the path of empire-第33章

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en　a　widespread　sentiment　that　the　islands　should　ultimately　be　given　their　independence；　and　this　sentiment　has　largely　governed　the　American　attitude　toward　them。　A　native　Legislature　was　established　in　1907　under　Governor　Taft；*　and　under　the　Wilson　Administration　the　process　toward　independence　has　been　accelerated；　and　dates　begin　to　be　considered。　The　process　of　preparation　for　independence　has　been　threefold：　the　development　of　the　physical　well…being　of　the　islands；　the　education　of　the　islanders；　and　the　gradual　introduction　of　the　latter　into　responsible　positions　of　government。　With　little　of　the　encouragement　which　might　have　come　from　appreciative　interest　at　home；　thousands　of　Americans　have　now　labored　in　the　Philippines　for　almost　twenty　years；　but　with　little　disposition　to　settle　there　permanently。　Their　efforts　to　develop　the　Filipinos　have　achieved　remarkable　success。　It　has　of　late　been　found　possible　to　turn　over　such　a　large　proportion　of　the　governmental　work　to　the　natives　that　the　number　of　Americans　in　the　islands　is　steadily　diminishing。　The　outbreak　of　the　war　with　Germany　found　the　natives　loyal　to　American　interests　and　even　saw　a　son　of　Aguinaldo　taking　service　under　the　Stars　and　Stripes。　Such　a　tribute；　like　the　services　of　Generals　Smuts　and　Botha　to　Great　Britain；　compensates　for　the　friction　and　noise　with　which　democracy　works　and　is　the　kind　of　triumph　which　carries　reassurance　of　its　ultimate　efficiency　and　justice。

*　By　the　Act　of　July　1；　1902；　the　Legislature　was　to　consist　of　two　houses；　the　Commission　acting　as　an　upper　house　and　an　elective　assembly　constituting　a　lower　house。　The　Legislature　at　its　first　session　was　to　elect　two　delegates　who　were　to　sit；　without　the　right　to　vote；　in　the　House　of　Representatives　at　Washington。　An　Act　of　August　29；　1916；　substituted　an　elective　Senate　for　the　Philippine　Commission　as　the　upper　house　of　the　Legislature。



CHAPTER　XIV。　The　Open　Door

The　United　States　arrived　in　the　Orient　at　a　moment　of　high　excitement。　Russia　was　consolidating　the　advance　of　two　centuries　by　the　building　of　the　trans…Siberian　railroad；　and　was　looking　eagerly　for　a　port　in　the　sun；　to　supplement　winter…bound　Vladivostok。　Great　Britain　still　regarded　Russia　as　the　great　enemy　and；　pursuing　her　policy　of　placing　buffer　states　between　her　territories　and　her　enemies；　was　keenly　interested　in　preventing　any　encroachment　southward　which　might　bring　the　Russian　bear　nearer　India。　France；　Russia's　ally；　possessed　IndoChina；　which　was　growing　at　the　expense　of　Siam　and　which　might　grow　northwards　into　China。　Germany　saw　in　eastern　Asia　the　richest　prize　remaining　in　the　world　not　yet　possessed　by　her　rivals；　and　it　was　for　this　that　she　was　seeking　power　in　the　Pacific。　Having　missed　the　Philippines；　she　quickly　secured　Samoa　and　purchased　from　Spain　the　Caroline　Islands；　east　of　the　Philippines；　and　all　that　the　United　States　had　not　taken　of　Spain's　empire　in　the　Pacific。

These　latent　rivalries　had　been　brought　into　the　open　by　the　Chino…Japanese　War　of　1894…1895；　which　showed　the　powerlessness　of　China。　The　western　world　was；　indeed；　divided　in　opinion　as　to　whether　this　colossus　of　the　East　was　essentially　rotten；　old；　decrepit；　and　ready　to　disintegrate；　or　was　merely　weak　because　of　arrested　development；　which　education　and　training　could　correct。　At　any　rate；　China　was　regarded　as　sick　and　therefore　became　for　the　moment　even　more　interesting　than　Turkey；　the　traditional　sick　man　of　Europe。　If　China　were　to　die；　her　estate　would　be　divided。　If　she　were　really　to　revitalize　her　vast　bulk　by　adapting　her　millions　to　modern　ways；　she　had　but　to　stretch　herself　and　the　toilfully　acquired　Asiatic　possessions　of　the　European　powers　would　shiver　to　pieces；　and　if　she　awoke　angry；　Europe　herself　might　well　tremble。　The　really　wise　saw　that　the　important　thing　was　to　determine　the　kind　of　education　which　China　should　receive；　and　in　solving　this　problem　the　palm　of　wisdom　must　be　given　to　the　missionaries　who　represented　the　great　Christian　societies　of　Europe　and　America。　To　small…minded　statesmen　it　seemed　that　the　situation　called　for　conquest。　No　nation　was　willing　to　be　late　at　the　division；　if　division　it　was　to　be；　while　if　China　was　to　awake；　the　European　powers　felt　that　she　should　awake　shackled。　By　no　one　was　this　latter　view　so　clearly　held　as　by　the　Kaiser。　With　his　accustomed　versatility；　he　designed　a　cartoon　showing　the　European　powers；　armed　and　with　Germania　in　the　forefront；　confronting　the　yellow　peril。　On　sending　his　troops　to　China　in　1900；　he　told　them　to　imitate　the　methods　of　the　Huns；　in　order　to　strike　lasting　terror　to　the　hearts　of　the　yellow　race。　By　such　means　he　sought　to　direct　attention　to　the　menace　of　the　Barbarian；　when　he　was　himself　first　stating　that　doctrine　of　Teutonic　frightfulness　which　has　proved；　in　our　day　at　least；　to　be　the　real　world　peril。

