The Washington times., 1904-03-26
The Japanese Character.
An Estimate Not Very Flattering
Placed Upon It by Colgate Baker.

honesty in business; a lack Of moral
ideals involving an astounding indif-
ference to personal chastity IN every
woman, except the wife and mother,
and an inability to appreciate the
teachings of Christianity. Japan"
eXclaims Mr. Baker, never viii stand
for Christian ideals" and, adds he,
1T Is my conviction that the Japa-
nese character Is the most insidious
force that has ever menaced Chris
tiamty" THE effect of the japanese
philosophy" continues he, Ion the
brain of the European or American Is
not unlike that of a subtle narcotic
1T perverts all moral ideas and poisons
the very source of every thought and
action To the white man who falls
under the sway of this mystic power
Christian civilization, with its Ideals,
appears ridiculously Quixotic. He
has nothing .butlcontempt for the mea
Of his own race and is even ashamed
Of the color of his skin. 1t Is only
natural that such an individual should
forsake his own kind, don kimono,
become a japanese, and try TO lose
himself in the great yellow mass"
We have no desire to dispute Mr..
Bakers views, though we are bound
to say that he does not seem to us to
have reached his conclusions upon
sound premises. Thus, to illustrate
the lack of moral principle in the Jap
aneSe character he asserts what prob
ably Is true enough, that 1T often
happens that a well-to-do japanese
man buys a girl out of the Yosbiwara,
and if she becomes his wife she finds
no difficulty IN establishing herself in
society" Now tins, instead of indi-
eating great Pagan depravity, strikes
us as a fine example of living up TO
the teachings of the founder Of Chris
tianity No doubt the Pharisees were
greatly shocked 10 see the Saviour sie
down with sinners and accept the
homage of a converted wanton. And
similarly Is Mr.. Baker shocked when
he contemplates the possibility of a
girl. from the Yoshiwara becoming
that model Of virtue" which even he
admits the japanese wife to be in the
vast majority Of eases. Our eiviliza-
ton. Christian though 1t may call l.
self, does not always practice what it
breaches. and it may be well, perhaps,
that il doesn't. Still. for Mr.. Baker
to find fault with the japanese be
cause they have the courage of their
convictions and, in this instance at
least, are more Christian than the
most orthodox among us, strikes us as
being slightly illogical. I
Nor do Mr. Bakers statements re-
garding lack of honesty on the part
of the average japanese merchant I'M
press us as being entirely fair. an
business" says Mr.. Baker, "the Jap
anese is honest when honesty Is the
best policy, and dishonest whenever
.it seems advisable" "and," adds he.
foreign firms doing business in ia
pan have always experienced the
greatest difficulty in preventing their
japanese employees from defrauding
them by secretly exaeting a commits
sion from the native merchants with
whom they transact business"
We would advise Mr.. Baker to per-
use an article by "a Merchant" re-
Gently contributed to one Of the popu-
lar magazines, in which the writer.
discussing the prevalent notion re-
garding theAxistence Of corruption in
public life, declares that II Is as moth
ing compared with the corTuption-m
the nature Of secret commissions, re
bates, allowances, etc.-which per-
vades the business transactions Of the
present day, here and elsewhere, from
TIE highest down to the lowest. If Mr..
Baker viii read that article we should
be greatly astonished, were he TO as
sert again that japanese business
morality stood ON a lower plane than
that of other countries. We prefcr
to think dishonesty Is an individual
fault, not the fault of a race or a ma
ton. The Marquis de Ia Croquemi-
tame, that eminent diplomatist. has
repeatedly lied to MS; therefore all
Frenchmen are liars. Herr Prof.
Teufelsdroekh declares he has squared
the circle; therefore all Germans are
fools. That's childish reasoning. Ii
reminds as Of the entry in the note
book o. the continental traveller who.
landing IN Dover, was shown to his
room in the hotel by a red-haired.
suffering waiterl THE inhabitants