THE FAR EAST.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXV, Issue 9731, 7 January 1908, Page 1

THE FAR EAST.

;.'Bt Electbio Telegraph—Copyright.]

(Pun Pbess Association.) . Received 1 January 7, at 7.29 a.m. Tokio, January 6. The newspaper Kokumin Shimbim complains of the attitude of the Chinese, and hints that unless outstanding questions are arranged Japan will be forced to mobilise 700,000 men. CHINA AND JAPAN. Mr Angus Hamilton, writing upon China and Japan, has sonic interesting speculations as to what may happen in the Far East, in a recent article in .a London paper. "Looking back at the conditions of Asia in the 18th and 19th centuries," he save, "and comparing them with those existing to-day, it will be noticed' that as w-ide a gulf separates Japan from China, in the 20th century as then separated China: from the rest of the Far Fast. On one side there is China, unemotional, and only slightly irruptive ; on the other there is l Japan, voicing the regeneration of Asia with raucous tones. .. . . . . While China is commercially independent of the West, and Japan dependent upon it. all branches of foreign ir.du.stry cannot but view with alarm the increasing aggressiveness .of the spirit of independence now inspiring Asia at the prompting of Japan. Obviously these signs are the indication of an. approaching cleavage between, Fast and' West, which, when, fully attained 1 , will bear, witness the complete severance of the shackles* hitherto enthralling Asia, to the interests and purposes of the West. must not be forgotten that Japan already has achieved her complete regeneration. Thirty' vears hence China, no doubt, will " have followed suit, when a federacy of the Far Eastern Powers may become mi accomplished fact. Kven at this moment such a union is possible, and its realisation would impose upon all European Governments the immedjate revision of their Asiatic policies. At this time such a combination is hamccrcd only by the unwillingness of China to accept "the* suggestions of Japan in anything affecting the policy of Asia, al-hc-ugh. in spite of this objection, active eformiug, influences are gradually effecting important fhanges throughout the h'nese Empire. For the moment, thereore, Japan is content to tread alone the iath she has marked out, encouraging her 'iibjects by example to exploit Asia ,for •lie Asiatics, and to secure recognition of lie doctrine of equality between the white i.nd Asiatic races. If the full signifiance of tin's movement is not yet disenable, there is enough evidence to show hat the problem will rank among the greatest that the politics of the twenieth century can disclose. Not only ne part of the civilised globe will be fleeted by the rise of a dominant Asia, ''or the' whole world will be eonfront(l equally with the necessity of reisting whatever indications may appear, f it is difficult to devise an arrangement horf- of total exclusion that does nob id nut an annual influx of a large number >f Japanese, Chinese, Korean, or Indian mmigrants into lands affected by this ivt■a.iion, it is at least tolerably certain that f the existing How of Asiatics across the 'aciiie to America, and .Australasia- coninues unabated for a further decade, the rreas now menaced will be inhabited by ;. white minority. It appears evident that he continuation of the Far Fast under •listing conditions is doubtful, if not. impossible, in view of the awakening of vsia. and the visible prejudices that Wcstm democracy entertains against the vsiatic. Yet if the clash of conflicting nte-re-sts ultimately precipitates a struggle ctween the two great racial divisions of he world, there can be no doubt that the uoral teachings of humanity will be d'is:rcdited.