The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-09-21
of the constitution.

| don't think we are becoming SO enllre-
ly Westernized as you appear to mag
inc. We are developing, possibly. but
only on the lines of our own ancient
civilization. We are most anxious to
preserve our historical continuity, and
we are far too patriotic ever to dream
of such a thing as Standardization.
We don't blindly admire your western
| civilization, though had 1t been import
| ed here in it's abstract essence, without
| the connecting influence of concrete
! Europeans, 1t might have weakened
| the national spirit. But we see for
| ourselves what the Europeans can be,
| and we hesitate to adopt their civili-
| cation Wholesale You send us mis-
| sionaries who tell us we are very i'm
| moral. Possibly; but what about the
lives of many of the English merchants
and tourists who come here? 1 can as
cure you pure-living Japanese deeply
| resent their mode of life.
Europe is civilized you say; why,
then, does she arm to the teeth? Peo-
pie talk of our becoming more Euro
peanized every day. l think the re-
verse is the case There is a strong re-
dictionary party who are striving to
bring back old Japan in it's highest and
best aspects, and the effect of western
civilization on the younger generation
Is slghter than 1t was on the young
men of my day. Five and twenty years
ago the English teachers taught Eng
fish subjects in the English language,
and so almost unconsciously we were
affected by the spirit of Europeaniza
ton. Now English teachers are very
rare, and so the boys of to-day imbibe
the Japanese thought and ways of their
ancestors, and this change back to the
old ideals is very beneficial to Japan.
1t is, in fact, the tionalizing of ia
pan. At one time we were in danger of
losing our national individuality"
We'll, your excellency,' remarked,
there is no doubt that western civili-
cation has weakened your national life
in doing away with all religious belief
and observance"
The marquis slowly smiled as he re-
piled: Il think most Of the educated
japanese prefer to live by reason, sci
ence and the evidence Of their senses.
l myself regard religion as quite unne-
cessary for nations life Science is
far above superstition, and what is
Buddhism or Christianity but a super
stition, and therefore source of
weakness rather than of strength to
nation? At one time I held the opin-
ion that If Japan was seeking admis-
sion. into Christendom she ought to
adopt Christianity as a state religion
a convention like the dress or coat-but
now I am inclined to sympa thize with
many of our more thoughtful people,
who urge that no country can be bene-
fitted by playing fast and loose with re-
ligion and the deeper matters of what
they call the soul"
No" he went on, replying to re-
mark l made, Il do not regard Japans
almost universal atheism as a source Of
danger to the community. Right liv-
ing Is the best creed There is one
point, however, In our new civilization
on which / have long felt great uneasi-
ness and that is that the lessons of
reverence and duty toward parents and
seniors. taught SO carefully by Confu-
cianism, will be lost to the rising gene
ration, and so they may effectually be
serious source of danger to the com
munity, for no religion is taught at all
in our schools"
And in this the Marquis Ito is right,
for nothing can be imagined more
hopeless than the condition of young
male Japan. Insolent, insubordinate
and altogether odious is her rising
manhood, and in the boys schools and
colleges strikes, rebellions and lock-
outs for the most absurdly trivial rea-
sons are of almost daily occurrence.
Japan's chief cource of danger. her
gloomiest outlook for the future, lies In
her rising manhood.
On the following day I happened to
meet the marquis at great naval
function on board the English admit
rails ship. and l returned to Toxic later
in the afternoon with him and the Mar
quis Saigo-the Japanese first lord.
AS I listened to the myriad clatter of
the wooden shoon of the dear little Jap
anese maidens who thronged the rail-
way station, and who, attracted by the |
brilliant uniforms Of my companions,
gathered round our railway carriage, 1
asked the marquis IT, with his other
Improvements, he had introduced the |
new woman into his fairyland. He re-
peated the question to the Marquis Sal |
go, and they both laughed heartily. /
The prime minister shook his head.
mo" he replied, but we very near
ly had her, and l would have been re-
sponsible. | wanted to raise the status |
of my countrywomen, and the empress
and therefore established schools with
English women as teachers. But they |
were not a success The young women
became like their brothers at college, |
very rough and noisy, and they learned |
European dancing, which Is quite con-
trary to all our ideas of what is due to
4 woman's modesty. l soon found that
f woman lost her old conventions
here was no knowing when or where
she would STOP
DO you, as a whole, your excellency,
that the new civilization and
he new ideas are benefitting the ma
-ional life and elevating the national
/ asked, as I looked out
If the carriage window to where wiz
ened relics of old Japan were flying
zites with the ardor and enthusiasm of
childhood.
"Ah!" he replied rather sadly. "Who
an say? 1t is not all good with us,
md we are already beginning to find
Tut that the civilization that is coming
Upon us is not so beautiful as that
which is passing away from us. In
many respects it tends to make us more
liscontented. An English friend of