“Japan has seized this time, when the European powers are engaged in a
hand-to-hand struggle for existence, to begin the work of the
consolidation of the yellow races. Japanese statesmen have explained her
position as that of mediator between the West and the East. Japan does
not desire to be the mediator between the West and the East. She wants
to be the East.”
This is the conclusion reached by Samuel G Blythe, in a recent magazine
article discussing the demands made by Japan upon China on the 18th of
January last. The original demands were somewhat modified before
acceptance by China, but in their modified form they virtually give
Japan the hegemony of China. China accepted under a tacit threat of war,
because China was militarily too weak to resist Japan, and because China
knew that she could not look for help at this juncture either from Great
Britain or the United States. The British Empire is engaged in a
struggle for its own existence: The United States, in a military sense,
is almost as weak as China, and faces too many possibilities of
complications with some or all of the European powers to make it safe to
allow its attention to be diverted by the possibility of war with Japan.
There is no reason to believe that Japan has any aggressive designs upon
the United States. In fact, the execution of her design of becoming, as
Mr. Blythe expresses it, “The East,” bids fair to occupy her attention
to such an extent as to preclude the idea of Japan seeking trouble with
this country. But that Japan would stand on the defensive and resist
with her full military power any attempt on our part to intervene in
behalf of China, goes without saying. If we have war with Japan we shall
have to carry the war to Japan, and that, in the present condition of
world affairs, is unthinkable.
In the present cynical attitude of the white and so-called Christian
nations toward each other, it is not surprising that a heathen nation
like Japan should resolve to take advantage of her superior physical
strength to push her own interests. She claims to be a civilized nation,
and so do Christian nations engaged in the great European war claim to
be civilized. But their civilization is not allowed to stand in the way
of their ambitions. It is natural that Japan should aspire to be the
controlling power of Asia. She is the only Asiatic power that is fit for
such a task or that could hope to accomplish such a design.
For Japan to hold her hand now and restrain her ambition when the folly
of the great European nations has offered her an opportunity which may
never occur again, would be an act of extreme self-abnegation even on
the part of a Christian. Can we expect a higher standard of world-ethics
from a heathen? Looking the situation squarely in the face, we may
expect to see Japan set her foot upon the neck of China and subdue that
country politically and economically to her will, for China has no power
of organized resistance. We may then expect to see Japan set up a sort
of Monroe Doctrine of Asia. She will undoubtedly allow Great Britain to
retain India, as Great Britain is already established there, just as we
allow Great Britain to retain Canada—but Japan will say to Europe and
America, “Hands off!” as to new acquisitions in Asia. She will probably
not attempt to interfere with the United States in the Philippines, but
if we should make up our minds to abandon the Philippines, Japan might
extend her protection over the Filipino Republic to prevent it coming
under the influence of any other great power.
As for China, there is reason to believe that Japan’s protectorate over
it, or absorption of it, will be beneficial to the people of that
country in many ways. The Chinese have shown no capacity for
organization or self-government. They have shown no capacity to develop
the magnificent resources of their vast territory. Under Japanese
efficiency China will be developed, and Japan, occupied in this task of
development, will have no time to meddle with American affairs or to
seek to push any colonizing enterprise on the American continents. The
passing of Asia under the virtual suzerainty of an Asiatic power that
has displayed a capacity for civilization and modern progress may be one
of the compensations of the great world war. As for American trade in
the aggregate, it should be helped rather than injured by the awakening
of the sleeping Celestial giant to the touch of Progress.