YELLOW VERSUS WHITE

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4301, 9 March 1901, Page 3 (Supplement)

YELLOW VERSUS WHITE

THE DANGER FROM THE EAST. The recent confidences of the Japanese diplomatist to the “Novoye Vremya” have nothing very new about them; the same sentiments may be read iu any history of Japan. The Land of the Rising Sun has always been haunted by the dread , of European aggression. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Jiis feeling was uppermost. It culminated in a species of “Boxer” movement, aud the massacre of all Christians, as -the advance, guard of the would-be conquerors. Then Japan shut herself up, and came out of her seclusion only on account of the show of force mode by the American expedition under Commodore Perry. The argument then, was: Resistance now is hopeless; let ua admit the foreigner, learn his ways and' weapons, till we are proficient enough to beat him.

Japan’s ambition is to administer China herself, much as we administer 1 ' India, but as she lacksi the strength,she ‘ - has joined the European Concert and bides lier time. Russia—to whom the yellow peril is always a very real dread —would seem 1 to realise Japanese diplomacy, and to. be seeking to outbid Japan in posing as . China’s friend. European distrust of, Russia is Japan's opportunity. It is improbable, however, that Japan, as yet, has any absolutely definite scheme. She toys between the West and the East. She would be with theWest were one darling project realised. That project is to connect-the Japanese Imperial family with a European Royal 1 House. A European bride for some future Emperor would be what she would like, but she would have to bo ai “big gun.” Eventually, no doubt, if Japan and China, act in some Russian princess will be given to a Mikado, as the princesses of the Eastern Roman Empire were given to Russian invaders about a thousand yeart agd. 1 A failure of the European Concert , can always start the ball rolling in 'this direction. It should always be remem - bered that a Japanese ’ despises the Chinese, and mo Japanese has ideals of an alliance like the Franco-Russian entente. ‘ Japan aims to officer the Chinese Army and Navy,- and generally; to play the role of the governing class. It is, in fact, not so much from China as from Japan that danger ■isto be anticipated ‘ ( eventually. The day is distant yet, but our children may see it. '