Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-12-05
THE JAPAN OF TO-DAY.
An Oriental People Who Are Fast
Acquiring Civilization.
Army DiscipIIn. Modelled on the German.
Hut English Language and Customs
o. IBs Dotninant-Ths Amer
leans Of Asia

army DAacipine modeiod on inc GermRns
hut English Language and Customs
o. 1Bs Doininant-Ths Amer
leans OF Asia
japan Is OF Asia and still not Asia, writes
Frank q. Carpenter In the Chicago TINS.
Five thousand miles and fourteen days
from San Francisco. II Is twelve thousand
miles by ship from Liverpool through the
Suez canal IL IL FIVE days from Yokohama
% Hong Kong and yet some parts Of japan
are 30 near tho Asiatic continent that you
can cross In a few hours In q canoe. Two
days sail will bring you into Corea and
Kamschatka - within few hours journey
Of the northern borders Of Japan. IL Is
land ofislands. and the chain which consti-
tutes IL extends, says one authority, a dis
tancc OF two thousand miles. Most Of these
Islands are small, but the country all told
has enough territory for a big nation, and
several Of It's islands are larger than many
OF our American States The island OF
Hondo, which Is the main part OF the coun-
try and the one In which the big cities are
located, has 5000 900 population, and the
area OF Japan all told Is bigger than Italy,
and you could lose Prussia inside OF n. All
the territory OF Great Britain and Ireland
are not equal 70 Japan, and tho State OF
New York Is only one-third its size. Tho
country has today more people than we
had In 1870, and It's population Is about
equal 10 that Of Great Britain and Ireland.
Tho Japan OF the past was made up OF
farmers and warriors, and in the Japan of
the present the farmer has not materially
changed Tho advances have all been made
by the warrior class, and Japan Is governed
by the former soldiers. The merchants,
who formerly ranked below the farmer, arc
rising IN rank. aud tho almighty dollar Is
beginning 10 have the same power here that
II has In America.
Tho Japanese call themselves the Ameri-
cans OF Asia and they are 70 a certain. ex-
tent right. They are like the Americans In
their ready adoption Of new things and In
their being ready TO risk the present for
the future. They arc quicll-witted and they
want 70 be up 10 the times. They lack, how
ever, am promo 20 believe, the American
desire OF accumulation, his industry and
perseverance, and above all his wonderful
creative faculty. You will find a patent
ONCE at Toxic, but you can number the
noted Japanese inventions upon your fin
gers Up % this stage in their career the
japanese have been an initiative rather than
a creative nation. What they have had In
tho past has been adopted from other ma
tons. The civilization which preceded the
one now coming IN was largely Chinese
The chief religion Of tho Japanese to-day is
buddhism aud u came from India. Corea
boasts Of being the author Of many Of the
schools Of Japanese art and japanese litera-
turo ~ largely based on Chinese characters.
As 10 tho present civilization, Japan IL try
ing 70 choose the best from all nations, and
10 hopes 20 make up n whole better than
any. It's imitation is not blind imitation.
The Japanese have always prided them
selves on being reasonable people, and
they are using their reason now. Their code
Of laws come from Franco They are choos-
ing their models for army discipline from
Germany, but thoir general culture will be
like their language, English.
Speaking Of the Japanese rs copyists they
learn so easily that manufacturers coming
20 japan are very careful that the secrets
OF their arts are not given 20 the people.
asked yesterday "a man who has established
n large factory for the making OF photo
graphic materials why he employed only
women In his works, and was told that It
was because he feared the men. These
Japanese" said he, fare as sharp as light
ming aud they will start branch establish
ments "a soon as thoy have mastered the
processes and will uudersell me. keep all
my formulas in cipher and allow no Japa-
nese man 10 work at important parts Of the
business. As for the women they are more
steady than the men, and they never look
beyond their work. We have as good pho
tographers here as you will lind any where,
and there il Japanese who Is manufactur-
ing dry plates"
have visited during the past few days
some Of the Government departments OF the
Empire aud / hnd they are using many
American inventions. In visiting the army
saw troops, dressed exactly like the sol
diers Of Germany, going through the mill
tary mancuvcrs just as they are laid down
In the tactics OF our military schools, and in
the arsenal whore Japan makes her rifles,
her cartridges and her gunpOwder the ma
chinery was altogether like ours. The
factories, barring the brown faces, the
crack eyes and the bare feet OF the en-
ployes might rs well have been in Pitts
burgh az In Toxic. and this much is the same
with all the Government institutions. The
work, however, and the management is all
under the control OF the Japanese, and the
number Of Foreigners employed by the
Government decreases every year. Tho
Japanese hire foreigners merely as teachers.
They study hard uuder them and when they
have learned their speciaitiss they are very
ready 30 dismiss them.
At present nearly all Of the employees OF
the Government wear European clothes and
this Is required In many cases. The clothes
worn are well fitting and as rule Of good
cut, but they make the little Japanese forms
look smaller than ever aud the people are
more handsome In their loose, flowing
gowns bcltcd In with girdle at the hips.
AS 20 Japanese education the missionaries
largely teach through the aid Of the Gov
eminent, and English IL taught in many Of
the schools. Education Is now compulsory
In japan. but the statistics show that only
about Onc-half OF the children go 10 school.
The school age Is from o 10 IA years, and tho
japanese boys and girls go over their
lessons In sing song tones, IN bare feet and
gowns. There are 3,OOO00OOf them in the
regular schools, aud the technical schools
have $500 pupils japan has $4,000 common
schools presided over by -, O0omcn teachers
aud 400 women teachers. There are more
than 100 high-school teachers, and the pro
fessors In the Imperial University OF Toxic
number 1914 This university is kept up by
the Government IL has $50 students, and
IL H. turning out scores OF almond-eycd doc
tors. lawyers aud Government officials
every year. II Ia better than the aveyage
American college. 1ts preparatory course
includes English, mathematics. geography,
physics, history, political economy. phil
osophy, aud II covers three years. IL takes
Ave years 10 graduate, aud the Japanese
have here an opportunity 10 get good edu-
cation without going away from home.
where They Draw tho Line.
Foiiovinr A the copy OF a placard In n