UBRary OF CONGRESS Q oooom3 1Ltfi • Emerson Series No. 9 March, 1918 THE WESTERN ALLIES THE NEAR and the FAR EAST IN THE WORLD WAR WORTHY and UNWORTHY ALLIANCES By HARRINGTON EMERSON THE EMERSON COMPANY New York THE EMERSON COMPANY EFFICIENCY ENGINEERS NEW YORK 30 Church Street PITTSBURGH CHICAGO Oliver Building Railway Exchange PHILADELPHIA TACOMA Land Title Building P. O. Box 685 ASSETS Cash $ 11,631.92 Bonds and Stocks 360,232.78 Loans 106,453.76 $478,318.46 LIABILITIES Members' Interests . * $354,991.00 Borrowed from 'Bankers and Brokers :-.''.'.'. 121,630.30 Surplus 1,697.16 $478,318.46 HJt. »? m ^ h THE WESTERN ALLIES THE NEAR and the FAR EAST IN THE WORLD WAR jfi. WORTHY and UNWORTHY ALLIANCES SOME men have the rare gift of uttering in simple fashion world truths. When I met Mr, Norval A. Hawkins, Commercial Manager of the Ford Motor Company, he outlined in sequence on each uplifted finger of his left hand the five requi- sites that any young man seeking a position should insist on in the employer, before sign- ing up. Because the young are so eager to get started, because there are so many careless as to what, if there is only a promising salary, it is usually assumed that any employer if he offers the price can find applicants for an\ position. This is not as it should be, and any young or older man should be at least as care- ful about the position he accepts as he is about the quality of the eggs and butter he eats, or about the immaculateness of his linen. Solo- mon said: "Evil communications corrupt good manners." Also the Japanese reformer Hideyoshi, a little Samurai country boy of the t6th Century, knew the great importance of choosing the right overlord. At that time the [31 condition of Japan was similar to what Mexi- can conditions have been during the last five years. Hideyoshi resolved to regenerate Japan. His first step was to visit and study all the Japanese feudal military chieftains and to select the one he thought most likely to prove a skilful leader. In order to secure a position with the right man, he willingly accepted a start at the very bottom. Hideyoshi did regen- erate Japan and died as supreme ruler, one of the most interesting characters in all history. He had ultimate rather than immediate ideals, he knew how to identify himself with good men. Mr. Hawkins' five requisites: (i) "Is the employer, whether individual or company, high class and honorable, up- right and trustworthy? A high moral basis is the foundation for everything worth while." (2) "Is the business high class and one with which it is a satisfaction and pleasure to be connected?" No self respecting man can be very proud of being a saloon keeper or a garbage in- cinerator, or manager of any other dis- tasteful and unpleasant business. I re- member the scorn Kipling poured out on the Omaha undertaker. [4] (3) "Is the prospective employer financially strong?" There are many good men engaged in noble and fine activities, but they are nevertheless financially weak and almost foredoomed to failure. Do not connect with them! (4) "Has the prospective employer the equip- ment, the establishment, to carry out the plans?" A wise man planning fruit raising, even if very wealthy, is doomed to failure if his land is in the late frost belt. (5) "Has the prospective employer the sales organization which will enable him to keep going?" A fine man might have invented a very good typewriter. He might have abun- dant wealth and have erected a big fac- tory to build well made machines. Hun- dreds of such undertakings have failed because there was not an adequate sales organization to put the product over. If, however, said Mr. Hawkins, a prospec- tive employer is ethically sound, if the busi- ness is one to inspire enthusiasm, if there are abundant finances, if there is good equipment, and if there is a fine sales organization, then [5] let the young man or the old man get in, stay in and become a worth while part of the whole. Mr. Hawkins, as to an every day matter, was consciously using worldwide wisdom. Since then, as I have pondered his remarks, I have thought how well they applied to the selection of a husband by a woman. Is the man ethically high class? Is his pro- fession or business one that inspires enthusi- asm? Is he reasonably safe financially? Is he physically sound? Can he market his value? If he has these qualities it is safe to fall in love with him. If he is lacking in any one of the five, there are shoals and rocks ahead. But Mr. Hawkins' precepts, because they are world wisdom, apply also to the greatest world events, especially to the alliance between the democratic western powers — France and Great Britain on the one side and autocratic Russia and modern Japan on the other side. How did the autocracy of Russia check up as an ally? Did the profligate aristocracy and the grafting bureaucracy which controlled Russia in 1914 make Russia a trustworthy and worth while ally? They did not. Did Russia have a worthy cause? Desire for Constantinople and desire to regulate Balkan affairs were not noble ambi- [6] tions whose realization would have promoted either the welfare of peoples or the peace of the world. Was Russia financially strong? She was not. She had already drained France of her savings, and, owing to bad government and worse administration, her area of enormous natural wealth was inhabited by a poverty stricken and ignorant population. Was Russia well equipped? She was