The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-23
JAPANESE CHARACTER.
Disagreement of Foreigners as to
Traits of the islanders.

4Ed1CB OF Inc 4SlauQ6IS
If Japan has determined to make the
fight of her existence now, rather than
wait until Russia has absorbed Corea,
all the world is curious to know much
more concerning the real character of
the Japanese than Is understood at
present And it appears that, notwith-
standing the numbers of Japanese who
have studied and live in America, not
withstanding the large American con-
tingent Of residents and tourists in
Japan, together with the appreciation
Americans have shown. at least for the
arts of that country, opinions regarding
the Japanese character are as wide
apart as the poles. Yet upon that char
acter will depend the outcome of the
! life and death struggle between Russ
and Jap.
We have had plenty of glowing eulo-
gists of the Japanese and some de-
tractors Percival Lowell undertook to
say on the strength Of a comparatively
superficial acquaintance with this peo-
pie that they lack personality and indi-
vidual soul, even that they do not
| think while Basil H Chamberlain,
who makes Japan his home, has reached
an opposite conclusion after residence
| Of many years. Another writer on
! things japanese, a German Of Dutch de-
scent named Ten Kate, has just con-
tributed to Globus the harshest YER
dict which has yet appeared; he ac-
cuses the japanese of lack of the love
of truth. lack of depth in intellect and
sentiment and inaccessibility to alb
stract ideas. He says they have no in
dividuality, are unstable and easily
moved by suggestions from stronger
minds; are wanting in tenacity of pur-
pose and grit; are open to paradoxes
AMI slaves to vanity and tingoism- Ten
Kate has only faults to find in the
japanese, but he remains in Japan, as
so many others before him, who have
not been able to escape the charm of
pie who make the land delightful. He
even goes so far as to charge them with
monotOnouS features, with looking all
alike, and, of course. he recounts as
examples of their heartlesnesS the cheer
full tone they employ when speaking of
the dead and the bloody deeds which
are found in their history under the
Shoguns down to the disappearance of
the Shogunate in 1868.
Fortunately for the Japanese, there are
foreigners among them who dissent ut
ton. DR.. Baelz has lived in Japan more
than a quarter century as a practicing
physician, teacher and writer on Jap
anese matters. He has employed many
| Japanese as trained nurses and in other
capacities, and he reports that his ex-
perience proves just the contrary. From
other physicians and from Americans and
Europeans who employ native labor he
obtains the same evidence IN favor of the
ouieIyness and thougftfuIness Of the jan
utes to the diicuity of getting Informs
4
to ridicule. who often pretend not to I'M
derstand when asked questions they think
are dictated by pure curiosity, and to
| some degree also to the unsettled condf-
ton OF mind in a country which has
made recently such extraordinary changes
in politics and social conditions.
| It was DR.. BaelZ who pointed out some
years ago the singular physical resem-
| blance between the Russians and the old
| inhabitants of Japan, now only found in
| the north the Anus. This resemblance
| extends to the character of the Anus
and Russians. What an odd whirligig of
events that Russia should now be cast
of Corea. the Japanese who are a com
posite of Anus, Mongols and Malays!
Another wave of the race that once held
Japan and was conquered and absorbed
by Malay intruders from the south is
| coming eastward again to strive for lead
| ership in China. To accomplish this the
Russians propose to cure Japan of her
| dream of organizing the far east by deal
ing her a blow which. if it succeeds, will
mean her ruin a nation having any
i thing to say in Asia No wonder Japan
! feels she must fight. What neither Low
| ell nor Ten Kate appear to recognize is
the tremendous character the Japanese
! valuable elements in European life, and
4 the extraordinary evidence they exhibit
/ of self-repression- Certainly a more pa
triotic people does not exist, and so far
as bravery and military spirit are con-
cerned they have no superiors. 1t may
turn out that in the course of a conflict
] with a nation SO well led and well pre-
pared, at such a distance from the pres
I ent center of Russia, that empire will re-
ceive a blow to its power and prestige
from which it will never recoyer--New
York Times.