New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-14

IL is its foLdnesS for laughter ne io'NN4 -
rare elsewhere in the Orient. Indeed KING hu-
wards chief surgeon, Sir Frederick IreVeS' ~
his book just published. entitled THE Other
Side Of the Lantern" describing his recent mp
around the world wakes eloquent on the IN
preston of profound melancholy created py
India owing TO the absence Of mirth among inc
natives: "Sadder than the country are the poo
pie They talk little they laugh less "A sDlle.
except on the face of child, Is nhcolnIiioIi'
Imagine q teeming population OF nearly 'Vo'0oo'
600 human beings without ever a laugh 10 inc
healthy minded American or Brltoh TINS 10 III
canny. It gets upon the nerves. ana 'iAa' "
why when one reaches Japan. ana hhds hueii'1-
The rule rather than the exception. ana sinlies
80 ,oe,eraI than frowns or melancholy one
feels drawn toward the sunny tempered AeseS
Of the AIikado.
Indeed. much Of the widespread sympathy
which the japanese have enjoyed Throughout
their conflict with Russia is due to the lacI ina
they are so different from all other Orlehlals Ia
their disposition to merriment and TO laugh'eI'
Rut since the outbreak Of the war some -FOUR
teen or fifteen months ago much mas occurred
to dampen their spirits. True theS 10"
their credit many brilliant victories oo'4 q
- -, land and are keenly conscious OF haF4H6
rot only excited the admiration ana respect -
+ba entire world but likewise OF having az
80, as one of the principal performers IN INC
oo,oe-+ ~ nations But these victories nave
teap vron AT a heavy cost Of life ana treasure
Few are the families in Japan that nave i-0'
,aen called upon TO sacrifice a son. d pIollei'
or q father while 10 a people that alIeauE
fore the Wa~ was taxed beyond its capacity 70
,,roK-ide the ordinary revenue, the ehoTIioUS Al
crease OF inposts Of one kind and announcer q"
sailed BIZ :he struggle has resulted IN "lue
suread destitution and even rum -loIS0'0'' az
Ts-a-aee have realized from the very outset OF
the contest that their entire existence aS d
nation was at stake and that the issue OF Inc
conflict was TO them a matter Of life ana oeatn-
T e perhaps because there is 50 much cause
a., IT. nav even sadness. in the present
situation in the Land Of the Rising sun Ilat d
,,,,-,tor ~ leading men at Toxic, alarmed py
.t,,. zz-are Of one Of the most attractive chafac
+rse+fcs Of Japanese life. have organized an IN
f,,ential association for the promotion Oh l0us
ter lust how the society intends TO accoiiif i-SD
i+s ends we have yet 10 learn. But Il VIII p400
ab1,, devote some Of the large sums OF 44iO-'0'
already raised by subscription TO the increase y.
outdoor and indoor theatrical peTIoIli-e-0o7
an amusing nature, 10 the organization % -
- &C n the srbventioning OF public story
fellers. 10 the spread, broadcast OF coii1O pE
.,-ica+,,res and posters, and last but not least
z,1--,,,,,tia7, of TOYS among the children
n
~ 1.-a7esa are indeed an extraordinary peo-
=, ,-,r,reciating the value CT the laughter %
~. raonIe as a national asset they go ABOUT
IN IN a thoroughly methodical pracucaI way -
" ,prouote cachinuation
And they are right. For laughter plays d
most important role IN public as wen DIS 4.
,r5,,ate life and should therefore, be cultivated
man without q laugh is inlDerfecty consul
tinted In the words Of Locker-Lampson Ia
Iniliar quatrain:
lie cannot be complete in aught
who is not humo-ously prone,
man ba T5i305 have a1s fuHny yH 6ose
Indeed. he places himself thereby so low down
in the physiological scale TO almost touch
that dividing line which separates the human
from the brute creation For, although we have
all heard of the laughing jackass. of the laugh
ing hyena and of horse laugh, yet there is
nothing TO show that the cachinnatory noises
emitted by these animals are the expression Of
1nirth any more than are the grins Of dogs and
OF other animals. not to mention the Cheshire
Cat OF "AIice's Adventures in Wonderland" In
fact, scientists insist that one Of the chief dis
tinctions between man and beast is that the one
can express his merriHent and his sense Of
hUraor by laughter, whereas the other is unable
10 90 so. And if this contention be true, then
am tempted TO believe that there is. after all.
possibly Darwin was right when he described
them as cur ancestors. For when last in Japan
had as pet a most intelligent ape. which used
10 dine at table bow his head reverently when
grace was said by my missionary guests. dip
straw berries into his champagne and eat
paragus in the most approved fashion-helped
me, in fact, to entertain nay friends, and who,
when tickled with a straw under the chin, or on
the chess, the palms Of his four hands,
would chuckle with merriment in the most ridic-
ulously human fashion.
II is just because laughter is so thoroughly
human that it always touches a responsive
chord in the heart. People who are impelled
laugh together find it difficult to harbor
any sentiments OF resentment toward one an
other Laughter drives away irritation To
laugh at a thing and at the same time to be
seriously angry is almost an impossibnity, and
many a political coup has been won by means
OF hilarity. Lord PaInerston's banter and jests
accomplished more in the House Of Commons
than the highest flights Of oratory on the part
OF his opponents, and fl may be questioned
whether Benjamin DisraelPs epigrams were not
more effective in Parliament than the splendid
eloquence Of the late William Z. Gladstone. The
third Napoleon's advent to the throne was sig
nailed By much bloodshed. But in spite even
Of this. the people became reconciIed TO the new
regime by the amusing and ingenious fashion in
which on the morning Of the fatefuI December
the placards and posters bearing the watch
words Of Repubhcanism were found to have
been quietly metamorphosed into imperial mani
festoes- The way in which it had been done ex-
cited such hearty laughter that the people's
anger was TO a great extent appeased
A people that are prone to laughter are much
more easy to rule than a nation which takes
too serious view Of life, and in the same way