THE REVOLT OF ASIA

Northern Advocate, 28 August 1913, Page 3

THE REVOLT OF ASIA

(Contributed.)

Is the world within measurab'e distance of the Armageddon of the Crescent and the Cross —of the coloured races against the white? Is Europe, even now, faced with the danger of yet another irruption from Asia's swarming hive? There are

many in the councils of the world prepared to answer in the affirmative.

They point to the Near East as the centre from which the storm will burst and, in the trend of recent events in the Balkans, it must be confessed there is much to support their views. Events in that quarter have followed with such bewildering rapidity that the statesmen of European Chanceller ies may well be excused their gloomy forecast of the near future. The hist few months have witnessed the absolute defeat and humiliation of the Ottoman power in Europe, at the hands of three minor States allied in common cause against their oppressors. The subsequent internecine strife among the allies themselves has been followed by the revival of Turkish power, the re-occupation of the territory wrested from her and the advance of Turkey's armies against those who so recently defeated her. Already the Turks have advanced over the border delimited for them by the Powers and have re-occupied Adrianople and the greater part of Thrace. The Turkish leader is at the head of an army of 400,000 men and a second army of the same strength is being rapidly raised in Anatolia, Syria and other Turkish provinces of Asia Minor. Of course the Great Powers of Eurone have emphatically commanded the Turks to withdraw again within the limits set for them when peace was signed, so recently, between Turkey, and the victorious Balkan allies. Tint the Turks, following the example of their recent conquerors, who, in the hour of victory, refused to be guided by the counsels of the Powers, refuse to budge. It may be taken for granted that, had they been assured of common action from a united Europe, in case of refusal to comply, no such refusal would have been given. But Turkish statesmen are very well aware of the many international jealousies that render con-* certed action by the European Powers, to enforce their demands, a matter of extreme uncertainty. They know that the first attempt at armed intervention may very- well, in the present condition of European politics, hurry on the international war that has, so long, hung as a dark cloud on the horizon. It is scarcely an edifying spectacle, this flouting of Christian Europe by the unspeakable Turk, however much it may rejoice cynics. It must be remembered, however, that, whilst Greek, Servian and Bulgar were at each others / throats Turkey has found time to re- / cover and reorganise and the wellequipped armies now in the field are very different fighting machines to those half-starved levies so easily crushed a few months ago. Even a homogeneous and united Europe might well pause ere attempting to enforce its demands in face of such a show of opposition.

But there is more. Turkey, as head of the Moslem world, has declared her intention of fighting to the last ditch, rather than submit to dictation. Her emissaries are at work in India, China and other countries of Asia that hold large populations of Moslems. By appeals to the religious fanaticism of such peoples they have already obtained a war-fund to replete a bankrupt treasury and enable thorn to again take the offensive with ■vvoll-equipped forces. Turkey's emissaries are fomenting unrest among the Moslems of India with the express purpose of endeavouring to bring pressure to bear on England to intervene on her behalf. Her priests and mullahs, too, are active throughout the length and breadth of Asia, conceivably with the intention, as a last resource, of inducing the other non-Christian races to make common cause with the Moslems against the Christians. The time when Britain could be induced to shield the Ottoman power from the just consequences of her own acts, by the threat of raising a Jehad,, or holy war, asrainst the Christian throughout the Mahommedan world has perhaps gone by for ever. But it is the fear of an

armed Asia making common caus« with the Moslem that appeals so strongly to the imagination of many politicians. The idea is not, after all, so far fetched that we need laugh at those who hold it. For years, before Japan surprised the world by her quick defeat of Russia, the East had been preparing. Patient and inscrutable the preparation for taking offensive measures has gone on unperceived and undreamt of by the natives of the West. Those who thoroughly know the East will tell you that if Europe may be likened to an armed camp, the phrase is, at present equally applicable to the East. The rapproachment of China and Japan is a real fact that must be reckoned with. Chinese warships are being built in Japanese yards and Japanese officers have organised the Chinese army.

There is a purpose behind all this stir of preparation, say the wise ones. The new and virile East awaits only its opportunity and its opportunity may come in the raising of a Jehad by the Ottoman Turk. For, after all, the Turk is Asiatic, -with the same ideals and a code of ethics that, if it differs at all, it differs only in degree. For 700 years the Ottoman Empire has lain like a blot across the face of Christendom but its place is Asia. Like Asia, too, it ha:s a long legacy of hate against Europe. Since the days when-Marco Polo and the early Dutch and Portuguese navigators firs' make known the riches and splendours of the East, Asia has been made the happy-hunting ground for Western cupidity. Asia patiently nurses the memory of countless material wrongs inflicted; of centuries of accumulated insult and of spoliations innumerable—nurses her memories of hate with keen and, unquenchable resentment and bides her time. But the day of reckoning must come. The fusion of Japan and China is inevitable. It is only a question of time and that time is very near say those who profess to know. When the day and the hour arrives then the world will see an armed East arrayed against the West and humanity will be launched upon a war of hemispheres. Half Christendom fell before the last Asian invader and during 900 years we have not succeeded in driving him but of Europe. It was the Turk alone that time, that conquered half Europe. Is the time at hand when Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism will join with Islam in battle against the Christian for worldmastery? And will Europe this tima fall finally before a banded Asia ? These things remain still at thekn-aes of the Gods and no man can pierce the dark veil of the future. But there are many who believe them.