The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-04
JAPAN rs MARCHING on.
Another witness TO the strides she Has
Been Taking.

Been Taking.
Certain symptoms OF innovation struck
forcibly upon my imagination as l travelled
through the country districts Of japan. says
a writer in BLdckrood's.
Schools presented a conspicuous feature
in every corner OF the country-not the
schools lear to the bigoted literati OF China
or the intolerant mullahs OF Islam. but
modern, up to date. twentieth century
schools, where the knowledge and learning
Of the West il fast becoming impaired to
the children OF the Fast.
| remember one day meeting a number
! Of small boys returning from u village
school in q district far removed from the
influence Of railways and big cities. On my
approaching them they drew up to attention
with military precision and bowed cere-
moniously TO me as l passed.
l was somewhat puzzled to find a reason
for this spontaneous display. and .subse-
quently learned that the cause was to be
found in tn q cut Of my clothes. was
and was therefore an object OF respect.
You ask why2 Because Europeanization
is the Fetch OF the day.
Nor is it only the boys who attend the
schools in this year Of grace 1907. for the
schoolgirl in magenta hakama. with satchel
and books in hand. walking blithely to
the nearest academy. il the rule rather
than the exception OF t~o-day--and q vastly
significant one in an Eastern country.
And il We turn to statistics regarding
education we fiLd hat they more than con-
firm the deductions Of casual observation.
Thus in 1899 IS. 90 per cent. Of the boys
and 5a.O per cent. OF the girls Of school
age were attending school-hgures which
had increased five years later to &C. 80 and
10O3-O4 (the latest for which ! have figures,
"a, 500, 900 was spent on public education,
and SOTO. 124, or 90. % per cent. OF the chill
dren, boys and girls combined. OF school
age were recorded az receiving elementary
instruction.
There is another-a powerful, perhaps a
sinister-infuence eating slowly but surely
into the old communal life OF the people,
the influence OF modern industrial require
ment. Already thousands OF women and
children are toillng wearily in factory and
workshop. attending mechanically, to the
great steam driven spindles and looms
which are slowly but inexorably crushing
the life out OF the old family hand ma
chimes on which were made the exquisite
fabrics embodying the artistic soul OF
tJnguarded and uncared for by a kindly
legislation their lot can scarcely be con-
sidered an enviable one. No factory acts
grace the pages OF the statute oook OF
1--WE nave our duty plain before ms. say
the manufacturers, tto establish our COM
modities firmly upon the worlds markets.
Let US get our hold Of them before we are
tied and handicapped by Government in
reference"
Such was the fervent prayer which 1
heard breathed by more h one mar
facturer-a prayer which would appear to
have every chance OF being granted. since
only 90 lately AZ August last the Japanese
Government refused ar invitation to e
delegates to an International conference at
Bernie, held with a view to prohibiting night
work by women on the grounds that the
state OF the industries OF the country did
not admit of such interference!
True, the women and children may smile
over their work as the casual visitor passes
10 and fro among the whirring creels or the
crashing looms, but then the Japanese smile
is an enigmatical hing and. as has e
written, -the Japanese can smile In the teeth
Of death. and usually does"
Some day the workers Of japan will rise
and will demand for themselves the same
rights and privileges already conceded TO
their fellow workers in the West-but the
day is not yet. Before that time comes
japan will have dispclled once for all the
,lIision that she IL a trifler in toy lanterns and
and paper fans and will have indicated
her claim TO be regarded as one OF the manu-
featuring nations Of the world.