The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-08-19
r1lE LAND or THE RISING SUN.
BY Gregolre be valiant. PIP. 4Ol Sl.oo.
3 Eealc publishing Company, Wasllils-

II -.
Interesting and valuable Of all the books
about japan which the last few years
have sllowered down upbh us. 1t appears
10 he based on Il far closer ana more
general acquaintance with JAPAN ut large
than nre most books of similar subject
and really gives the reader q thorouBlif
knowledge Of the country us Wholc,
Dnd not merely at some OF inc Toilits
most familiar to tourists phssilg pS
reason of It's completeness, out Oh me me
field of the readable volumes OIL
3,'sketchcs,' and .glmpses" which de-
iained war CORRESPONDENTS "nt the front
ana others have given us, THE Land OF
tho Rising Sun" becomes q complete
and excellent guide book to Japan. Tray
clers abroad and readers at home nllKn
may draw from 1t instruction und profit
able entertainment.
4 history of japan, beginning WHY
discussion of soil geological structure
climate, ETC., traces the story or INC
Japanese from their renuted origin COW VI
to modern times Part Two deals Win 4
the authors personal Impressions, cleaned
In an extended tour, which took nm
ali overGJapan. As Mr.. de- valiant is
evidently possessed Of both eyes and ears
Ca fact which may not be SAID OF al
travellers, happily, he saw ana hchrd
a great deal that Is Interesting l'trt5
Third sheds n good deal of light on the
social organism, as exhibited by the press,
literature and novels, the Language, inc
theatre, architecture, art, sculpture, e '!
Part Four discusses ccononcHi aila lill nun
cinl conditions In Japan, anu Part Five
hcr internal and foreign policy; the sys-
ten OF government having read y tpoeh
expoundcd III the chapters devoted 70
Jnnnnese history This strikes us us an
orderly. systematic and pretty compete
scheme for n book of travel, winch sets
ont to give useful account OF me IStf,
ticulnr country under consideratlon,2a hu
N Is difficult to sec where anything OF
note has been ignored
Excerpts are impracticablc, TOT reg
sons Of space, though few )udlcious
onrcs would undoubtedly illuminate me,
reviewers task, we have hay, heeh patt.ot'e
',orlv struck by the authors account Of
ira In nnncso prcss. The first newspaper
IN Jnnnn was issued In 1862 but was
mol a success. People were afraid 70
read 1t openly; It carried no adVeftis-
ing and the onterprisng editor was
sting toathc extent of 500 gold-pleces.
Times have changed since then, ana ne
leading paner now circulates about llo''nV
copiesl Newsboys Of to-day run tllrousha
the streets with q bell, throwing : lne
M nor in at the door, us in the Occldcnt;
= :
Kitchen, have a! chat with the COOK una
accent a cup Of tea. A paper costs from
ton ia twenty cents a month. IT. is nrinl-
ed IN Chinese characters, Of when mere
are some 10000; hence alert ana expert
com postlonl is q sine qua non. Inc lapaHI
900 Eedjtor has to do a lot of work mat
m American editor let's somebody else
do and he draws only s25 or sou month.
Reporters get $3.50 to $500 per month nth.
and contributors about two cents per
line, the Japanese line being SIX t,mes US ~
long as ours, IRON AZ v WV. -. !.
would appear that literature IS even
loss rcm,,ncrative In Japan than IN
America. II 4s
There is mucl, other interesting lnioE-
nation on n variety of subjects between
these covers. 1t has seemed 10 US iiitil
In setting down here the observations
gathered in his travellngs ana so5outM y,
ings, Mi. De valiant has succeeaea ~
doing what every descriptive book OF
tr,ve, ma Impressions ought to do,
namely. in illuminating the country OF
which he writes, so that, even thc p nv 2,
formed render may become acquainted
VIII il. we commend his book highly.
Mr.. De Wallantris a Russian, ana me
translation, done by the author ana ms
wife, shows here and there strange lalplii
and quaint turns of expression, "nltn
VIII not, IcF'ihpS' pS't ttSss
er's enjoyment.
OUR PHILIPPINE PROBLEM = BY
Henry Parker Willis. Pr, ~. Henry
Holt and Company, New YORK.
Expanslonists generaily,8and the admin /
istrators Of the Philippine government IN
particular, will find this book but iiiilt e
10 their liking, After giving Inc Wnole
subject Of our relations with the Phlllp-
pines a thorough and painstaking study,
Dr. Willis has reached the conclusion ma I
these islands are an incubus Of wnich
we ought to rid ourselves al the earliest
possible moment. The time has come,
| he says, when It behoovcs us 10 scrutl-
nlzc all the acts of our government ~
regard to the Philippines. TO ascertain
how far our deeds actually comport WIN
| our nominal pollcy,4iHis own opinion Is
that economic rather than altrulstinimo
l lives actuated our acquisition Or the Is
| lands and that economic consldeEht ions
| will and must, determine our attltude
for for tho future. On a strictly economic
| basis, therefore, he believes that the IS
lands have been only a source OF trouble
| and expense to tho American people, whc
| have derived from our occupancy no al,
| vantagas which might not DO galnep
through reasonable trade and nllltarS
| arrangements With our possiple success
sors.,' on tho whole subject OF the Fhli'p
ninc problcm, in short, and from every
point of view, pr. WINS Is alst'hcu'
pessmlslic. ,h,t a.,
There is evidence everywhere mat M
hook is based upn a close study OF con
ditions as they exist to-day. pr WIN
+ learned good deal that was intercstln
in his inycstigatlve trip to Lllznn ~ l9o
His onenlng chapters trace the history
! our relations With tho Philippines ana ~
i beginning Of civil government N IN
Islands. With the methods and nc
, compllshments of tho civil government y
ia particularly dissatisfied, IN sncceedl,
chapters no arraIgna its operations
various phases: the civil service. lnca
government, tho legal and 1udlelS
systems, the constabnlury, the control z
publc opinion, political parties, ednel
ilonal and social conditions, the rur'
and agricultural situation, ete,,
Each Of these provides pabulum Tor
separate chapter and the upshot OF 2
observations IN these connections y w
7, tho FIlipinos were better off before +"
I took charge of them
Dr., Willis may he accused OF pa
.utlt