The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1901-09-06
i'd with the Machinery State May Make United States
LETTER FROM MRS. DIR. BARKER.

WHEELING, w. VA, Aug. 80, 1901.
Editor of CHANUTE TIMES: 1t was
my good fortune while attending the
an-American at Buffalo to attend
lecture given by a japanese, Now
Okuma Il am not quite sure Of this
spelling). 1t was one Of the most in.
structive lectures 1 have heard in
long time, and coming after 7isit to
the japanese department of the Expo
siuion, made it the more impressive.
Doubtless you have mauy reader
who will gladly CLEAN a few facts con-
corning these interesting people.
The Japanese are an educated peO-
pie, and are eager for knowledge.
When Japan was opened to the world
after the restoration, these people
saw clearly that to maintain their po-
sition with the great powers of the
world they needed education. 1t is
q years ago since system OF schools
was started, and it became law that
all children, when they attained the
age of six years, must attend school.
So hard was it to enforce this rule in
making the change to this liberal ed
ucation, that it has taken q years to
attain the standard whers 81 per cent
of the children attend school.
There are now thousands of schools,
and many technical and special col
leges. There is university at Tokyo
in which subjects may be pursued to
the highest point, and degrees grant
ed. Departments OF law, medicine,
engineering and literature all have a
place, in this country we think of as
half civilized.
What great difficulties the Japanese
have in procuring an education. One
great trouble is that there is d differ
ence between the written and spoken
language. Formerly they used to be
Identical, but when the era of Chinese
literature came, much Of the written
language was in Chinese characters,
while the spoken language was Jap
anese. The inconvenience may be
better understood when l give you
this fact, that when a speaker gives a
lecture to his students they cannot
take "notes'' or note down his words,
but must make liberal translation
into Chinese to be able to write it.
This state of affairs is passing away:
now English is the compulsory sub
ject, Chinese the elective, and the
English is being taught by japanese
professors. There is many a school
or college where all teachers are Jap
anese.
A book publishing company has
been founded, so that the leading
books upon important subjects might
be printed in japanese and English,
and the translation from Chinese to
the Japanese is still going on.
There is still much of the old con-
servatism in Japan. 1t is hard to
break down, and introduce new
thought.
There is no religious teaching in
any of these schools. Moral training
is formulated in "Bushido," a Japan
ese name for what we would term "ln-
finite TRUTH" or the summing up of
all precepts which are the bases of all
religions. There are some 5000 for
eign missionaries IN Japan preaching
the different phases of the Christian
faith, and they are succeeding well
among the lower classes. There is a
satisfaction in religious matters
among the upper class of Chinese that
is hard to overcome.
This is just short synopsis of the
lecture, but it may serve as an insight
into the growth of these people.
In regard TO the Pan-Amerlcan l
must say that if one attended the
Worlds Fair in '93, the impression
that forces itself is that this is the
same again only on so much smaller a
scale. But the one thing that shows
the great advancement of the world
since '93 is in its electrical display.
That surpasses description. 1t is
worth all the time and money spent
to see that alone. Just as the sun is
setting every building, being edged
with electric lights, is illuminated.
The transformation is wonderful. We
seem in another world! II electricity
is only ia its "babyhoOd" what will
its ''adult" life give us.
Very sincerely.
MRS. w T. BARKER.