Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-27
The East Does
Not Under
stand the West"

and manlfeStS deep interest in this respect that
is unique When went to school in Boston
daily recited, along with the other children
the Ten Commandments. These of course
form part of the training in our public
schools but in their place there hangs upon
the wall of every schoo-room the Imperial
Rescript of 1890, which reads as follows. L
sorry that the necessities of translation
may to cothe in long words the simple
directness and beauty of its declarations.
This is the imperial decree which daily
confronts every Japanese boy and girl
and woman, from the time they learn to read:
1t desire that you. subjects perform all the
ha duties to father and mother that you be
kind to your brothers and your sisters that you live har
monousy husband and wife; and that you be
your friends.
Impose upon yourselves se-resraint and recttude of
behavior
Extend philanthropy the multitude.
Advance learning pursue your callngs, develop your
intellectual faculties and build up your moral
Seek to enhance the public good and enlighten the
world by benevolent deeds.
Stand by the constitution and respect the law.
In of national emergency enlist yourselves in the
public service and show your bravery and by every
assist and promote the principle of the imperial
Government.
By SO doing you will not only prove yourselves
loyal subjects and good citizens but you will also
and perpetuate the nobest traditions of your
This rescript, ever before the eyes of the people,
may be taken the essence, the SOUL of the national
policy 1t may serve as some explanation, to
those who wonder, of the loyalty and self-sac-
rifce, alike among the soldiers in the field and
among their kindred at home which has character
lied every day Of the present
The school, with us, is the great developing
ground of character Our view of moral teaching
will be seen later, is peculiar. We regard the
formation of character, the impression of the moral
habit as the essential thing as in fact thing
in itself The particular form of religious belief
regard secondary in Importance The
Japanese Constitution guarantees complete
lgous freedom to every subject; but it is the duty
and the of the national Government to i'm
press upon every subject the principles of morality
Ninety-three per cent of all the children in
Japan attend school daily. Those excused from
poverty, necessity infrmity. number only
per cent, remarkably low figure. 1t has seemed
to that the school readers of great if not
primary importance in developing the children's
minds. With this end in view, the readers consist
of chapters of national history, benevo-
lent acts of the Emperor and the Empress, heroic
deeds of generals and admirals, famous
works of our scholars and statesmen, the writ
ings of great poets-all, in fact, that
broaden, ennoble and uplift the national char
acter in its formative and plastic period, youth.
Instead of narrowing the pupils horizon by purely
domestic examples, take to insert fire.
quently, among the chapters mentioned similar
account of the great deeds of the great of
other countries The characters and deeds of
George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin
Franklin Napoleon, Nelson, Frederick the Great,
Darwin, Florence Nightingale, Jenner, the work