The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1905-07-12
GLUTTONS FOR KNOWLEDGE
THE JAPANESE ARE A NATION
OF NOTEBOOKS.
How Japan's Seamen Eagerly Took
Instructions from a Retired
British Naval Officer.

| Instructions from a Retlreu
British Naval Officer.
Japan's seamen and their training
for her navy is thus described in the
Detroit News-Tribune by w. j. Hard
ing, a retired feet engineer of the Brit
ish navy:
My modest share in the training of
Japan's navy was very valuable ex-
perience. because all the time | was
teaching the Japanese the japanese
were teaching me. They studied with
| the same determination, the same con
| centration of energy with which they
have since fought, and they gave me
splendid object lesson in what pure pa
triotism can do for a man even in
peaceful study.
The japanese does not put forth his
energies with the primary object of
outstripping his fellows in the race for
position, but in the hope Of being of
great service to his country. Should he
be offered the post of admiral when he
felt certain that he would be more use
full as a gunner he would cheerfully re
main in the humber position.
When | took charge Of the students
of marine engineering l gave them the
Keyham course, instructing them en-
tirely in English, even the words of
command being taught to them in our
language They were simply gluttons
for knowledge.
For a time l was somewhat mystitied
by seeing tiny disks of red blotting pa
per dotted about their books of instruc
ton, but | discovered eventually that
it was the custom to place a disk OPP
pOsite any item which was not perfectly
clear, and not until they had thorough
~ mastered the troublesome point
would they flick that disk away. AS a
matter Of fact, the disk never remained
in one place long.
The faculty of observation IS one of
the greatest assets in the japanese
character During the last generation
japanese students have been sent 10
every corner of the world where any
thing useful was to be learned in con
nection with naval warfare, and every
one of those students has sent home
regular and full reports.
One of the first rules l had to learn
as a teacher in Japan was this: The
Japanese student cannot III any way
be scolded into learning. The Russians
drill their men with whips; the Ger
mans VIGOROUSLY mistake bullying for
discipline, and even in the British navy
corporal punishment is not altogether
unknown. The disgrace Of being struck
would make Japanese, however,
commit harakiri-the national form Of
suicide When a mans
very best" is not good enough, the
n.lscry of being q failure is quite pun
ishMent enough for him.
Not only the officers and engineers.
lut even the ordinary Seamen, provide
themselves with notebooks The Jap
aueSe are, III fact, nation of note
books They are clever imitatOrs, as
witness their copying of the British
y
tors. and in probably every seaman's
notebook viii be found at least one
brand new idea OF his own. which in
Gue course viii be submitted to his
5UvCr.ora. | am not ashamed to say
li...t While teaching my students l got
i~3:c than one good wrinkle" from
IAoG..
We have taught the japanese all we
know about cable making for heavy
ship, ana Ia this connection it is in
tcresting to note that a wooden man
Of war which thCy built before 1860
had anchor cables made of women's
hair. 1t was claimed for these cables
that they were stronger than any ty-
phO0n
We have taught the Japanese how
to make guns, but we cannot teach
them anything in the art of making
the bronze for the guns. Their bronze
il inc2lcullbly superior to ours and
withstanGs any climate for genera
tons British bronze, ON the other
hand, soon cOIrodes The new statue
OF B0adicea on Westminster bridge is
already showing signs of corrosion,
.ud the Trafalgar square lions and
Thames embankment sphinXeS. al
though by no means old, are noticeably
rottiug. \ Japanese cannon in South
sea. however, is as good as ever, after
about thirty years exposure to our eli
mate