The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-07-24
JAPANESE WAKING
Up The CHINESE
Stanley Washburn Tells How
Islanders Are Reforming
Manchuria.
BEGIN A SANITARY
REGIME IN THE CITIES
Streets Are Cleaned, Compounds
Are Drained and Roads Kept
in Order.
Special Correspondence.

Special Correspondence.
Gen. Nogi's Headquarters, Manchu-
ria, June l2O.-The old and the new.
The civilization of the east and the
west. Chinese and Japanese living to-
gether in the same town; the one calmly
introducing systems and methods upon
their reluctant temporary fellow towns
men. 1t is curious to see these two peo-
pies SO dramatically opposite to each
other living, as they are living today,
under Japanese martial law. - - - =
49,. Wonder at Reform.
The Chinese are still scarcely awake
to the new conditions which have sud-
denly swept into their towns and it is
with a sort of dazed wonder that they
see Japanese activities being carried
their most prominent citizens lived a
few weeks ago are now occupied by
Japanese officers. Sentries guard every
street. ~.
With mouths open in establishment
the calm and imperturbable 'celestial'
sees small army Of Japanese soldiers
at work in the streets digging bitches
to carry off the rain, mending the roads,
forcing upon them a scheme of SANTA
ton; cleaning their wells; turning the
pigs out of the main streets and requir-
ing them to be placed in pens.
Reform Even for Dogs.
Even the unhappy moth-eaten Chi
nese dog has been struck in this won
derful era of reform It is his habit
to camp with his friends in the. main
streets, in the side streets, in the COM
pounds, under the table, in the stable.
step one falls over this unhappy crea-
ture, the substitute for modern garb-
age department. The Japanese cheer
fully announced to their astonished
wards last week that all dogs would be
sentenced to death that were not prop
erly tagged with the names of their
owners about their necks.
meaning of this grave problem when the
day Of Judgment came. The next rising
sun brought desolation to many happy
canine homes. Few dogs were to be
seen in their customary haunts, but,
ali, woe, in a compound up the street
was the explanation. Two hundred ca
nine hides were visibly drying in the
sun. Now every dog is labeled. '','
Civilizing Cinnamon.
Schemes for social reforms, political
reforms, taxes for keeping the roads
in order and I know not how many
more are going merrily forward, all il
behalf of the Chinaman who finds him
| self being civilized before he knows it
| Nearly every compound is now drained
and when it rains we actually walk il
| the streets instead of swimming as
month ago.
/ Gradually, very gradually for tn,
Chinaman learns slowly, it is begin
ming to dawn upon the citizens here
that perhaps after all they can ge
along without. all the bad smells ant
accumulated filth which they hav
I heretofore regarded as an essentia
element of life. ~.
Chinese Wonder at New Life.
It is indeed study in human natur
to watch the Chinese. They stan,
about in groups watching the .renova
new, this activity, these soldiers, thes
curious rumbling wagons which tn
Japanese call guns, this variety of uni
movement of strange figures in thei
old familiar streets. Now they see
patrol of cavalry dashing down tn
street, sabers clanking and carbine
swinging over their backs. Now it
q group of officers riding out to tn
carts going to the front loaded with
variety of things which to the Chimes
appear strange and undreamed of. 70
see group standing in the street. ]
is at the stretcher Of wounded so
: dier hurried from the front to the ho'
pital, too late perhaps, for often deaf
outsteps the feet of the blue-clad Oh
nese coolies.
: Outside the town at all its approach
es are sentries and at all hours of til
, day one can see them stopping the CHI
nese travellers and going over the
passes, for. it is war time and the Oh
nese move only under Japanese survei
! lance.
.-s STANLEY WASHBURN,