Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-16


the case. 1t Is actually carried so far as to
include many white foreigners. For in
stance, there still in Japan a number
Of foreigners who hold places of trust and
responsibility under the government. They
very well paid for their services, be-
cause they perform them faithfully and
with ability. Yet, just because of this, just
because these men are square with their
employers, just because they do all they
can to carry out their contracts, they are
often treated with scant consideration by
their ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
Not too openly, OF course. That would
never do. But they are SneCred at behind
their backs constantly; they are subjected
to many Sights; they are habitually spoken
of as being on the other side Of the fence
even though their social relations are
trely irreproachable This isn't quite uni
versal, but it is well nigh SO. and, curl
ously, the most nsdious of all the sneering
comes from the very foreigners who com
plain most loudly about the general Japan
for the-J Japanese policy that was inaugural
ed few years ago, when the foreign teach
ers were let out one by one, after their
contracts for employment had expired.
I'm afraid that II the truth were fully
laid bare it would be known to the world
that, excepting the foreigners who go to
Japan as sightSeers, intending to remain
there only short time, the vast majority
have only one notion in their heads, and
that is to exploit the Japs and their country
for all they are WORTH to get whatever is
coming from them; TO make as much
money as possible in short time as pos
sible. and to forget while doing this that
the japanese are human beings. or that
they have the rights which We naturally
accord to human beings.
Of Course He Understands.
Now, of course. the Japanese are not
dull, whatever else they may be, and they
DO not fail to understand the situation per-
fectly. They understand its cause, too.
They know full well that it is because they.
the Japs, are brown and not white; are
small and not large; have only recently be-
gun to give attention a nation TO me
chaniCal and material development; have
only lately begun to strive for the dollar;
that the whites have regarded them with
little less than contempt, though perhaps
thinly yelled.
THE japanese began to learn this lesson
on the day that they had to allow Com
modore Perry 20 set foot upon their island.
Till then they regarded themselves as at
the top of the pile, humanity speaking and
had so regarded themselves for centuries.
So did the Chinese. But the Japs, often
called the most initiative people in the
world, if not the most original, saw the
truth at once. while the Chinese, except in
a few individual cases, haven't seen it yet.
The truth as the japanese saw it, how
ever was not altogether In favor of the
whites and adverse to the Japs. While 1t
showed them that they were inferior in
some ways, it showed superiority for them
tate the foreigner in all ways which seemed
desra BILE, they decided not to sacrifice any
of the old ways that seemed good to them.
The cid dress they decided, was not es-
sentfal, though more picturesque and more
comfortable than the European garb: the
officials and some others. therefore. dis
carded 1t for the dress Of the western world
on all occasions when they We're to come In
contact with foreigners, or when Ii would
otherwise be advantageous to do so, but re-
tanned it on others. The old policy of exclu
sion they were forced to give up, the same
were the Chinese. Having given 1t up
they saw, as the Chinese did not, that the
old forms of government, the old social Or
derS and the old arms would do no more.
So they set about changing with all speed
Foo the time they have been at it the
change has been pretty thorough. too.
Why They Initiate
But they haven't brought about these
changes in a spirit of imitation; nor just to
be like the occidentals. or to do something
new, but as a matter of self-preservation.
They knew very well that It would take
time to bring about the general transforma-
ton which they saw was so essential. but
they decided to make the time as short
possible. They knew that they would be
looked upon as weddings, almost as chill
dren. while the transformation was going
on: that there would be sneers at them as
the gentle little brown men; that the occi-
dental world of big, pale-faced giants would
treat them with more amusement than re-
spect until they forced the respect which
they coveted.
But they determined to win 1t If they
could, and now they believe they have won
it; they going to insist that it shall be
shown or l shall miss my guess. l don't
think they going to be unreasonable
about it. l don't think they are going to
give the western world half as much cause
for complaint as II has given them; but
think they are going to be firm in their de-.
mands and think they are going to get
them. And, for my part, l think they
ought to.
''There is a good deal of criticism about
the decline of native japanese art. Well,
what would you? The Japs have been
forced to walk the white mans road and
they can't walk both 1t and their own. If,
in order to hold up their heads with the
rest of the world. they must go in for ma
terial progress. ii Is perfectly clear that
many of the best men in the country can't
spend their time and energies merely MAX
ing pretty things. The Japanese are let
tin, their old arts die out for the same rea-
son that the Americans for instance, are
neglecting art; they haven't time to do
otherwise.
Some Interesting Survivals.
But much Of the old Japan remains.
much of 1t will remain till the end Of time.