Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-05-31
How They Are Occupied During the
Great War With Russia's Arm.
les and Navies.
WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM
Relief Work-Cheers for the Soldier
Boys-Help for Needy-A No.
ton for Patriots.

HdS dSSuII(eu icSpOuSiuAiIy AoA .AS
support of approximately 100000 fam
lilies of dead and disabled soldiers Of
the empire within the space of sim
gle year, and the methods employed
in the discharge of this responsibility
are interesting in the extreme and
eloquent of the oneness of this peo-
ple that is astonishing the world with
its perfect poise in the midst of
crisis that could not but shake the
strongest nation to it's very founda'
ton, writes Eleanor Franklin from
Toxic. Statistics are, as rule, not
as attractive to me as glittering gen.
eralities, but the statistics OF this SUD
iect are so startling that they wouh
catch and hold the attention OF any
body. 1t seems to me that the ia
panese relief system is about the most
practical and perfect thing of its kind
ever organized by government, ana
its greatest achievement is a comDl-
nation of public and private interests,
of governmental departments and
peoples institutions that could not be
in any country where the heart OF
each is not as the heart at all.
Whence Comes the Money?
The question which soonest presents
itself to the foreigner travelling in ia
nan and observing the evidences OF
the national poverty Is where is the
country getting all the money for de-
fraying the expenses of this great
war;" The question. far from being
answered, resolves itself into an ex-
clamation as proofs of the nations
ability to meet every problem of the
crisis daily present themselves. Her
ability to meet and defeat what EN-
peror William once called 1.-The great
est military power on earth" has been
demonstrated to the worlds everlast-
ing admiration, but her unassuming
and unapplauded perfection OF home
government 'for the people and by
the people," a government that pro-
yides for each individual victim of the
war a means of livelihood or direct
support is just as admirable in its way
as any other demonstration OF the
strong cannot be denied, but even in
it's most startling revelations it is a
strength concealed and the worlds
admiration must always resolve ltsel1
into an interrogation.
There are absolutely no evidences in
japan of great wealth. There is not
public building in the whole EN-
pire that is not more than equaled In
hNy nf
buildings. There are no mansions Of
the wealthy that are not to the Amer
lean way of thinking quite like aver
age middle class residences. There
are no localities rich in minerals as
we estimate riches. There are nc
wide spreading acres of teeming fer
tility, no single evidence of greatness
in any part of the country, and YET
such thing as abject poverty does
not exist, is not permitted. indeed
and beggars are less frequent than in
our own land of over-supply, and this
is because the heart of one is the
heart of all because it is nation
in which brotherhood has reached its
highest expression; because the faith
erhood of the imperial government
is not an empty phrase.
INC WIN W
am indebted to his excellency
Count Katsura, the prime minister
and to his secretary, Baron Nakash
ina, for introductions to officials II
the department of home affairs, who
spared no pains to put me in posses
sion of all possible facts in connection
with the work for the relief of sol
diers and sailors families in which
the government and the people ar
so religiously engaged. There is
pension bureau in Japan which pre-
vitles permanent assistance to aged o
disabled soldiers of the empire, bu
it has no connection with the pension
office under the supervision OF tn
war department, which provides If
slant assistance to families found il
pressing need. Whenever soldie
falls in battle this pension department
sends an officer at once to investigat
the conditions of his family, and
assistance is necessary measures ar
taken to provide it, either directl
or through local institution, witt
out a particle of delay. 1t is the IL
tention Of the government to provid
each person a means OF earning
livelihood rather than to give thel
financial aid, which must of necessit
take the degrading form of aims. an
for this purpose industrial homes hay
been started all over the country
which thousands of widows and o
phans and bereaved destitute mot
ers find honorable Judgment and CO.
genial employment in making clotht
and preparing provisions for the sc
diers in Manchuria. l was taken
an officer to the home department
Toxic to visit one of these instit
tions in Yokohama.
We were met at the station by g
escort with municipal carriage
At least that is what they called
With just touch of youthful glee
thought it reminded me OF the sma
boy and his little red wagon. 1t loo
ed to me very much like any 9th
narrow gauge Japanese victoria al
it bore no Haunting coat of arms. n
boosted any prancing thoroughbre'
in silver mounted harness. In fat
the only unusual thing about Il
whole outfit were the bettos boot
A betto is Japanese coachman. al
| am going to write comic ope
one of these days and have a bet
chorus, somewhat on the order
George Cohan's "Up in Hanson, I
in Hanson, Up in Hanson Cal
They are such a sOlemnly impOrta
and ridiculously begarmented lot tn
l think they would make prodigio
hit. And the nags they drive are
nc rr(