The Delta independent., 1899-12-15
JAPS MEAT EATERS.
VEGETABLE DIET NO LONGER
SUFFICES THEM.
Natioaal lChaFaeteristIea Gradually G Caaak-
lag. Slaee These Quaint FOLK Havs
Become Oriental Yankees"-Spee n
CoaAAssIo.er Nov In WAshinStoo-

The entire japanese nation is becom-
ing a race OF mea, eaters, rice and =
kindred vegetarian diet not seeming to
provide the energy necessary for the
western hustle" adopted by the AJAX
ened Orient. Vegetarians and an
thropological students are highly inter-
ested in the racial changes that must
soon result in this almost universal
change of diet. Already small changes
are perceptible, but a few years hence
strongly marked divergencies must IN
evitably become apparent Meat eat
ing has developed in Japan within inc
past 25 years to such an extent tnat
the government is now casting about
for a means to bring the supply up 10
the demand. For the purpose OF IN
vestigating the methods OF stock rals-
ing and slaughtering employed in the
United States Mr. Inazo Sitobe. Jap
anese oncial of unusual intelligence
and education, and a graduate Of Johns
Hopkins university. has spent the last
few months travelling through the dif-
ferent cattle-raising states. He mas
been sent here as special commn-
sioner Of the japanese department OF
agriculture. commerce and Industry
Mr.. Nitobe has already arrived In
Warrington. and In regard to the PROD
able effects of meat eating on the Jap
anese he said: .'One thing the change
in diet may do is to create desire Tor
more and stronger stimulants- Al
Irin IA n
rice beer. quite harmless. comparative
ly. More meat may mean desire Tor
liquors stronger than the sake You
know the japanese have not been meat
eaters long and the industry OF cattle
and stock-raising in Japan is in its N
fancy. Nature did not. apparently. eoo-
template that the japanese should De
meat eaters. as neither the horse nor
the COW Ii 4 native Of Japan. or Was
ever on the island until comparatively
recently. Is is shown by the absence
OF their remains from geological re-
searches. Philology says there never
was . word expressing 4 sheep OF an
animal similar to II in the japanese
language Animals we're imported thto
Japan many years ago. but came IN
with the Buddhistic religion. which. a
you know. forbids the killing Of aAi-
mails for food. Our native reaiG3oo.
Shintoism. also forbids to . measure
the killing OF anything. 20 that partly
IRON the lack Of . natural suDply se
animal feod, partly from reltgioos IN
Aueness and partly from the fact that
. vegetarian diet hAs hitherto a20ay
satisfied the japanese. they have nsvsr
bsea eaters Of meat to any exteat Noe
much stock has been raised In JaDaA-
While horses and cows have been useA
for agricultural purposes. their ase hss
been limited to certain districtA II
IL peculiar that, owing to religious ten
denotes, the country Is divided into dis
tricts, in one cows being used s1eas-
sively for farming purposes. in an ~
Joining dt.trict stations and In another
mares In the hrst district NO hoeses
whatever are used and In the other dis
tricts NO COWS are used. These dis
tricts are scattered all over the ialaad.
and have been engaged In mapping
them out The beginning OF meat eat
ING In Japan Vas due to the intro1oc-
ton Of western civilization some
twenty-five or thirty years aeD. At
nrst the common people we're vey sn-
perstitious about 1t. and II v1s out
until the emperor set the example a
that the common people overcaae
their scruples and began to ct
meat They found II good. and ths
demand has increased constantly un-
I'll now. In order to supply ths -
mand. re are killing our cattle Il .
rate Of II per cent yearly more thaa
the natural increase. This will sooa
rssalt In the depletion in the stoek
Of tAe island unless something 10 doos.
and II 10 to obtain an insight into
American methods OF stock-ratainG
and siaushterins that I have visited
tie Cnited States- Japan 10 we'll
adap<sd to the raising Of cattle and
sheep. 1t has an abundance Of graz
ing lAAd. The low lands. which are
principally covered With rice 1eBfs.
take mp but IL per cent OF the isaand.
so that - per cent. being mou7tainous
rrgioa. may be utilized for grazing
purposes when we hrst introduced
sheep We treated them like gentleRcA.
feeding then, on timothy and other
expensive gras<es This did Eot pay
ana the sheep Werc turned out tn
grass. with tie result that Will they
dctcrioratcd in size. they became
much hardicr anir1als. The blmboO
grass 10. however. very hard on tn
stomach OF the sheep, Mutton b oOw
brought from Australia and sod io
Japan for centA . pound, DartaG
the recent var with China Ja0aA
awoke to the necessity Of haviaG .
supply OF horses Owing to H.
sWanpy character OF the rice nesAD u
had nsver been feasible to use cav
airy In JaDan. and the horsrs. WAiee