERS OF THE WORLD." Dy Lord Wi.lselev. The situation in the Far Kust, 1 |,e Daily Mail says, will have a special interest lor Lord Wolseley, who, wiili the vast, experience of a'great soldier, and the mind oi n statesman, has long held a profound belief in the essential greatness of the people of Asia. " There! is no nation numericnliv as great as China," his lordship writes. " whose customs and mode of life are so generally common to all onus of their vast empire. To me I hey are lite most remarkable race oil earth, and I have always thought and" still believe I hem lo be the great coming rulers nf the world. They only waul a Chinese Ivier the (iivul. or .Napoleon lo make them so. They have e\cry .pmlity i li. .-.i for Ihe good soldier and I he K ood sailor, and in m.v idle speculation on Ihis world's future i have long selected them as 1 -omhalanls on one side at the great bailie of Armugc.iil.iii. the people of the Iniled Slates of America being their opponents.'' sages from an article whirl, " Lord Wolseley contributed to the Cosmopolitan in 1«'.).-., when China and .lapan were at war ; and the following extracts from this survey of I he Fur East at that time are again topical to-day : THE RISE OF .IAI'AX. When I visit,.,l Yeddo and the ports of Japan, in the winter of 1800-01, the country was ruled upon the most, exclusive Japanese methods. The people were held in subjection bv a hereditary nobility, who'ruled tiieu, with a rod of iron. The.v were then far behind china in all matters conprevent any communication with foreign places. Japanese junks were, in accordance with the law, constructed with low, open uterus, so that the.v dared not venture bevond a lewmiles from shore. Besides, while Hi* Chinaman had always been a good sailor, the Japanese never had been so. Hut there was then nolhing apparent to the foreign traveller in Japan which foretold thr serious changes in political constitution and system of government wbich were impending. The great social and political revolutions which brought about these changes were effected without any outside help or the pressure of foreign war. Xo one can be blind to the enorm.itis strides In progress Japan has made, the immense reforms she has effected, and the powerful nation she has converted herself into during the last quarter of a century. It is a most utiiar.ing reformation. and change from , a condition o! impotence into one of greatness and power. History tells us of no similar revolution in so short a period. Her rulers have had the wisdom to make their progress in military and naval power keep pace with their social ieforms and every rising mercantile prosperity. The result is the rroalion of a power in Hie Eastern seas that must in future be alwn.vs taken into consideration by Western statesmen. CIIIXA AS A GREAT I'OWEK. For the historian it is a point of interest to note that while aristocratically governed Japan deliberately and peacefully revolutionised lis own Constitution from top to bottom, converting itself into a powerful monarchy, very much upon English lines, the Chinese people, possess:ng no arislocracy, and among whom Hie heredilary principle is practically unknown, where no title or position in the Slute descends from talher to son, whose ideas are sociullv democrat ic. have In-ill entirely unable to form themselves, or even lo row the seeds that would in lime bring forth a harvest of national strength. What are the chances in favour of China becoming a groat power in tinworld when this war comes to an end ? She possesses—in my humble opinion—every essential requisite for national greatness, though at Ihis present moment she seems to lank the [lower to organise and properly mould and direct the energy of her vast population. If Japan were able to reform herself wilhin and without when under no press ire, why should not China do so now, when the weakness of her political constitution and the absurdity -)f her out-of-date national institutions have become evident to even the least educated of her classes ? Whatever may be the form of government involved through her defeat, I think it may be assumed that she will, without loss of time, creale a regular unity upon European lines. T can see no limit to the size o! thearmy she could raise, and, according to my estimate of the lighting qualities of her men, I think it ought to be the first army in the world.' Indeed, I can See no reason why in the next few generations it should not, if properly led, turn out of Asia every European Power now holding territory there. THE CHINESE SOLDIER. Few races could make better soldiers that the Chinese would if under British officers, and when once their army had been thoroughly trained according to European methods, I feel confident that a first-rate set of regimental officers would soon come into existence. Rut before this desirable end can be accomplished, there must come about, a complete change of feeling on the part of the people towards the men who have to light their battles for them on lund und sea. In Japan the soldier has in all ages headed the list, in the scale of social precedence, and he has always been highly esteemed by all classes. Put the reverse of this has been the case in China, where the soldier has long been, and still is. at the foot of the social ladder, and is, consequently, universally despised. The contempt with which the Chinaman has for generations viewed the soldier's profession has been in itself a complete bar to military elliciency. ') he father would not put into the army the. son who, he thought, possessed sufficient, ability to command success in uny other walk oi life. Indeed, it, was iiulv what we may fairly call Ihe rubbish of the nation who ever became officers in the Chinese army. The rank and lile have fringes been drawn from ihe 'owesl, 'fill'. HA Nil (IF A NAPOLEON. 1 believe Hie Chinese people possess all the nt;,l nnd physical qualities required for national greatness. They hue the land of I heir birth will) a superstilioiis reverence ; Hu-v believe in their own superioril v, and despise all other races, 'i'hev are 1i,:,. men. endow,.,l with great power- of endurance ; iciest rious and thrifty, the.v have rev- wants. aid can live on Utile, and thai linkpoor food. Absolutely indifferent to death, they are fearless and brave, and when well trained and well led make first-rate soldiers. I have seen them under lire, and found them cool nnd undismayed by danger. If thev were provided with a small proportion of English ollicers. and were oi-e-nnisrd as the Egyptian artm has been by us since LS.-'-J. their army would soon be, according to my opinion, one of Hie linest. This hardy, clever race, whose numbers are lo be counted in hundreds of millions, needs onlv ll,e quickeiuue, e,inline-, controlling hind and mind of a .Napoleon lo be u.liveried into the greatest, and most powerful nation that has ever ihclaled terms to the world ! Hut a Napoleon does not always appear were wanted.