THE "YELLOW PERIL."

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 171, 13 April 1908, Page 8

THE "YELLOW PERIL."

A VIVID FORECAST. HELPLESS AUSTRALASIA. A vivid forecast of tlie " yellow peril," in which, apparently, he lias full belief, was given last evening. by tho Rev. G. 11. M'Neur,"of tho Canton Villages Mission, in the course of an addtess at tho Kent Terrace Presbyterian Church. Mr. M'Neur was sent to China six years ago as tho first Missionary of tho New Zealand Presbyterian Church in tho Canton district'. The' immense population about Canton is less subject to Christian influences than romote districts in the middle and west of China, the reason being that *$he Canton Chinese, haying had the longest and closest experience of foreigners, have had reason to liato them most. Mr. M'Neur referred to tho 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 tho Presbyterian Church in this country was able to make this its pretext for introducing missionaries into the Canton "villages." Six of theso villages have a population of 20,000; three of tliein have the population of Dunedin 'and They arc private settlements, belonging to the. different clans; no other foreigners than tho New Zealand missionaries could havo dared to set foot in them. Mr. M'Neur and his. fellow-workers did soj 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 a'bout Canton: thrco which it lias built itself, and : three which it has taken over from' tho American Presbyterian Mission. Assisted by A band .'of-enthusiastic Chinese helpers whom they have gathered round them, tho missionaries aro making fast progress, .and they see open doors before them in every direction. . . .-. . ' -- AN ENORMOUS ARMY. 'At- least every fourth person in this world is a Chinese. " What a tremendous problem Ave shall have," Mr.' M'Neur exclaimed, " with tho awakening' of the. East." China, he said, was now forming a liugo army, which in time' would bp proportionate to its vast population. ■ Against it tho army .of 110 singlo 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 tho compact, for India, too, belonged to the East. The whole matter Was of burning importance to •Now Zealand and Australia, which lie in tho gateways of tho East. That China had already awakened, Mr: M'Neur declared,'there could' bo 'no possible doubt to one who - had lived in China. Hp know that an immenso .garrison—one of several—had been gathered at Canton during the last four, years. Numbers -of ''young Chinese oflicers Wero being trained by Japanese and' German instructors; the;.-rank.' and file, wore ordinary, uniforms, carried' up-to-date rifles, marched to tho kettle-drums, and wero as good soldiers as the best. Lord Charles Beresford had said that tho Chineso .soldier, properly disciplined and led, was, as good as the world' could show; that was also tho opinion of General Gordon. Past Wars wero absolutely no criterion. Formerly tho Chinoso, had been, withouti patriotism; now thoy wore intensely patriotic. Formerly one part of the country was in absolute ignoranco of what was hap-' pening on the seaboard, and war might bo for months With a- foreign' Power, and millions of Chinoso not know of its existence. Now the Empire had been welded together by-means of the telegraph: it was being welded'yet more closely by 'tho railways' and newspapers. It was impossible to touch Chinoso interests in any part of'the world without China being at' onco-"'aware of. it. A' Chinaman could not be shot to-day,in tho. 'streets .of Wellington without it being known, in Canton .to-morrow, and published ,in. all, -tho native', newspapers'. There" were from 15 to 20 daily,, newspapers in Canton alono. All this had introduced an entirely new spirit of patriotism into 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 tjie schools,,which, formed upon European lines, were springing ■up in ■every town and village. Ton thousand Chinese students now in Tokio, and thousands now receiving a European education l in America and elsewhoro, wero 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 wore also being undertaken by the Chineso Government, ' including , the repression of the opium vice. In Canton last August,; 1700 opium '"saloons ivoro clcscvl m ono day-—prohibition with a vengeance—and 110 riots followed, because, the people wero in sympathy with tho reform. Ho'' had noticed that only a few weeks ago a .China-man-had been arrested in the North Island for smoking opium, and medical testimony was given that, after his long addiction to the drug, if, lie ceased smoking now-, he would inevitably,. die. Despite this-evidence, he .was fined £5. . Yet, the British Governments introduced hundreds of tons of opium into Canton. In one year they sent three million., pounds .worth to .Hong-Kong, and they dorived a revenue of six million pounds ■a year out of tho traffic in this drug. It was somothing to know that the Government had promised to reduco tho importation by one-tenth each year, if China, kept to her agreement. China had promised constitutional government to her peoplo in ton years, and was taking steps to bring this aboutj. , 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. bo : conceived.' The Chineso were, not going to-let foreigners interfere with the development of their mineral wealth. They wero crying out iagainst. concessions to. tiio foroigner in this ' particular, and tho whole Empiro was rallying 'to >tho cry of "China for: tho Chinese!" We demanded the open door in China, and said'"No l^. to the colonising instinct of ~the.Asiatic. Our legislation - lis regards Eastern emigrants would very soon be worth just the forco wo put. behind it, and absolutely nothing more. And, when wo remembered, that the wholo Chineso -Empire, was developing a Volunteer forco, what would our force.bo,worth? No legislation of ours would keep' Australasia White, for if the Chineso or Japanese wished to come in they would. Wliero could we find an army that would 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 tho sea coast, and when railways were' built and tho development of the 1 country began the railways would take moro of tho people inland. He would not wonder if we saw an oxodus 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 land.' Tho first fear of the yellow peril was in regard to Japan, But China, it.must bo reniembored had many old scores to settle. When wo had it in. our power wo had held might to be right, and wo had done what wo wished with the face of God's globe. What could we say against China and Japan if thoy went seeking colonies? Also, in regard to the opium traffic, and many'other things, we had cruelly ill-treated tho Chinese • we had treated , them as if White wero God's colour. Wo wero disposed to look down on the coloured races as beneath us; to forgot that -,Christ, was, born an Asiatic, and that tho Bible was an Asiatic book, written when our forefathers dwelt in caves. Wo held the Gospel as a trust, and if we did not give it to tho Chineso and others we should Imo it, with its blessings. If wo did not Christianise these great Eastern nations they would paganiso tho world. More money and more missionaries wero needed, if the wort tol .1 - , > Vll\J »• l/i ti bo clono properly.