Japan’s Victory Over Russia
THE spectacle of an army of Asiatics, equipped with the military product of the most advanced civilization, attacking and utterly routing an army of Caucasians representing one of the world's foremost military powers, overmatching them not only in fighting ability but in strategy as well, is a strange one, without a parallel in modern history. It is a spectacle that jars upon the nerves of Europe. It casts a distinct shadow over the cherished program for the partitioning of China; that may prove a much less agreeable task than was anticipated. In all probability China will be ready to throw herself into the arms of Japan for protection against the Western powers, and under Japanese leadership a formidable military power may be developed within that hitherto defenseless empire. There is reason to believe that the Chinese, if well armed and well led, would become formidable fighters. Not alone in China, however, but throughout all Asia, the dissipating of the idea of Western invincibility, which will naturally follow from the news of Japan's success against Russia, is calculated to have an effect that will cause much trouble in the future relations of Asiatic powers with the powers of Europe. There are plain reasons for Russia's loss of prestige. The elements of national weakness in the Russian empire are having their legitimate effect. Russia is an intemperate nation; she is now learning that vodka and victories do not go together. The Japanese, on the other hand, are temperate. The Russians are ignorant; the Japanese are intelligent. The Russians are ruled by an autocracy, and are under a despotism which crushes out the elements of manhood, fills the country with nihilists, and inspires hatred of the government rather than love. The Japanese, on the other hand, are almost to a man animated by a strong devotion to their sovereign, the mikado, and their patriotism is not chilled by an autocracy. In the light of these facts, the result of the war thus far is not very different from what might have been expected.