Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1906-07-28

| bad weather we were unable to take
the trip to Lake Chuzenji, one of the
beauty spots of the country, but dur
ing the days of rain we had abundant
opportunity to read of the land and
the people and to talk with various
people about the future of this enig-
NAUTICAL race. Before I summarize my
Impressions of the people, I want to
give you few samples of "English
as she is Tapped" Here are a few
signs which one sees over shop
doors.
"tailor Native Country. Draper,
Milliner and Ladies Outfatter."
"the ribbons, the laces, the wells,
the feelings"
"Hand painting post cards." or ''all
kind of illustrated post card and
Japanese beauty and view"
extract of fowl' lover an egg
shop.)
"Head CUTTER" lover barber shop
"The earth to let," lover real
estate office.)
Here is an advertisements in
this connection let me pause to state
that the Japanese have adopted bodily
in all its awfulness, our sign board
craze.
1t reads as follows, "Japan insted
of coffee (meaning Japanese substitute
for Coffee more men is not got
drodsg of the legs who US this coffee,
which is contains nourish." Here is a
| dentists sign. "Our tooth is very
important organ for human life and
countenance as you know; therefore
when it is attack by disease or injury,
artificial tooth is also very useful. I
am engage to the dentistry and I will
make for your purpose"
In the Japanese language there is
no letter exactly corresponding to
our ''l'' and they all put an ''r" where
ever the 'l'' should appear. This
produces some amusing results I
have in my possession letter and
article which Mr.. Davis, the dean of
Dosnisha college received while I was
in Kyoto. I shall send it to Mr.. Nor
rison for use in the funny column
some day.
[ hesitate to express an opinion
about the present condition Or the
future hopes of this people. The bane
today is that some very superficial
and untrue opinions have gained Gre
dence in the western world and Japan
is to suffer for it. The truth about
Japan is seldom written in all it's full
ness and the leading Japanese are not
anxious for the whole truth to be
written at present. But on the other
hand, the thinking Japanese are not
content with those pictures of their
country which cast glamor over all
and express satisfaction with the con-
ditions in general. They are en-
deavoring to wake the people up to a
sense of the great need for improve
ment in the light of their new position
as world power. If you ask the
traveller in JBpan Or the foreign resi-
dent in the country or the best of the
leading men, they will generally tell
you that the country and people have
been very much over rated. And
this is the reason that almost nine out
of ten Of the tourists to Japan, will
tell you that they are disappointed.
It isn't the fault of the country, it is
the fault of those enthusiasts who
have cared more for a color effect
and the exploitation of the quaintness
than for the real worth and character
of the people. There are now two
views of Japan, and I think these ex-
press the opinions of most travellers
and students. One is that she is in
process of transition with great pos
sibilities for the future, going through
titanic struggles to attain a high civil
zation, but still naturally very crude
and still retaining much that is low
and uncivilized. This is the opinion
of the best scholars, and the best
friends of the Japanese. The other
opinion is that because of her phen-
ominal advance in material things, be-
cause of the success of her armies, and
the undoubted fact that she conduct
ed her late war upon lines of human
itarian principles, that therefore she
is now on an equality with the western
powers and has already attained in
every particular. But the careful
student of Japan, the one who locks
beneath the surface and studies those
problems, upon the proper solution of
which, rests nations real greatness,
will not credit the rank and file of the
people with a high state of civiliza-
ton. Let me touch upon three phases
of this problem, and here I think I
L