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America Through the Spectacles of an Oriental Diplomat-Part17_TingFang Wu(1842-1922)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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to discuss questions affecting Imperial and Colonial interests.



Imperial federation seems to be growing popular with the British

and it is probable that in the future England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland



will each have its own parliament, with an Imperial Parliament,

sitting at Westminster, containing representatives from all parts



of the British Empire, but America is the only nation

which has added to her responsibilities with the avowed purpose



of making semi-civilized tribes independent, self-governing colonies,

and America is almost the only great power that has never occupied



or held territory in China.

Let me ask again what is the object of nations seeking new possessions?



Is it for the purpose of trade? If so, the object can be obtained

without acquiring territory. In these days of enlightenment



anyone can go to any country and trade without restriction,

and in the British colonies the alien is in the same position as the native.



He is not hampered by "permits" or other "red-tape" methods. Is it for

the purpose of emigration? In Europe, America and all the British colonies,



so far as I know, white people, unless they are paupers or undesirables,

can emigrate to any country and after a short period become naturalized.



Some statesmen would say that it is necessary for a great power

to have naval bases or coaling stations in several parts of the world.



This presupposes preparations for war; but if international peace

were maintained, such possessions would be useless and the money



spent on them wasted. In any case it is unproductive expenditure.

It is the fashion for politicians (and I am sorry to find them supported



by eminent statesmen) to preach the doctrine of armaments; they allege

that in order to preserve peace it is necessary to be prepared for war,



that a nation with a large army or navy commands respect,

and that her word carries weight. This argument cuts both ways,



for a nation occupying such a commanding position may be unreasonable

and a terror to weaker nations. If this high-toned doctrine continues



where will it end? We shall soon see every nation arming to the teeth

for the sake of her national honor and safety, and draining her treasury



for the purpose of building dreadnaughts and providing armaments.

When such a state of things exists can international peace be perpetuated?



Will not occasion be found to test those war implements and to utilize

the naval and military men? When you purchase a knife don't you expect



to use it? Mr. Lloyd George, the English Chancellor of the Exchequer,

in a speech in which he lamented the ever-increasing but unnecessary



expenditure on armaments, said in Parliament: "I feel confident

that it will end in a great disaster -- I won't say to this country,



though it is just possible that it may end in a disaster here."

A man with a revolver sometimes invites attack, lest what was at first



intended only for a defense should become a menace.

When discussing the craze of the Western nations for adding to



their territories I said that white people can emigrate to any foreign country

that they please, but it is not so with the yellow race. It has been



asserted with authority that some countries are reserved exclusively

for the white races, and with this object in view laws have been enacted



prohibiting the natives of Asia from becoming naturalized citizens,

besides imposing very strict and almost prohibitory regulations



regarding their admission. Those who support such a policy hold that they,

the white people, are superior to the yellow people in intellect,



in education, in taste, and in habits, and that the yellow people

are unworthy to associate with them. Yet in China we have manners,



we have arts, we have morals, and we have managed a fairly large society

for thousands of years without the bitter class hatreds, class divisions,



and class struggles that have marred the fair progress of the West.

We have not enslaved our lives to wealth. We like luxury but we like



other things better. We love life more than chasing imitations of life.

Our differences of color, like our differences of speech, are accidental,



they are due to climatic and other influences. We came originally

from one stock. We all started evenly, Heaven has no favorites.



Man alone has made differences between man and man, and the yellow man

is no whit inferior to the white people in intelligence.



During the Russo-Japan War was it not the yellow race that displayed

the superior intelligence? I am sometimes almost tempted to say






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