The sun., 1900-08-05
JAPAN, HER AIMS AND ART.
ruOuAs r.. KIRBY TALKS or HIS
VISIT 10 THE EMPIRE.
n, says That tho japanese Consider a War
with Russia 40 Almost Ine'itable-Their
rri.ndliness TO This Country what
rh,,r Artists and Artisans Are Doing.

Th,ir Artists and Artisans Are Doing.
Thorn. E Kirby OF the American Art Asso-
,,.ron- who has Just returned from visit to
Iapan, remarked in chat with some friends
,hs other day that when he got TO the Island
L,nsdoln he found himself among some inter-
..t,ng friends who knew Us and liked u.s. Mr.
K,rbys observations among the Japanese gave
him not only the impression but the conviction
that the opinions expressed by some disun-
grlshcd returned travellers and promul-
gated By some foreign papers. that In reality
Jspan is drawing closer TO China all the while
and will eventually be found allied with her in
opposition TO Western aggression In the Orient.
ara without substance. In Official circles and
among private citizens, In the commercial cities
md IN less travelled places the general senu-
,rsnt developed itself In the same key. Mr.
Kirby said, and was altogether one OF friendli-
r..s N tho United States and OF desire to back
~, the position that this country has taken
,oxard Oriental affairs Friendliness toward
,bs Unltod States and the general belligerent
,.e,,fs toward Russia which pervaded all classes
ard threw Itself forward at every turn were
the chief characteristics of the people which
,ronrossed him, outside OF the alluring pursuits
q. art
They know all about us. they welcome us
and they like US. In Japan. MIR, Kirby said.
They are with US and want the United States.
England and japan TO pull together. In that
colrsa they see the solution OF the Far Eastern
,ua,t.pn But the first thing they want TO
DO j. 10 lick Russia. They don't talk about
ashting her they expect to whip her. They
feel very sore about the Port Arthur affair.
They talk Of war with Russia as sure to come
and they seem TO anticipate going right on as
successfully with it as they did against the Chi
nese Al Glasses are speaking Of 1t. from men
IN o,rce aud high in the country's councils
TO hotel servants and the peaceful dwellers
IN more remote places. For one thing all
see,a 10 want the war as well as believing that
IL Is bound TO come. For another thing, the
Emperor's word Is OF course absolute: no
body thinks Of disobeying him. and he wants
10 use his army TO administer to Russia the
punishment he thinks she deserves. The
EMPEROR Is very proud Of his army more SO
even than OF his navy; he gives his personal
attention 10 It's development, looking con-
stantly for ways TO improve 1t and to bring
1t up to the highest point OF perfection.
The army Of Japan Is a fine body OF men,
too one could not help but admire the reRl-
nents and sympathize with the pride the Off
GERS take IN them: There are sO,On men IN
the army ready 10 be thrown right into China,
and they will make splendid soldiers for that
country, all OF them finely DEVELOPED phys!-
cu!y and OF great endurance, men Ike jim
riksna man who took me twenty-five miles
IN ole day, for instance, men well suited for
service in the mountainous part Of China II
The fghtng gets UP there. And Japan is ready
10 60 right ahead alone, on her own hook,
II she Is not ntertered with. and she will 60
on alone as she is doing now She knows
hat De aft n NOT fnfA
that Russia shall 5e ahead of her A. fast
as the railroad allowed her 10 do so Russia
advanced troops Japan knows that she will
continue 70 do so and Japan will meet her.
1t is the wish Of the Japanese that the United
States, England and Japan shall be found
together, They like the people Of England
thority that may be considered excellent that
In Government circles 1t mas been understood
tactily that, in regard to the general Eastern
with the United States that she was salts
fed with our stand regarding It and would
back up whatever we did, and that the feeling
was that ENGLAND would be found at the right
Tho men OF affairs know our cities and
what We are doing. They know our public !
h record and sy ade g1E him %He SeaS sna
an important public body said 10 me. You
viii elect President Mckinley again in the
United states You are not fools, You are
course the country has taken"
Mr. Kirby went to the East with the expec-
taton Of touring in both China and Japan, but
planned to go to China last, The disturbances
there came on SO rapidly that he did not get
10 that country at all, and he found himself
with more time TO look about japan and 10
talk with some Of her artists. At kioto he
met again Mr.. j. Kawashima, the greatest
master OF the art Of weaving in the Empire,
who was in this country. whore he had an exh-
bitlon that many people will remember. in
ANY I'M ush IN EnQ nnaf Of fhn apa
fabrics for the Imperial household. had in hand
magnilcentrohe which he was making for the
Emperor on which he had already been at
Japanese rtists still work on their cherished
creations. When Kawashima WAS In New
York seven years ago he made copy Of Melin's
Is s title implies With tho pV purpose Ss f oi Tepe Tepfe
dnclnS II in tapestry IL was his intention TO
send the tapestry TO Europe or to- this country.
and learn learned that the tapestry had been n pur. r.
chased for the Imperial household as soon As
II WAS finished, and that IL Is now AT the Paris
Exposition, having been loaned by the Emperor
one Of the most interesting meetings Of which
Mr.. Kirby has been induced 10 tell some OF his
friends was that with Makudza kozan at
Yokohama. Makudza porCelains are familiar
10 great many people here 10 whom II will be
news when The SIN tells them that the first
piece OF IhIs porcelain sold IN the United States
potter took Mr.. Kirby to his workshop where
the white porcelains with their decorations
m mandarin ducks and flowers done In colors
are made, and lovers OF the Oriental spirit in
art may imagine the feelings OF the American
visitor when lie saw there japanese decorator
copying upon one Of Makudzas paste-forms
the oruamentations of Dresden vase which
stood on a low table before him.
here was illustrated just one Of the unfort-
unae features Of the disposition Of the Japan
ese artists and artisans Of to-day" Mr.. Kirby
remarked. they have grown somewhat tired Of
dong cranes and mandarin ducks and chrysan-
themuMs and when they SEQ the wholly dif-
ferent forms Of decoration employed by tho
western peoples they are likely to be carried
away with them and TO think that it will be nice
thlng to DO similar work. even without the COM
MerCal idea of so finding better market
Tlunk Of 4 Makudza vase with a Dresden dec
grafton. But IL Is the same way with some
OF their slyersmiths and Others. No one can
aplroach The exQlusitencss Of the, JapaIeso
worker in silver when he confines himself to
his native forms. but 1t Is deplorable when such
al artist sIyes up the wi,tarla. morning glory
9r chrN santhemum, for instance, for the rose.
lie becomes ,ponderous He sets ont to make
TEAPOT, and he makes II so heavy that woman
does not want to ift It, and he fails In his art too
! said -omcthlng Of this nature TO Makudza.
,elLns hlm my feelings In the matter and point
lng out so far "a might be the disadvantages
%, the enort to Initiate the European instead
u developing his own art, and was gratifed
when Makudza said that he thought that in
future he would have his men confne themselves
% The native forms
One 81 the things that struck me Ia going
through the workshops Of the Japanese artists
was the number Of boys employed. Boys OF
!. years or therssbout; were put at decorating
the vases or doing tho initial work on fine
.yory Garying- the finishing being. done by
the artist himself. Of course, or the whole work
oyerSeen and directed by him. To be sure,
ihe older artists had boys. too. at this work.
jtst ~ a; the sealpt9Ts to-day set young men to
Outside Nnkudza'4 place was N uarden