Life — August 29, 1907 — page 11: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

~LIFE: Ex Oriente Lux 'T of the East, light. Japan has re- sented San Francisco's brutal treat- ment of her citizens; the walloping she administered to the Russ lifted her out of the Inferior Race class und placed her in the singing seat. Since civilization is the art of killing the greatest number of enemies in the shortest given time, Japan has shown a com mendable abattoir record. She now borrows money in ristian markets and her views on religion, morals and high explosives are the admi ration of churches and states. China, Japan’s big, flabby, com- mercial neighbor, has had peace, letters, religion and commerce for thousands of years ; but since she has shown neither disposition nor ability to rob and slaughter her friends and customers, she was very properly sat upon. Civi- lized nations have stolen her territory, flouted her laws, mulcted her revenues and insulted her government, and her industrious people have been hospitably and enthusiastically kicked and cuffed all round the world. China is now going to school to Japan. She is acquiring civilization and marksmanship; and she is learning the wisdom of transforming workers into warriors and ploughshares into swords. Missionary effort has not been wasted, after all. . When Chinese citizens were chased and thumped by frolic- some Anglo-Saxons in the West, we languidly advised the Pekin people that we had no law against vivacity, no precedent for curtailing physical culture; and then we sent them a bill for the injured feelings of our missionaries reproached by meddling apd minatory mandarins who objected to having their absurd prophets Confucius and Mencius derided and damned. We told China to learn her place, get off the map, or get civilized. Japan civilized is Japan “captious; and Japan offended is Japan chesty and belligerent. Japan yells across the Pacific, “What do you Yankees mean, keeping my children out of your schools like mere coolies and niggers? Do you want to be rushed and Russed out of Asia? Togo will get you if you don't watch out!” Our Strenuous One is sitting up and taking notice. We are not to be scared by any brazen, bawling Brownie; no, indeed. The fact is, we hate to have our tradi- tional friendship fractured, or our trade in cotton and cant curtailed. We love the meck and lowly Jap; and his tact, modesty and transparetit honesty have endeared him to us. Peradventure, the Rough Rider is not timorous or mute. He knows the folly of monkeying with buzzsaws and explosives; it is wiser to take Time by the forelock than the Orient by the throat—and safer; so an errand boy is sent to Frisco to effect aworking basis between the Cocky East and the Choleric West, and while the Red Riot of the West howls at the Yellow Peril of the East and disinterested Europe pats both on the back, Theodore talks peace and fraternity and convinces the Mikado of unchanging love and altruism and that one boil does not make an epidemic: perhaps. But it is just as well to be careful. Manila and Honolulu are next door to Nippon; they are rich and juicy and easy; and Russia is bigger than us. There are those who would not weep. were the American morgue, called the Philippines, annexed, sunk or burgled overnight by friend or foe. Cold feet are not as dangerous as hot heads. We segregate and abuse our own citizens; why not aliens, mere brown Orientals? Out of the East light. If we find it is prudent for “tradi- tional friendship” to ignore the color and habitat of the Jap and treat him with that exploded and forgotten justice that used to be called Christian humanity, perhaps in time we may learn to treat our own black people with more decency and fair play and less torch and rope. Who knows we are thick-headed and imprudent perhaps we may to.translate ex oriente lux to read: “Out of the lightning.” Hence, we send words of honey and harmony to save our face and war-ships to save our hide, pacifically to the Pacific. Our manners and methods need reforming. Prosperity has made us rude, sassy, parvenu. The American, moderately well off and possibly provincial, wassweet and sane; the citizen Cra:sus of the World Power needs a jolt and some adversity to recall his better days. Let us pause and do some thinking. Japan and jeopardy may not be synonymous terms, but it’s very unpleasant to have this Oriental fellow asking questions and running his thumb along the edge of his knife. Joseph Smith. Cop: YOUNG MAN, I FEAR FUR YEZ FUTURE! Idle Rich: DON’T FEAR (HIC), OLD PAL; IT’S MY TWENTY- FIRSH BIRSHDAY (HIC), AN’ I JUST CAME INTO TWES LIONSHES. comicbooks.com