The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-09-12
JAPAN IN FOREIGN GARB
Modernization Of Mikado's En-
pire Seen In Peoples Dress.
HIGHER EDUCATION OF WOMEN.

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william f. Curtis Writes OF the
Great Advance In the Condition of
the Fair Sex In the Land Of the
Rising sun.
William f. Curtis, travelling CORE
spondent Of the Chicago Record Her
aid. who has been circling the globe in
/ quest Of information for the benefit of
his curious countrymen and who is
now on his way home from Japan, in
a letter dated "at sea" thus interest
ingly describes the westernization of
/ the mikado's empire.
Japan is losing its individuality very
rapidly In the larger cities the Eng
lish language is becoming the lam
guage Of trade. Foreign dress is being
adopted almost universally by the up
| per and middle classes At the uni
yersity and in the governments, on the
railroads, in the custom houses. in the
army and navy. European dress is re-
| quired. The native dress is seldom
seen about the imperial palace or the
| public offices. In all the large cities
the signs of foreign tailors and fur
nishing houses are becoming very ia
miliar, and the show windows along
the principal streets are filled with for
eign goods Of all kinds In Tokyo near
" half the shops on the principal BUSH
ness streets are given up TO the sale OF
foreign merchandise, clothing, food
and household articles Of every kind.
People who continue to wear the ma
tive dress are considered very old fash
| toned
There is a difference Of opinion as to
the advantages gained by this change
The ordinary japanese costume is awk-
ward and ungainly. particularly for wo-
men, although ceremonial dresses are
beautiful and artistic The kimona con-
forms with the japanese idea OF mod
esty. but diseloses too much bare nesh
to conform to ours. and one always
hates to see women crawling around
on the floor Ike animals. The dress
worn by men adds to their dignity and
stature. but everybody must admit that
japanese women usually look like
frlghts when they pnt on modern
gowns and hats. 1t is not for me to
decide this momentous issue, but only
to report fact that, wherever you 90
In Japan you find the native dress be-
Ing rapidly discarded and European
coats and waistcoats. trousers, gowns
and hats being adopted instead, with
foreign food, foreign cooking, foreign
furniture and foreign ideas.
One of the most significant features
Of the new regime is the higher status
Of women.
1t was only few years ago that the
laws left everything that pertains to
the welfare Of women to the judgment
Of their fathers, husbands, brothers and
sons. Men could sell their daughters
and wives and even their mothers into
slavery If they liked and condemn
them to lives that are worse than
slavery A husband could send his
wife home or turn her into the street
at any time. Social conventionalities
required that mothers and daughters
should be properly cared for. but there
was no legal obligation to care for a
wife. A woman could neither hold nor
inherit property; she did not even own
the kimona she wore upon her back;
she had no claim upon her own chill
dren. She did not even have soul.
There have been radical and whole
some changes In these conditions,
which have been largely brought
about by the influence Of American
missionaries and japanese women and
men who have lived in and visited for
elgn countries. The greatest impetus
was furnished by the missionary and
other foreign schools But the ad-
vance was too rapid. The change from
the old way to the new was too sud
den, and the sweet girl graduate came
up against ancient customs, manners
and preJudices that seemed irresistible.
AS consequence there was social
revolution. The young men OF Japan
declined to accept educated wives,
schools for girls became unpopular and
the falling of in the number OF their
pupils was 50 rapid and sudden that
many Of them were compelled to close.
But girls who had enjoyed education
and who had attended the foreign
schools declined to submit to the an
Gent customs. They were not willing
to acknowledge their husbands as mas
tiers, and their intelligence, which had
been awakened and broadened to a
consciousness Of their own Individual
ity. could not be again repressed into
the ancient seclusion. There were TN
fortunately several cases Of unwom-
anly self assertion on the part of half
educated young women Several were
too bold aud independent to suit the
japanese idea Of refinement. and
number Of scandals were caused, but
they were soon forgotten, and it is
wonder that so few Of them occurred.
With only here and there an exception,
the graduates Of the schools for wom-
en- conducted themselves with such
grace and propriety that they became
the most honored and admired women
in the community, and to them quite
as much as to any other influence are
due the revival Of confidence and the
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