GENERAL NOTES 11 



many times that of Japan to-day. That little coun- 

 try might increase its national wealth quickly by 

 exporting to other countries nut crops to the value 

 of battleships. Politicians now take away the earn- 

 ings of useful people and put the money into arma- 

 mentarium for their gunmen of armies and navies. 



Japanese scientists ranking among the highest in 

 the world know very well how Japan might set an 

 example for all civilization if battleship money were 

 to be turned over to agricultural educational insti- 

 tutions. Thus would a proud people have justifica- 

 tion for a pride based upon pragmatic results of 

 application of keen intelligence to the food question. 

 There is small likelihood of any one civilized coun- 

 try taking any such advanced position while human 

 nature is abroad during our cultural period. One 

 may at least speculate upon that sort of possibility 

 for some of to-morrow's nations. 



The naturalist may fairly assume that the im- 

 perialistic oligarchy of Japan will be more inter- 

 ested in quietly gaining control of India, China, 

 Eastern Siberia, the Philippines and other strategic 

 points in preparation for hurling Asia against the 

 white man's countries. This political process ap- 

 pears to be well under way at the present time while 

 the Anglo-Saxon is declining and is committing sui- 

 cide in his profitless civil wars. 



Asia might make another sort of revolution by 

 showing that its land is not "occupied" and that 

 limitless new kinds of food supply would take 

 charge of the expansion question. 



