The Yellow Peril. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2685, 30 August 1905, Page 14

The Yellow Peril. TO THE EDITOR.

Sib., — The unbroken record of success of the Japanese arms from February 8, 1904-, to the present dat& has induced a flood of literature bearing upon the future prospects, the aspirations, and intentions of the Japaness in the event d the war terminating in their favour, which now seems all but assured. Some writers picture Japan as a country with a population highly congested, and, flushed with success, will of necessity force expansion by encroaching on other nations. The horrors portrayed a-s following in the wake of their invading chariot wheels has been pictured in language calculated to inspire with fear the timid and unthinking. Russia, we know, has done all she could fco stimulate and encourage the wretched and misleading literary outflow. Germany, too, has not been much less suggestive, though the unquestioned result of the cruelly-provoked war now nearing finality is causing her to trim in view of her changing prospects in the East. Just recently we were advised that " the Emperor did not allude to the Japanese as a scourge of God." Perhaps not, but the denial was long in coming. Japan has never hinted, so far a I am aware, that she desires or dreams of expansion outside her present field of action ; or that she has any fear or misgivings as to the efficiency or sufficiency of her island empire to sustain her present or future population.

The soil of Japan is not so rich as that of the Chinese Empire, neither is the proportion of its available productive area so favourable. The productiveness of Japan is chiefly accounted for by the great industry of its people. Their method of husbandry is primitive in the extreme. With modern appliances and methods the productiveness of their country is capable of vast improvements. They like a simple, frugal, and industrious life, and are cheerful, happy, and contented under the conditions which obtain in their loved island home.

I supply hereunder a few particulars to disprove the necessity for their expansion outskte the QUiftqee Ejnßijre. JVg Uav§

no authority for concluding that they dt. sire or contemplate such expansion. Tlie Chinese Empire, comprising China proper, Thibet, Mongolia, Manchuiia, and Korea, is taid to contain an area of 4,200,000 square miles, and, in 1870, a population of 4/7 ,500,000 — approximately 114- to the square mile. Mongolia contains 1,304,000 square miles, and in 1870 had a population of b,000,000, or 4.6 to the square mile. Manchuria, according to maps and particulars published in 19C4, contains 420,000 square miles an<l a population of 18,000,000. or 42 to the square mile. Japan contains j.oO,OOLi square miles, and a population of 44,000,000, cr 275 to th© square mile. For convenience of comparison, I give New Zealand, which contains 105,000 squara miles, and in 1904 had a population of 800,000, of 7.6 to the square mile. Now, taking the population of the Chinese Empire, with a density of 114 to the square mile, and Japan with a density of 275 to tho square mile. Then 275 less 114 equals 161, and the area of tho Chinese Empire— l,2oo.ooo multiplied by 161, equals 676,200,000. That is, the Chinese Lmpire can sustain an additional population of 676,200,000 before the density of its population exceeds that of Japan. To some extent theso figtires require modifying, as the population of the Empire is that given for the year 1870; but the correction would not seriously affect tho result — it would be merely fractional. Ns'Xt, Manchuria, with a density of 42 to th? square milo, and Janan again with. 275 to the square mile. 275 fess 42—233, and the area of Manoburia 420 000 by 233 equal to 17,640,000, so that Manchuria -alone can sustain an additional population of 17.610,000 and not exceed the density of Japan. Now, Mongolia. To bring the population here up to date I have added 1,825,600, making a total population for 1904 of 7,825.600, or approximately 6 to tlip square mile, and 275 minus 6 equals 269, and the area of Mongolia, 1,304,000 multiplied by 269 equals 251,776,00 C. which meanis that Mongolia ta-i sustain an additional population o' 351,776,000 before the density of her population exceeds that of Japan ! I take this to be a complete reply to the Yellow Peril bogie, which should pacify and silence the timorous croaker for the next 500 •* ears. Here we see that, without any serous congestion, the Chinese Empire and Japan combined are capable of sustaining a population of nearly 1200 millions ! This can be done with primitive husbandry ! Jtiow little of the world's surface needs to_ be scratched to sustain its population ! Whac becomes of Japan's necessity for expansion? I ha\e just finished reading a book on Japan. Its author has a very religious bias, and for confirmation of his deductions he draws *upon friendly clericals with, bents equally prejudicial. Oi all men. living, clericals and otbei-3 with a strong religious bias are the least charitable in their treatment of opposing convictions, and hence the least capable of expressing -a clear, impartial judgment. Their very training is a conspiracy against the independence of thoughtful reasoning. The simple detail of fact 5 ; coining vnder their imrc-ediafce observation may reasonably be accepted in good faibh, but the uses they make of them, require careful sifting. With the object lesson of tha war before him, the author referred to sees nothing in the Japanese humanising religion fit, or worthy to replace the Christian religion. "Why, the ethical inference to be drawn from the primal inception of our vr.unted Christian religion is suggestive of the grossest immorality and repulsive in the extreme. It is not to be compared with the purity and humanising influence of the religion of Japan as practically illustrated throughout the whole course of the present war. The author seems to derive great comfort from the reported conversion cf a few Japanese, high and low. Save them, re gocLs! from the disgrace of such Christianising influences as disgrace and disfigures the Russian nation. If Christianity cannot produce something more pure and ennobling than the present war discloses, let it die — it is unfil for human consumption. Cleared o£ its primal inceptive idea, the Christian religion may still have something to commend it ; but that would be removing the foundation, when the old p.tructure erected thereon must fall. Possibly its residium of good might be grafted on to a stock suggestive of something more noble and purifying than, the old stock. The present war teaches us., as no book can teach, ths utter uselessncss of Christianity as a humanising factcr. We now know full well that the least success on the part of Christian Russia would be followed by the most niti'ess and ruthless crimes on her crushed victims. Their country wou'd ba devastated, their homes plundered, an I the chastity of their loved ones violate^. The cry of the youthful innocents and tli9 imploring appeals of their aged would afford no protection against Christian Russia. Russia is not alone in the debasing crimes that follow success. It is but recently th-fc journalists cited instances of similar criminal barbarity following the success of. tho German soldier, and what was their Emperor's reply? In effect he ecolly admitted the impossibility of restraining the brutal excesses of his conquering army in times of war. What a damning admission of th<j ineffectiveness of the humanising influenr-e> of Christianity. What a contrast we have following the continuous and overwhelming success of the Japanese arms. Here have an army and navy flushed with i' n->n -> most complete- success, exercising in their hour of victory every virtue that the mind of man upholds as an attribute flowing from a divine influence. I=. it cause for comfort) and consolation to be toM that a few ivisguided Japanese arc seceding from a reliorioa that teaches such ennobling and all-reaching humanity and joining Christianity &* exemplified 'by Russia? If so, decadence, not the unrise, of Japan has set in. Reflective people have ample material before them now to form the best judgment procurable without any assistance from ths legion of scribe-? the success of Japan haa produced. A careful and reflective sifting of the cable and other n&vs supplied to the press of th ft colony since the war began affords the best history to bass a judgment) on. — I am, etc., Toiiati Patixi. Tell me not of diamond gems, Set in reeal diadems ; There's a" priceless gem on earth, Of richer and of purer worth. 'Tis priceless, and is known to fame, And you, perhaps, may know its name. For coughs and colds tbo remedy sure Is known as Woods' Gkeai PjsrrEKUiJS*