not. Her vast levies were unsupplied with guns, munitions, clothing. Her supposed vast mili- tary strength collapsed, but not because men did not courageously die. Anybody who had followed the Japanese Russian war knew Russia would collapse in any conflict with Germany. Could Russia put over what she promised? Was she able to be the hammer, driving onto Berlin, while the Allies served as anvil in the West? She could not. She could not deliver her great strength. In combining with Russia the allies lost standing morally with the neutrals of the world. How insincere to denounce the Hohen- zollerns, yet climb into the same bed with the Romanoffs! Therefore, one of the greatest causes that has come up for decision in the history of nations [7] has been damaged because, under temptation, fundamentals were waived. On grounds of immediate expediency the Allies tied up to Russia and in so doing, they made a world mistake, for this is a war in which ultimate truths are at stake, and the ultimate cannot, with impunity, be sacrificed to the immediate. Autocratic Russia was fit ally neither for republican France, nor for democratic Great Britain. Was it not quite as much the fear of what France and Great Britain would grant this ally Russia, as German intrigues, that drove Turkey into the war on the wrong side? We can be sympathetic with Russia in the belated throe of a revolution carried out in England in 1649, in France in 1789. We can give her struggling people all possible sup- port, but above all, we must beware lest again for the sake of delusive expediency, the Allies make any combine with the Bolsheviki. On the other hand how does Japan loom up as an Ally? What are the answers when we ask the five questions as to Japan? Is Japan worthy? What people in modern times can show the great and remarkable emergence of Japan? [8] Three strong modern nations were making history in the same decade. The United States settled one great question, the permanence of a free nation, by a long, bloody and costly war and a long period of most unskilled reconstruction from which the South began successfully to emerge about thirty years after the end of the civil war. Prussia during the same years was establish- ing her ruthless, military dominance, sacrific- ing Germany, overthrowing her neighbors, preparing, oh, most skillfully to betray the Christian ideals, western civilization, the white race, to set back humanity itself. The young emperor of Japan, a boy of six- teen had during this same period the ideal of leading his people up to the foremost position in modern civilization. What did Japan do? She sent her best of youth to study and learn in Europe and America, to adopt, to adapt and to become adept in all the experiences and wisdom of the western, white and Christian world. As any proud and honorable nation would, she chafed under the ignominy of the extra territorial consular courts, and won their abolition. 19] Little Japan defeated the great but weak colossus of China, little Japan astounded the world by defeating the armies and navies of Russia. Growing Japan built mills and fac- tories and rapidly rose to a position of the first rank, always, with the old Japanese honor, strictly adhering to the sacredness of given word of pledge, of treaty. Has Japan honorably worked as an ally? She has. Did Japan have noble ideals? She did and they were: To discover the secrets of the universe, to stay its diseases, to subjugate it for the benefit of humanity. To lead again up into the light the great yellow race which has supplied the world with so many of its leaders. To take first rank herself among the civilized nations of the world and to establish as to Eastern Asia a Monroe Doctrine of the far East for the oriental. Japan's aims were high and worthy, and we of the United States were her best friends and greatest admirers until insidious German propaganda tried to and, to our shame, suc- ceeded in arousing distrust. Did Japan have the brains, the money and the men to warrant great enterprises? She did. Did Japan have ready armies, well equipped [10] manufacturing plants, did she have a fervently industrious civil population? She had them all. Did Japan deliver what she promised? She was the first, and alas the only one of the Allied powers to date to achieve signal victory over the Prussians, shattering for all time their lustful plans of oriental conquest Japan supplied Russia with both money and munitions. Because Russia initially showed weakness on every one of the five tests, because Japan initially and continuously has shown growing strength on every one of the five tests let us go ahead with no more illusion as to present Russia or future Russia, let us go ahead with faith and trust in those whose fifty years of modern history have earned trust, faith and admiration, and let the East and the West fight this war to a finish, not for immediate, not even for proximate, but for ultimate welfare. That ultimate is not the exaltation of any one nation, or of any one race or of any one re- ligion, but for the glory of high ideals, for peace on earth and for good will toward men. HARRINGTON EMERSON. Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide Treatment Date: 2£P && [11] PreservationTechnologies A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 111 Thomson Park Drive Cranberry Township. PA 16066 (724)779-2111 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 000 041 314 8 |