LORD CURZON ON EAST AND WEST.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3163, 8 March 1911, Page 8

LORD CURZON ON EAST AND WEST.

CHEAT BRITAIN’S TASK IN ASIA,

“OUR TRADITIONAL ARMED

SUPERIORITY.”

Lord Curzon’s recent rectorial address on East anti West” at Glasgow University was marked by high qualities of style which can only be done justice to in the report which lie will issue in book form.

To some minds, lie said, “the East is like some beautiful spirit, -whose heavy eyelids are to be always half-closed and who nods, with a half-smile on her face, in a land of everlasting dreams.” But again, he said, “whichever way the pendulum lias swung through all the agonies of the past, the East and West have always contrived points of contract have managed to rub shoulders together, and have grown to be a part of each other’s being.” While there had not hitherto been any deep-seated or widespread color' prejudices in the East, and while the barrier between the Western man and the Eastern man must be otherwise explained, there was a danger lest sufeh a feeling may attain serious proportions. The British, with their liberal and humanitarian ideas, should be the leaders in the struggle against any such development. Lord Ourzon- concurred in the view that the East was unlikely to accept Christianity, for two main reasons: First, the religions of Asia gave to the East,’ what the pagan mythologists did not give to Europe, a definite and intelligible theory of the relations _of God to man which satisfied the spiritual aspirations as well as the day-to-day requirements of the Oriental; secondly, the latter saw in the teachings of Christianity hostility to _ that revival selfconsciousness to which he clung as his dearest possession. Christianity, however, had had a positive and enduring mission in Asia

RAILWAYS AND REVOLUTION

“Arabia, by reason of its physical and ethnological features, is the least likely to be disturbed by the West. Turkey has endeavoured to strengthen the fragile link which units it to the Ottoman Empire by building a railway to the holy places; but the fate of Arabia lias not hereby been rendered more ertain. “Persia, in the theoes of a constitutional struggle, which it hardly as yet possesses the stamina- or cohesion- to carry, to a successful issue, is hemmed in. by Wetern Powers whose interests it is difficult to reconcile. There are the materials -for such a renaissance there as has been witnessed elsewhere in Asia. Asia Minor will probably rniain Tuflkis ,hbut may accept same form of foreign protection. ••Afghanistan is still safeguarded by treaties which render it safe from attack, and is becoming more formidable owing to the importation of firearms. “The future of all these regions may be, revolutionised if they are traversed by railways, providing trunk-lines of communication between East and West. They constitute in any case, that part of the East- which, the West still has a considerable part to- play, and which will prolong the unfinished drama for the lifetinje of the youngest among ns. Jt would seem/ therefore, that unless some violent revolution occurs there is no reason for believing that East and West will be much more independent of each other in the near future than they have been in- til past.

PIVOT AND PRESTIGE OF INDIA

“For the task of harmonising the interests of East and West, and preparing for the growth of that renovated but composite East which I foresee in the future, this country possesses exceptional qualifications. Our experience of the- East is longer than that of any other Western- Power; our reputation still stands higher; our national aptitude is still unexhausted. When the East requires tuition or apprenticeship in the science of the West, it is our omcials and agents, or to America, that she turns.

“The possesion of India still gives ns an, incalculable prestige, and is the pivot on which almost eveiy Asiatic issue turns.

“She has consistently led the van in concession to Asiatic sentiment or in marshalling Asiatic progress. All of these are great advantages, but great as they are, their potentiality for good would* be materially diminished, and might easily disappear, if it were once Relieved in the East that we are not prepared to sustain them with inflxible determination and to uphold our traditional armed superiority in Asia —where necessary on land and everywhere at sea.”