THE EAST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXIII, Issue 9895, 27 January 1911, Page 5

THE EAST.

ADDRESS BY LORD GURZON.

AN ILLUMINATING SPEECH,

Press Association —Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Received Thursday, at 11.45 p.m.

LONDON, Thursday.

Lord Curzou, in delivering a Rectorial address at the Glasgow University, discussed the demand of the East for representative institutions. There had. he said, been an enormous change, during the decade, and the personal ruler still appealed to the Oriental; but Where absolutism is accompanied by defiance of the national spirit, the East is willing to borrow Western methods. This was a symptom of reviving self-consciousness in the Oriental mind.

Referring to coloured labour, and the objections of Australia, South Africa, Canada aud America, he said it was not based on prejudioe alone. It had economic justification. There was a danger, however, that it would attain serious proportions. The British, with their Liberal, humanitarian ideas, should be the leaders against prejudice, especially as the coloured races within the Empire were outnumbered. The Eastern world seemed everywhere to involve a refined sense of national pride, coupled with resentment, against foreigners. Possibly if foreign capital aud protective instruments were withdrawn, the East would incontinently collapse; but the East was aspiring to walk alone. Behind the desire there was a certain feeling of injured self-respect. The East was unlikely to accept Christianity.

Ohiua's future depended mainly on whether the Parliamentary Government had a dissolvent effect ou tiie inside of the Empire. If China was able to preserve unity and organise industry and commerce, she must become one of the great Powers.

Lord Curzou, continuing, said that the self-centred, unwarlike character of the Chinese,reudered it improbable that they would utilise their power for. aggressive purposes. Cnina contained enough uiioccupied territory for double her present population.

Japan's principal need was to preserve those national virtues of selfsacrificing patriotism, and simplicity, which keen observers reported to be iv some jeopardy; also to check Socialistic doctrines among the industrial proletariat. Korea, Manchuria, and Saghalien would suffice for Japan's surplus population for a while. If the present attitude of America aud the British overseas Dominions, in prohibiting Asiatic immigration, were maintained, it may lead to a conflict. The Philippine Islands were perilously near to Japan, but within the tropics, where it was doubtful if the Japanese would be able to settle and work.