It　was　Japan　who　had　exposed　the　weakness　of　the　giant；　but　her　victory　had　been　so　easy　that　her　own　strength　was　as　yet　untested。　Japan　had　come　of　age　in　1894　when；　following　the　example　of　Great　Britain；　the　various　powers　had　released　her　from　the　obligation　of　exterritoriality　imposed　upon　her　by　treaties　when　their　subjects　were　unwilling　to　trust　themselves　to　her　courts。　It　was　still　uncertain；　however；　whether　the　assumption　of　European　methods　by　Japan　was　real；　and　her　position　as　a　great　power　was　not　yet　established。　In　the　very　moment　of　her　triumph　over　China　she　was　forced　to　submit　to　the　humiliation　of　having　the　terms　of　peace　supervised　by　a　concert　of　powers　and　of　having　many　of　the　spoils　of　her　victory　torn　from　her。

The　chief　fruits　that　remained　to　Japan　from　her　brilliant　military　victory　were　Formosa　and　the　recognition　of　the　separation　of　Korea　from　China：　These　acquisitions　gave　her　an　opportunity　to　show　her　capacity　for　real　expansion；　but　whether　she　would　be　able　to　hold　her　prize　was　yet　to　be　proven。　The　European　states；　however；　claimed　that　by　the　Japanese　victories　the　balance　of　power　in　the　Orient　had　been　upset　and　that　it　must　be　adjusted。　The　obvious　method　was　for　each　power　to　demand　something　for　itself。　In　1898　Germany　secured　a　lease　of　Kiao…chau　Bay　across　the　Yellow　Sea　from　Korea；　which　she　at　once　fortified　and　where　she　proceeded　to　develop　a　port　with　the　hope　of　commanding　the　trade　of　all　that　part　of　China。　Russia　in　the　same　way　secured；　somewhat　farther　to　the　north；　Port　Arthur　and　Talien…wan；　and　proceeded　to　build　Dalny　as　the　commercial　outlet　of　her　growing　railroad。　Great　Britain　immediately　occupied　Wei…hai…wei；　which　was　midway　between　the　German　and　Russian　bases　and　commanded　from　the　south　the　entrance　to　Pekin；　and　also；　much　farther　to　the　south；　Mirs　Bay；　which　gave　security　to　her　commercial　center　at　Hong…kong。　France　took　Kwang…chau；　still　farther　to　the　south；　and　Italy　received　Sanmen；　somewhat　to　the　south　of　the　Yangtszekiang。　From　these　ports　each　power　hoped　to　extend　a　sphere　of　influence。　It　was　axiomatic　that　such　a　sphere　would　be　most　rapidly　developed　and　most　solidly　held　if　special　tariff　regulations　were　devised　to　throw　the　trade　into　the　hands　of　the　merchants　of　the　nation　holding　the　port。　The　next　step；　therefore；　in　establishing　the　solidity　of　an　Asiatic　base；　would　be　the　formulation　of　special　tariffs。　The　result　would　be　the　practical　division　of　China　into　districts　having　different　and　opposed　commercial　interests。

The　United　States　did　not　arrive　in　this　energetic　company　as　an　entire　stranger。　With　both　China　and　Japan　her　relations　had　long　been　intimate　and　friendly。　American　merchants　had　traded　ginseng　and　furs　for　China　silks　and　teas　ever　since　the　United　States　had　been　a　nation。　In　1786　the　Government　had　appointed　a　commercial　agent　at　Canton　and　in　1844　had　made　one　of　the　first　commercial　treaties　with　China。　In　1854　the　United　States　had　been　the　point　of　the　foreign　wedge　that　opened　Japan　to　western　civilization　and　inaugurated　that　amazing　period　of　national　reorganization　and　assimilation　which　has　given　the　Japanese　Empire　her　place　in　they　world　today。　American　missionaries　had　labored　long　and　disinterestedly　for　the　moral　regeneration　of　both　China　a