WAKING UP THE EAST by W. A. Spicer

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 9, 1899

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 25, No. 32.

WAKING UP THE EAST.

By W. A. Spicer

[Editor Oriental Watchman.]

THE most notable sign of the times in the East is the growth of the military spirit. By the point of its sword, the West has inoculated the East with the virus of militarism, and human nature makes readily for the spread of the disease.

In olden times God's overruling providence allowed great masses of people to be brought under Assyria, Babylon, and other great organizing powers, and by His dealings with these powers bore witness of Himself. So now Asia is being assimilated by the great Powers. Here in India we see a great variety of nationalities bound together under one rule, which keeps the peace between them as they were never able to keep it in the days of native rule and divided India.

But the old tribal ideas of war were but as child's play compared with the perfect organization of force developed in modern times. This is now to be taught to the East. The West expects, of course, to guide the forces that are being developed to its own ends. But when once the vast masses in the East have learned the art and caught the spirit, no one knows what the results will be, save as we do know of a surety that the people are being made ready so that, when "the way of the kings of the East" is prepared, the hordes of Asia may come up to the world's great Armageddon.

Britain, with that genius of empire which she understands as no other Power, is often said to hold India by its own sons. A few Europeans organize the mass, and, with comparatively few home troops, garrison the empire with native levies. It is the best modern illustration of the power of the masterful mind governing the weaker one; but all the same, India is held by the sword. The people have a saying that the root of British power is three feet from the ground—about the height of the gun and bayonet at guard point. Caste and tribal rivalries prevent combination among the subject races, and the more peaceable know well that the rule of their own kind would be a heavier yoke than Britain lays upon them. But the more of India's sons that are trained in the game of war, and the more they learn of the power of combination, the greater the danger of trouble in time of panic or world-wide upheaval.

The more hardy tribes of Central Asia are learning war from both Britain and Russia. Even defeats are teaching them. The Afghan ameer has an arms factory of his own of which he is proud, but even he is importing the latest weapons. During the last few months 4,000,000 cartridges and 3,000 Lee-Metford rifles have passed through Peshawar for Cabul. The ameer, with Russia on one side and Britain on the other, has compared himself to the earthen pot in the fable, floating between an iron and a brazen one, in danger of bumping against either one, or of being crushed between them.

An “Up Country” Native Soldier of India.

The fact is that all Asia must simply wake up and take part in the furious preparations for the coming struggle. China has slept the longest, but now the Powers are rivaling one another to see which shall be able to get the best chance of drilling the hitherto peaceable and industrious Chinese laborers into modern fighting automatons. Then the German emperor's cartoon of the Yellow Terror threatening Europe may very likely prove a true forecast. Some military authorities have lately pointed out the danger to Europe of arming the East; but in the rivalry of the Powers for expansion of territory it seems a necessity. How true in this world's history that "all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword."

While these things are going on so rapidly on this side of the world, how important that those who are commissioned to preach the Gospel of peace and of the coming kingdom should press on into these lands.

W. A. SPICER.