The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-12-04
ARE ALL TRAINED
Whole Life Of Japanese Absorbed
in Training.
EFFECT OF new INDUSTRIES
Men Departing From Old Lines OF
Work-Cold Basis in
Operation.
EFFECT OF new INDUSTRIES

detained at Yokohama two days be-
yond advertised date, having very
full passenger list as we'll as very
large cargo of freight. We took ad-
vantage of the delay to see more OF
Kobe, and of Japanese life in one of
the modern sea port towns. Kobe has
this advantage over the other ports,
that it has been built up since it was
declared an open port. The foreign
factor in this is seen in it's broad clean
streets, and the modern phase of jap
anese civilization in the large Govern
ment schools concentrated in one local
ity. 1t was a marvellous sight to see
the thousands of children, marching
with their teachers at the close Of
school into the streets, and the long
lines breaking up when they had gone
two or three blocks from the school.
1t was strange sight to see SO much
military and gymnastic drill. Inc Jap
anese think they can make stronger
fathers and mothers by training ply
siologically the children; and by train
ing the boys in military tactics make
soldiers that will cope VIGOROUSLY
with those of any other nation. 1t
would seem as if the whole nation had
been transfirmed into samurai class,
now that that old order of fighting men
has abolished The fighting element
makes up large part of Japanese his
tory, which they consider quite as i'm
portant as Jewish history. But the
Jews have had part to play in the
development of humanity, while the
japanese have wrought out their own
national development entirely separate
from the rest of mankind till Commo-
dore Perry brought them out from their
seclusion into some acquaintanceship
and connection with the rest of man.
kind But they are foolish in thinking
to put themselves at bound into the
with China has led them into many
eXtravagances, none more absurd
than the notion that they have in
defeating the Chinese demonstrated
their equality with the very vanguard
of Western civilization.
They are undertaking great CONNER
cial enterprises with inadequate capital
and insufficient training. They have al
ways been nation Of debtors borrow
ing from one another and leaving the
the lender in the lurch. The building
up of the new industries is calling
laborers away from the old lines of in
dustry, and deranging the labor mar
ket and the prices of food. Wages
keep rising, provisions are dearer, and
strikes of operatives are becoming fire.
quent as we'll as riots because rice
costs more and more each year. The
popular opinion is that spectators are
causing this rise in prices; but other
causes that l have specified are the
more probable factors. Coal, for in
stance, has doubled in price this last
year in this place; in 1896, it was
bought for four yen ton, now it costs
eight. If constant rise in price is a
sure index of prosperity, then Japan
must be on the highroad of national
prosperity; but other elements than
market values must be reckoned in de.
termining the true welfare of a com
munity.
A Marine Exhibition was in progress
in Kobe, and l was glad to have the
opportunity to visit it, Fishing i'm
plements were shown in one small shed
not all surely that are in use. Two
sampans constitute the whole exhibit
of boats. One large building was de-
voted to display of fishes and shells
but Professor Brigham's ideas of scien-
tific and tasteful arrangement. so con-
spicuous in the B. P. Bishop Museum
would have been Mortified at the hodge
podge collection. which in preparation
and display showed an attempt al
scientific eXactness and order. but if
was an attempt, not an achievement.
In connection with this is the Auuari-
UNI with &c tanks, and much larger
number of different species of fishes
displayed as in the u. S. Exhibit at
the Columbian Exposition in Chica 90
Admittance was only sen; catalogues
2 sen. One OF the Government Girls
schools was being led through the
building by the teachers, but the
scholars could not have learned any.
thing of value from the hurried march
past the cases.
The gold basis of currency valuation
has just gone into operation and as
usual the banks are taking advantage
OF the situation to turn an honest pen
ny to their own advantage Debtors
who borrowed Mexican dollars worth
2212 pence, now find their debts writ
ten in yen worth 241s pence. It is
pure patriotism of course that has
dropped the dollar as the unit of cur
rency value and established the ven
It would seen as if Japan had home
difficulties enough to meet, without
wishing herself in foreign complica-
tons.
have not noticed any lepers during
my travels in Japan. The number OF
the blind is quite large, and also OF
children with scabby heads. | am
told that near Kumarioh is a
church much frequented by lepers
who for some reason have great
faith i'm tho divinity who jc q cnocia1lv