To the Edstor of the "Norra-Caiwa Datty News.
Si.—The perusal of your leading article this morning is suggestive of many reflections. Are we going to seo war between Russia and Japan? Is such a war a necessary result of Russia's action in the three eastern provinces? If any war can be said to be desirable, which I gather to be the editorial view in this case, should we merchants in China be glad to see such a war break out? Will China take part with Japan and will her doing so be of any assistance to Japan? Can Japan hope for success, and if she succeeds shall we be any better off than we now are? I leave quite out of the question the terribly tragic side of this, and indeed of all wars, and confine myself to the coldblooded quers,:—Will such a war result to our advantage The question then appears to me to resolve itself into this one general proposition:—Would we rather see China which, owing to the lack of patriotism and public spirit manifest in her official class, is in the disgraceful position of being a negligible quantity, fall under Russian or Japanese suprenincy? For this must be the alternative result, whichever side succeeds. Now in a recent most. interesting article you drew attention to the wide-reaching Pan-Asiatic aims of the modern Japanese states-'S men which, if carried out, must inevitably prove a menace to our existence in China, resulting as they must in a yellow alliance of Japan and Ohina the West. We shall see China, under Japanese leading, place still greater restric: tions upon "foreign" trade, shipping, and "foreign" indust are to-day imposed by Russia on "foreigners" throughout her dominions. But whereas Russia is in close touch with the "Qulturvoclker"" of Western Europe, and there is reason to that her people will in time fall into line with the ideas of her neighbouring more liberal and more civilised_communities. China will always remain Chinese and: as exclusive as in the days of Pliny when "§psis fens persimiles" "they shun contact with all outsiders."
China only needs powerful leading and training such as the Japanese, who understand the Oriental mind as we never can, will give her, to revert to her old exclusiveness. Wo that we are hated in Asia, perhaps not altogether unjustly, and students of Japanese modern history and those who know the inner thoughts of the Japanese statesmen are well aware that these are, even more than the Chinese, intensely. jealous of the superior jons of the Buropean, and that the Japanese dislike and fear us with an intensity in accordance with their higher intellectual develop-
They are patient and tactful; they know it is useless to force the dénoue ment; they are adepts in concealing the determined ambition to throw off the galling constraint j of Europe is there and, with China under their thumb, this ambition comes within the range of practical possibilities. The Japanese have more energy and greater organising power than the Russians, and above all they are on the spot. We should, of course, prefer to see Chinas and independent while observant of present treaties with Europe: or, failing this impossible ideal, guided by enlightened foreign advisers, such as England or Germany could furnish, in the same way that Egypt has been resuscitated, with every, regard paid to prior vested interests, and to the benefit of the world at large. But the "Culturvoelker" are still unfortunately suspicious of each other and will not combine. We must wait, it seems, for the happy but remote day of a "United States of Europe." Meanwhile ask again:—Would you rather have China Japanese or Russian?
I am, ete., 28th November.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.