An Introduction to the Study of International Relations (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos or missing text. Not indexed. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1916. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... POLITICAL EELATIONS BETWEEN ADVANCED AND BACKWAED PEOPLES 1. The Necessity Fob Empike The problem of the relations which should exist between advanced and backward peoples has always been one of the gravest that has presented itself to mankind. It figures continuously in the history of the Jews. It is the subject of the greatest epoch of Greek history--the struggle for liberty of Greek civilisation against the Persian tyrant. It was the constant preoccupation of Rome both in the days of the Republic and of the Empire. It engaged for centuries the attention of Christendom in the form of the Crusades against the Turk. And, since the opening of the seas made possible constant contact between East and West, it has proved one of the most prolific of all sources of discord between the Great Powers of the world. The problem cannot be escaped by ignoring it. There are peoples who by reason of their character, their truthfulness and integrity, their political institutions, their sense of public responsibility, their resourcefulness and capacity progressively to improve the conditions under which they live, regard themselves as the leaders of mankind. These are, broadly speaking, the peoples of European origin. There are others who, because of their idolatry of wood or stone, the weakness of their sense of responsibility, their treatment of women, their apathy and their fatalist acquiescence in things as they are, are regarded by the civilised peoples as backward. These are, broadly speaking, the peoples of non-European origin. The civilised peoples are not all of one grade, nor are the backward all of another. Mankind is divided into a graduated scale varying infinitely from the zenith of civilisation to the nadir of barbarism. But, while it is difficult to establi...