The Saint Paul globe., 1905-04-23
JAP PICKS FLAWS
IN SCHOOL SYSTEM
Representative of Mikado Finds
United States Far Behind
the Times

The one great shortcoming of the
American public school system is that
there is no such thing as system of
morals taught. By taking the child in
his tender years and drilling into him
the duty of child to parent, of citizen
to government, and of man to man.
much good might be done.
This is what might be called a view
OF the Japanese government, since
Prof l.. Konlshi, Phi. D., representa-
tive Of the government, gives voice to
it.
Prof. Konishi has spent three years
in Europe and England, and a short
time IN America, studying the school
systems of the world. That is what the
department of education in Japan sent
him out for. He spent two and one
half years in Leipsic and Berlin, study
ing the German system OF education;
then he had fling at England and the
United States. Now he is on his way
home
Prof. Konishi was at the Merchants
hotel last night. He leaves for Seattle
this morning, and when he arrives in
Japan Will at once take up the work
OF instruction in a government school.
His special subject will be the theory
of education, as he has found it in his
studies abroad.
Teach Children Morals
''It seems peculiar to me that no at
tempt is made in the schools, of this
country to teach the children morals.
OF course l understand that you try
to develop moral tone among the
pupils, but it would seem to me that
your children would grow up without
an exact idea of morals, as related to
their lives and duties.
of hours a week to the instruction Of
morals This had been the custom for
the past sixteen years. 1t began with
an imperial edict from the throne. 1t
is called the educational edict 1t is
very brief, and sets forth only the
principles of ethics and morals that the
children are to be taught. The in
structors are expected to enlarge on
these rules, and explain them. By this
means a child knows before he is out
of the common schools the principles of
ethics Here you delay such teachings
until the student has reached his ad-
vaDced years in college. By that time
he has developed other ideas"
Were Always Patriots
Prof. Konishi thinks that this sys-
tenn of teaching duty in the schools is
responsible for the wonderful patriot
ism which has been shown during the
PI SoSlll WdI- bul lHeH we were al
ways patriots, says the professor
The professor talked entertainingly
of the system of ''hara kiri," or suicide
for purpose, as it is practiced in
Japan. He contrasted it sharply with
the "dchte" of Germany, or the sui
eide" of the English speaking nations
In the Japanese code of morals the
"hara kiri" does not imply a moral
cowardice, as l understand, it does
among either the German, the French
or the English speaking peoples. 1t is
wrong, we think, for a man to take his
life simply because he has grown tired
of living, just as the English or Amer
leans.
THE hara kiri' dates back many
years from the feudal days of Japan"
says Prof. KoniShi. 1.-The same spirit
which is responsible for this present
war is responsible for the hara kiri.
This spirit is known as 'bushido,' which
means, literally translated, the way of
the warriors But even this would not
explain it without understanding what
the warriors meant under that old
regime. 1t meant the highest system Of
morals that the Japanese mind can
conceive. The soldiers We're supposed
to be far above the merchants and
farmers in honor; hence the word
'bushido' means bound in honor
Shows Heart Is Clean
THE word hara kiri means to dis
embowel oneself" said the professor.
"The idea is that a man who does this
shows by it that his heart is clean and
his honor undefiled. The heart was
originally supposed to be the abdo-
men, and it was for the purpose of TAX
ing out the heart and showing it to be
clean that the custom of 'hara kiri'
began in Japan.
But the idea of 'hara kri' is for the
purpose of vindication, and not because
the person has grown tired of life or
afraid to face the troubles of the
world"
Prof. Konishi says that he is very
glad to see the people of this country
expressing sympathy with Japan in
the present struggle.
L know nothing but what is in the
papers," he said with a smile.