The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-19
ssrre. os Japan,. s.rength.

New Tory Commercial
 The strength of character. the stayn- ina and the courage shown by the Jap anese in the late war with Russia which so astonished the western Ila- lions are explained largely by the early training Q ftheir boys; Their national suits. IS incomparably superior in most respects to our western methods. Jap. anese boys are trained with system and consistency, and hence they bc' oitle men"
 The elementry school boy in Japan rises at half-past 5 o'clock in the morn ing. has breakfast at 6. and school be- and a en-a.iRutes interyal of play be- tween every fifty minutes work. Lunch follows immediately after noon; at S.30 the children have afternoon tea, dinner at o'clock and are off to bed at s:SO or 5. Those who live far from school must get up earlier. In the country they may have to walk seven miles to school and seven miles back
 Alter school the children have to re- view and revise the work done in school that day. For games they wrestle and leap and do alnoss everything but quarrel. Professor Hearn of Tollio University says that he never saw Japanese school boys quarrel. A DOT. tion of the school gymnastics consist desifous of showing that they can be more than toy solIiers practice long marches. The government encourages thenn by providing them with real .ri- fles and bayonets.
 The discipline in Japanese schools Is no trouble to the teacher who knows his subject and how to teach 1t. The, pupils mental attitude is earnestness; they are, above all, anxious to learn; nowhere in Japan is it a point of hon. or to look on lessons as torIfoolery and the teacher as an enemy to be defeated If possible. The government. knowing hlo kkn ak al ishment. No Japanese ttacher ever loses his temper without being dis graced in his own eyes and In those of his pupils.
 Tie compuIsory subjects in the ele. nentary schools are the Japanese lan- guage, arithmetic, gymnastics and nor als. Gymnastics is very carefully taught in Japan. Great stress Is laid on it in where instruction in gymnastic methods Uccupies d longer time In the curri- culum than any other subject Tho exercises do not seem to be as much a matter of routine as they do in oar schools.
 The splendid results of their moral teaching, as proved by the conduct of tie Japanese soldiers In the late war, render the teaching of morals the most inter esting of all Japanese education. In the elementary schools 1t receives a couple of hours each week. and Tn the secondary schools one hour per week. Anger is prohibited, for 1t Is selt-asser- tIon; courage IS hardly reckoned as a virtue. He who would choose his own ! ease rather than perform a customary duty, no matter how hazardous, would be counted infamous there. Hence the Japanese soldier simply does whatever he may be ordered. never considering the consequences to himself. This tre- inendous moral force of self-eontrol and self -effacement has then. at it's root. public opinion, habit and patriot | ism-thrae of the four strongest pl in- ciples that control our actions. Of the | fourth. rell9ious enthusiasm. there seems 10 be none The faddists who are allowed such sway In our national school systems will hardly claim any thing approaching the success obtain ed by the Japanese methods.