The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-02-15
TELLS. IN PULPIT
ABOUT JAPAN
Dr.. W. Nj. Paden breaches at
First Presbyterian Church.
TALKS OF RAPID PROGRESS
DECLARES CHRISTIANITY STILL
has MISSION TO PERFoRM.

Shall land be born in one day2
Shall a nation be brought forth at
onceg"
This was the subject Of q discourse
on Japan delivered yesterday morning
at the First Presbyterian church by
DR.. W. II. Paden
DR.. Paden began by dwelling on the
remarkable growth Of Japan in the
snort space Of time since Admiral Perry
sailed into the harbor of Yokohama
in 1854 with fleet and compelled the
signing OF tiTs treaty that opened Japan
TO the world
The speaker followed the course o.
civilization and education in the coun-
try from this period until the present
Gay and pointed out how responsive the
little brown men bad been 10 the
advances OF civilization.
No other nation in the history of
tho world has made such rapid strides
toward civilization within the memory
OF men still young. She has left medi-
evalism for modernism and instead of
hanging on the wheels of Progress.
she D. now pulling in the shafts. So
swift and evident has been the change
that japanese student said that when
he returned to MIS- country after an
absence of sewn years, nothing was
left as it had been but the natural
scenery. -
Education Works Wonders.
In explaining the wonderful change
that has taken place in Japan in the
past forty years, Dr.. Paden @aid:
The Upheaval Of Japan's social Fuii
San has been chiefly by insurrectioE %
intellect a whole generation Of Japa-
nese leaders mas been at school. in
the beginning hundreds were sent 90
the best schools abroad, not only 90
educational institutions. but TO the
schools OF practical life.
Some of you VIII remember the Jap
1rese who were in Philadelphia in '16,
1t is said that more than $4,000 japanese
were abroad in SO. Soon they began es-
tablishing schools Of their own, man.
ming them chiefly with foreign teach
ers
When General Grant visited the mili-
tary school at Toxic on his fsmous tour,
ne wrote: Tt is one Of the foremost
OF similar Institutions ] have seen in
the world Joseph Cooke declares that
the examination papers required at the
Imperial university, save in classics
are quite up 10 the average demanded
in Cambridge or oxford, Princeton OF
Yale.
Now western learning is moving the
whole nation through hundreds Of sub
ordinate schools ard a system Of com
pulsory education is at work through
out Japan. The schoOlnaster is abroad
and IL is estimated that over half OF
Japan's 5000. 600 or 100000 of children
are now at school"
Nation Has Little Religion.
In speaking OF the religion and morals
OF the country, the speaker declared:
of religion they have little, and OF
morals, perhaps less" He declared
that the mass of the japanese people
are without God and without hope be
yOnd this world. The educated men
are materiaHsts or atheists. the illit-
crate sodden with superstition"
In concluding. DR., Paden asked
What has Christianity been DOING
In view of such obstacles, very much
IN view Of the work yet to be done
very little.
We must graciously help these little
people. II viii be years before tnC
japanese church can get on without
western counsel and assistance. To
desert the islands TOW would be more
unfortunate than the too early deser-
tiou Of Hawaii for in spite Of their
wonderful dOinss. the japanese are
after all like BTecOCiOuS children. Japar
is the child Of the worlds old age. and
as such q child is in danger Of being
spoiled"