The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-27
DEVELOPMENT Of JAPAN
America Has Had Much to do
in Bringing This Result.
WORKMEN POORLY PAID
With Her 1000 Miles of Railway and
Her Merchant Fleet Which is Now
Eighth in Size Among the Worlds
Peace Navies, She is Now a Great

Commercial Power.
America has had much to do with
the development of Japan. An Ameri.
can seaman, Perry, opened" the
country to the trade of the world The
American Minister Harris made the
first treaty with Japan. The first
election under the Japanese Constitu-
tion was held on July 4, 1890. The
United States Government gave Japan
her first foreign order for a shp-a
small gunboat wanted in a hurry for
the Philippines. The United States
first moved at the beginning OF the
present war to preserve the integrity
OF China, which is all that Japan. as
the champion OF freedom, wants.
The dates of Japan's new birth are
conveniently remembered. The Perry
expedition landed in 1853. Previously
foreigners could not enter Japan, Jap
anese could not leave It. The civil
war and the reconstruction period in
Japan roughly corresponded with our
own. New Japan oates from 1867.
All the great material changes have
been made since that year. The new
Constitution went into effect and the
Parliament assembled in 1890.
Japan's government is neither a des.
potism like Russa's nor practically
republican like that OF Great Britain.
There are but 100000 voters qualified
for general elections of a total pop
ulat!on of 100000. The Emperor is
assisted by Council and by ten Min.
listers comparable to our Cabinet Off.
GERS, except that they have more
power. For instance, the Japanese
Minister of the Interior has general
charge of police matters, and most OF
the railways and tho telegraph and
telephone lines are Government mon.
oplies.
Japan has 1000 miles of railways.
her merchant fleets are eighth in size
among the worlds peace navies. her
banks are rapidly increasing in depos.
its. Japan is successful in colonizing
the island of Formosa, taken from
China in the recent war.
The supremacy of Japan IN Eastern
Asia means far more for American in
stitutlons than does the domination of
Russia-social freedom, political priv
ileges. representative institutions, To-
cal self-government, intellectual lib
erty, freedom of assembly and of the
press and religious liberty Japan is
already far in advance of Russia, and
In many respects abreast of Germany.
In local government Japan rather
resembles France. Each district or
large town has its Legislature and a
Governor appointed by the Emperor.
The scope Of the local Legislature is
rather less than that OF our State
Legislatures. but the Governor, accord.
Ing to Mr. Clement. usually intarferes
little with its actions.
The pay Of workingmen in Japan Is
very small and there is neither great
wealth nor extreme poverty in the en-
plre. The Mitsui Bank. more than
200 years old. is putting up i'm Toxic
the f1rst steel frame building I'm Japan
covering two and half acres. The
total trade Of Japan has grown from
$4,000. 900 in 1S68--the year afte. the
revolutiOn--to $254, 100000 in 1901.
There are about one thousand news.
papers and periodicals In Japan. ALI Of
recent founding. Books are plentiful.
The new growth in China Of rhe scien-
tific spirit Is fed from Japan. In print
ing books of science, language, 'aw
and literature for Chinese use the re.
formers translate not from European
tongues. but from the Japanese; the
Japanese have already made selee.
tions and adaptations useful In the
East. This fact, according to Mr.. Cfe-.
ment, Illustrated the leadership Of
Japan in the Pacific. That leadership
is also shown by It's commanding i'm
portance in trade with the mainland
as far south as Siam.
The Japanese are not pure Mon.
gols, nor do they closely resemble the
Chinese. DR.. Nitobe, a Japanese sci
enlist, agrees with French observer
who estimated that the Japanese were
six-tenths Of mixed races. The EN-.
peror himself seems of a Malay type.
Others estimated the Mongolian ele-
ment more generously.
The Japanese have in one genera.
tion greatly improved in health by
adopting a more varied diet from the
Europeans.
In the army and navy they have
adopted European uniforms. Their
schools and universities are modelled
upon those Of Europe and America.
Their moral code even has been
changed by association with the "sil-
yer men," particularly by raising the
status OF women.-N. Y. World.