The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-11-27

are prone to believe, the apish acquire
ment OF Western civilization settled
upon a plant and initiative national
ity. This book also sets forth with en-
phatic clearness the unity between ia
pan and the great Orientalism Of the
whole East: 1t reveals Japan, the
emancipated of the sleepers Of Asia.
not the natural offspring Of fostering
Europe
The major part OF Kakuzo's work Is
devoted to a study Of the historical
growth Of the country, of its emanci-
patton from what he terms 1.-The night
OF Asia" of It's gradual fermentation
under isolation and It's final yielding to
the pressure from within at the touch
of the civilization Of the West. AS no
one has yet succeeded in analysing so
clearly, the writer follows the indissol-
uble growth of the religious and secu-
lar spirit in the life of the people. indi-
eating how from earliest time the soul
of Japan was made one with those of
India and Of China through the bonds
of Confucianism and Buddhism. The
result of the highly specialized philo-
sophie doctrines of the Japanese mid
country emerged into the light of the
last decade, the author summarizes
thus;
1.-The national consciousness, divided
within itself by the dams and dikes of
it's own conventions, could but narrow
and finally stagnate. The flow of spon-
taneity ceased with the end of the sew
enteenth century. The microscopic ten
dency of later Oriental thought be-
came in us accentuated to a degree un-
known even in China. Our life grew to
be like that of our miniature and dwarf
trees"
ence, which was due to the influence
of religious thought and which even to-
day holds sway over China, Japan
freed herself, according to this author
ity. as a result Of a ferment within.
Three national schools of thought arose
almost simultaneously in the early
years, of the eighteenth century, en-
bodying the spirit of protest against
the elaborate Journalism and the dead
ening introspection of philosophic die
tum. Harking back to the purer and
earlier systems of religious thought,
these schools revived the slumbering
activity of the national mentality, fos-
tered it, inspired it until when Admiral
Perry sailed into the Bay of Yeddo the
reincarnation of Japan needed only this
outside influence to crystalline into
fact accomplished.
Mr.. Kakuzo will give his Occidental
readers ample food for reflection by his
exposition of the attitude of new Japan
and Asia generally toward the Western
world. ITO most Eastern nations the
advent of the West has been by no
means an unmixed blessing" saws he.
Against our imagined yellow peril
Japan and the rest of the Orient has
very tangible, very threatening white
disaster" The militant organized com
meroe of the West-what chance has
individual Eastern trade against it?
Need the white nations fear yellow
peril, inspired by Japan when the very
nature of her civilization, inbred
through thousands of years, prohibits
aggression against foreign nations. 1t
is this white disaster that has driven
Japan to arms.
What mean these strange combjna-
lions which Europe displays?" asks
Kakuzo, in the significant closing para
graph Of his book. What mean the
hospital and the torpedo, the Christian
missionary and Imperialism the main
tenance of vast ornaments as a guar
antee of peace? Such contradictions
did not exist in the ancient civiliza-
tons of the East. Europe has taught
us war; when shall she learn the bless
ings of peace?"
(The Century Company. New York;
price 81 25.)