That tells (in a more convincing way, because of the impatience of the
doctor, accustomed to European conditions, at the slow result of work in
India) how resolute is the White Man's campaign against the Yellow Man's
death-rate in one part of Asia. Such a campaign in time must succeed in
destroying the disease against which it is directed and thus adding
further to the fecundity of Asia.
Nor is the fight against diseases confined to those parts of Asia under
direct White rule. The cult of White medicine spreads everywhere,
carried by Japanese as well as by European doctors and missionaries. Its
effects already show in the enormous increase of Asiatic population,
proved wherever definite figures are available. That growth adds year by
year to the danger that the Yellow Man will overrun the Pacific and
force the White Man to a second place in the ocean's affairs, perhaps
not even leaving him that.
An older and sterner school of thought would have condemned as fatuous
the White Races' humanitarian nurture of the Yellow Races. But the
gentler thought of to-day will probably agree with Dr Fremantle that the
White Man cannot "allow Death to stalk uninterrupted, unopposed" even
through the territory of our racial rivals. But we must give serious
thought to the position which is thus created, especially in view of the
"levelling" racial tendency of modern weapons of warfare. China has a
population to-day, according to Chinese estimates, of 433,000,000;
according to an American diplomatist's conclusions, of not much more
than half that total. But it is, without a doubt, growing as it never
grew before; and modern reform ideas will continue to make it grow and
render the menace of its overflow more imminent.
At present the trend of thought in China is pacific. But it is not
possible to be sure that there will not be a change in that regard with
the ferment of new ideas. The discussion to-day of a Republic in China,
of womanhood suffrage in China, of democratic socialism in China,
suggests that the vast Empire, which has been for so long the example of
conservative immobility most favoured by rhetoricians anxious to
illustrate a political argument, may plunge into unexpected adventures.
China has in the past provided great invaders of the world's peace. She
may in the near future turn again to the thoughts of military adventure.
The chance of this would be increased if in the settlement of her
constitutional troubles a long resort to arms were necessary. Then the
victorious army, whether monarchical or Republican, might aspire to win
for a new China recognition abroad.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account