The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-02-17

Little Nation is Remarkably Well a dvanced
in Many Ways.
Atlanta Constitution.


ia, but for tie past seventeen years
aresident of Yokohama, Japan, has
been in the city during the past few
weeks visiting his father. This is
Mr.. Brenner's first visit to his native
city in ten years, and he marvels at
the progress Atlanta has made in those
few years.
Mr. Brenner is interested in large
rubber factory 4 miles from Yokoha-
ma. He is engaged principally in tie
manufacture Of marine rubber goods.
He was first honor graduate OF the
Atlanta Boys high school class Of
1868, and when he first went to Japan
was in the service Of the Japanese
government. Up to few years ago
he was with Frazer G. Co. and then
he established factory Of his own.
What Mr.. Brenner has to say Of
Japan and her people, jus, at this
time, is Of more than ordinary inter-
est, owing to the strained relations
existing between Japan and Russia
and the probability Of war that will
cause Japan to be the center Of inter-
est of the entire world.
''The Japanese are q remarkable
people," says Mr.. Brenner. "They
are'remarkable III many ways, but par
ticularly for the manner in which
they have forged to the front in the
past decade. When I went there
seventeen years ago there we're no
electric lights, telephones or electric
railways and very few steam roads.
Today there is not village that is
not equipped with ON electric light
plant The telephones are govern
ment institution and the country is q
net work Of wires. The system Of
trolley cars is rapidly becoming per-
feet. The country is checker board
of railroad tracks. Many Of the roads
are government property, but private
corporations control the majority.
Personally and socially the Japan
ese are as fine people as one would
care to meet with. They are scrupu-
ously clean as nation and politeness
is part of their education. I am an
American by birth, but I would not
consider it a hardship to be forced to
spend the rest Of my life in japan.
The climate is similar to that in At
lants, and one can obtain al the fruits
and vegetables that are grown in Geor-
gia, and be in close touch with peo'
pie who are anxious and to grasp all
the most advanced ideas. The Japan
ese are different from the Chinese in
that they take up all new ideas quick
ly. They are apt and keen and anx-
ious to learn. Their public school
system is good one and there are a
large number Of technical schools.
There are schools everywhere and in
great many of them English iu
taught. The teachers are not well
paid compared to the pay Of teachers
in America, but their salaries are suffi-
cient to support them and they are
satisfied.
"The Japanese of today nave ao-
quired the commercial spirit and the
almighty dollar has assumed an i'm
portance with them that was hitherto
unknown. Formerly the Japanese
made Ho great struggle to gain posses
sion of money. The old Japanese
was content to exc out his existence
and would work half o lifetime on
oce piece ofwork. He had nothing
else TO do, and he put all his skill and
energy into one piece of work. But
The latter day Japanese was quick to
learn the value Of tha remarLl-....e
workmanship that was produced, con-
sequently the prico has gone up and
the object now is to turn out as much
work as possible. AS result Of this
the busine ess opportunities for the ma
tives are increasing every day and the
foreigner has fewer opportunities.
The foreigner cannot compete with
the Japanese because the natives who
have tzfen mp trade cen do businesses
on such smaller profits. His needs
are not SO great as those Of the for
eigner and doubtless he is not so
grasping.
u fThe home life Of the natives Of
the upper class is pure and beautiful.
The devotion ofparents for children
and Of children for their parents is
simply remarkable. In this respsct
foreigners could learn 8 good lesson
from che Japanese. Though pagan in
their religion, Iregard the Japanese
as far in advance in some respects. Of