The Washington herald., 1907-08-26

Hon. William J. Stone, United States
Senator from Missouri. is spending some
months in a trip 10 the far East, accom-
panied by his wife and daughter and
the Hon. Charles A Towne and wife. OF
New York He spent from May 26 until
June % in Japan. visiting all the principal
cities OF the empire-Yokohama. Tokyo,
Negoya. KyoJo, Osaka. Kobe, and Ma
gasald. besides numerous smaller places
Of special interest The party travelled
hgndreds of miles back and forth across
the heart of the empire thus being en-
abled to obtain "a rather extensive view
Of the country. and al the same time be
brought into personal contact with all
phases Of japanese life, and with all
classes Of japanese people.
Senator Stone has written q very in
teresting letter to the ST. Louis Times
giving his Impressions OF Japan. He
finds the educational system analogous
10 that of the American States. The
two great national universities, one at
Tokyo and one at Kyoto. have splendid
buildings devoted to all branches Of high
er learning. and the curriculum is up 20.
If not above the standard Of most all the
leading schools of America. But while
the people are being educated, most Of
them are literally hewers OF wood and
drawers of water-a nation of piodding
toilers. Above them and separate from
them are the master men Of the empire
q sort Of patriCian class who hold the
reins of power and dominate the national
life. 1t is a nation of plebian plodders-
plOdders apparently content for the most
part with their untoWaTd environment,
Hfrr al I'm, ms.
uncOnsciously or unWiuingly subject to
a species of mastery which, If not gen
erOus. is NJ least not ruthless, nor even
hard Taken all in all he estimates the
japanese as being a patient alert, hardy
intelligent and industrious people, capable
of enormous labor, and under wise direc-
tiOn capable also Of stupendous achieve
ment. The agricultural methods are
primitive individually the workers ac-
complish little IN farming; but in the ag-
gregate the result Is enormous Compared
to these people he says. the American
farmer is a prince.
Manufactures and Industrial Art.
In manufactures and in all description
Of industrial art the progress Of the Japa-
nese should well challenge the serious at
tentIon Of the Industrial nations of the
Occident They are fast forging 10 the
front and as sure as fate are destined
soon to become one Of the foremost man
ufacturing nations Of the world They
are initiative, naturally smart, and quick
to learn A large number of manufactur-
ing industries of great magnitude are
already established throughout the EN-
pire.
The Senator and party visited a number
1raH u
in detail the Osaka woolen mills, the
Osaka cotton mills, and the Osaka iron
works and shipyards. The product Of the
yvoolen and cotton mills IS of excellent
grade and equal in quality TO the output
of like mills in other countries The aver
age wage received was, for men, SIT 10
so per month, and for women and girls,
from 20 y cents per day. The working
day is eleven hours.
The Osaka iron works and shipyards
employ over 400 people, nearly all men,
and all Japanese. At the time Of the
Senator's visit these works and yards had
ten vessels of different types and various
tonnage in process Of construction. And
other shipyards were equally busy The
Japanese merchant fleet is growing with
equal rapidity with the japanese war
fleet. The policy of free ships is the
policy Of Japan.
Buys Little from America.
Concluding his letter, the Senator writes
as follows:
In the establishments we visited we
found that practically all the machinery
used had been imported Except At the
Osaka Iron Works. not q dollars worth
of that machinery came from America,
and only about 55 per cent of that at the
iron works was of American manufac-
ture. Enormous quantities of machinery
have been imported 10 Japan. but prac-
tieally all of it came from Europe. It is
also true that. while a vast amount of
raw material which enters into manufac-
lures is imported. only q small per cent
Of it comes from our country. I believe
this To- be largely due 10 the inadeQuacy
of our consular service
"Other leading nations have CONNER
cial agencies or bureaus in Japan and
the Orient. in addition to cOnsuls and
consular officers. These bureaus are in
the nature Of adjuncts 70 the consular
force. and they devote themselves ex-
clusively TO the business of exploiting the
commerce OF their nations.
This gives 10 the countries having
those agencies 4 great advantage over
our own: for q single consul, however
alert and efficient, cannot alone success
fully compete for trade with a numerously
organized force Of trained commercial
men, If we are 10 fight Tor Oriental
trade with hope Of headWay. we must
make our commercial representation in
the East strong enough to protect and
promote American interests against
whatever competition offers
Must Become Nanufacturfng Nation.
80 Hitherto the industrial progress of
Japan has depended on individual en-
terprise. These individual efforts have
been so successful as to produce results
which, under The circumstances. may be
justly described as phenomenal But q
new and mishtier force is now gathering
behind manufacturing enterprise In Ia
pan This force is nothing less than the
wealth, energy and power of the whole
nation eSerted through governmental
agencies. II is absolutely necessary 10
the well-being, almost the very existence
OF Japan that she should become q ereat
manufacturing nation. Her population is
already dense and over-crowded. and if
is increasing rapidly
Either she must conquer lands upon
which her surplus people may he co.,
onized, or she must nnd empi3yment f9r
them az home There are no lands in
the Orient over which she could extend
her sovereignty 1T for colonization IN q
scale large enough 10 afford relief Al.
ready she is sovereign in Formosa and
ruler in Korea ht1r f7orr,oe, l,..s A. ..