World War

396 THE CLASS STRUGGLE ARMED PEACE ON THE PACIFIC 397 is an ideal opponent of Bernard Shaw who wants the domination of the world by the white race. As to Japan foreign relations Tokutomi says: Japan has nothing to demand from the world except that she be given equal treatment by European and American countries; that the Japanese be admitted into the circle of mutual friendship and they shall not be treated as an inferior race. His imperialism is garbed in the form of an Asiatic Monroe Doctrine and tacitly claims Japan special interest in China.
There is yet another type of imperialist quite influential with the younger generation. It is Prof. Nagai, former editor in chief of the New Japan, a monthly organ of Marquis Okuma. Prof. Nagai imperialism is based on a broader principle than the Asiatic Monroe Doctrine. Just as it is wrong to proclaim America for Americans, it is equally so to say Asia for the Asiatics. If we recognize American exclusiveness as criminal, an attempt to monopolize the resources of Asia is self contradictory. He is in favor of an alliance between Japan and China because it will be mutually beneficial, and is a fundamental condition by which Japan will accomplish a great mission towards the civilization. China has things which are needed objectively, namely, raw materials, Japan has the subjective, namely a crowded population. He goes on to say that any Japanese who has travelled in the United States may undergo the experience of entering a restaurant ordering food, but simply because he is Japanese he cannot get a piece of meat or a glass of water. The Americans uphold justice and humanity with their mouths. Their moral attitude toward other races is lower than the Japanese believed it to be. In spite of the fact that they close their own door against another race, they demand an open door to the land of the yellow race. In reality, they consider the earth their property and have the ambition to subjugate the colored races as their slaves. The present world war is at bottom a conflict betwen the white races among themselves to decide who shall dominate the colored races. If under such conditions a nation of the colored race shall rise up and attempt to realize its ambition in the interest of world civilization, it will be the object of greater antagonism and oppression that is now directed against Germany. The nineteenth century was a period of nationalism. The nations overthrew the autocratic rule of the nobility and established constitutional government. The twentieth century ought to be a period of humanity by co operation of self governing countries. This period should witness the breaking down of the autocracy of the white race, and the building up of universal co operation. Just as it is a crime that the nobility and the rich should monopolize the government of a nation, so it is a crime that any one nation or race should monopolize the whole earth and its wealth. As a country should be a country of the entire people, so the earth must be the earth of entire humanity. The so called liberty of the white race is not the great liberty of all humanity but is a limited narrow liberty confined to their own borders. But just as we cannot expect to find in the nobility the means of overthrowing its own autocracy, so we cannot look for a movement in the white countries to overthrow the domination of the white race. Just as the movement against the nobility of old Japan came from the heimin class whom they had oppressed and trampled under foot so the means of breaking down the autocracy of the white race is sure to come from those whom they oppressed the yellow race.
The imperialism of Mr. Nagai is altruistic. He wants Japan to dominate not only Asia but to end the white domination of the world. He believes that world co operation on the basis of self government is the mission of Japan among the awakened colored races. No doubt he will get many supporters among the intelligent people, especially after the bitter experiences that the Japanese industrial world has met with, such as for instance the recent embargo on gold and steel by the United States against Japan. His facts are irrefutable, however, and many Japanese must think as he does in the matter of foreign relations. Hence he represents a con