The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-19


property instead OF her fathers.
Anyhow, the Japanese divorce il more
complex than 1t was In the good old DAYS at
the end Of the nineteenth century. when one
marriage out OF every three ended In a
divoro9. Besides Buoh obvious reasons as
leprosy. inhdelity and barrenness, a wife
ran the risk OF being divorced II she talked
too much. or saw too much Of her own rela-
lions. or went to temples too much till she
reached the age Of ugliness, but the most
constant reason was when her mother-in-
law did not find her q good servant.
A japanese wife is always expected TO de-
vote herself more to her mother-in-law than
she does to her husband, nor are her func-
tons as q mother ever 30 important as her
mother-in-law functions. for she Is expected
to repress her feelings as a mother. aud the
chief thing she has to look forward to in life
is not having to repress her feelings as a
mother-in-law.
We have beer robbed Of all our old be-
nefs about Japan. We knew that the
golden 9 OF divorce was passed when
men could discharge a wife because they
had done with her. without any allmony,
and that only women who were earning
wages ever thought OF divorcing their
HubDouuS' mo pT0SenJ Jdpdlebo uiNOICo
laws are about the best in the world.
We are not even allowed to enjoy the
superstition about the Jap's behavior to
his wife. We are told she is not dow
trodden. but only gentle, and that in family
affairs she generally has the last word,
like any other woman, though she does
not raise her voice. Perhaps the cruellest
blow Of all is that we may no longer fatter
ourselves hat we are not as the Japanese
are In commercial morality.
1t 10 easy If disingenuous to take refuge
In saying tu quoQue to the European trades
nan For instance. we are told Of a Euro
pean who bought silk from various Japa-
nese manufacturers, and finding that one
manufacturers sold better thar the others
in Europe, put his mark on all the silks.
The highminded Japanese tradesmen there
upon refused TO sell him any more silk.
l find an inherent improbability in this
story. l cannot conceive the British
tradesman or the British public under
standing any Japanese trademark, much
less buying silk by the mark. There is
only one person in the South Kensington
Museum who knows the signature Of even
Hokusai by heart.
And even allowing the truth OF this in
stance. what is it among so many Have
not we who have been to Japan seen sup
posititious whiskey labelled Glasgow wine;
milk that pretended to have been oon-
densed in Switzerland. and pens that
claimed an American origin labelled
'Heagler." which is the f~avorite Japanese
way Of spelling the name Of the king Of
birds; silk handkerohiefs ascribed to Crosse
and Blackwell under the impression that
their name would cover any multitude Of
sins; and the soap which claims to have
no peers being replaced by Japanese imi-
tations which challenged its supremacy
by having peers written On the label?
A respectable Japanese merchant OF my
acquaintance defends the morality OF the
forged labels. They would not take in
any Englishmen. he said. because they
were 30 badly done. and as for the native.
since he did not know what the real Wor-
cester sauce tasted like, he oould not be
disappointed at not getting 1t.
He would probably like the Worcester
sauce made by q native manufacturer who
understood Japanese tastes better than he
would like Lea a PERKINS,. And I'M
consciously he was being made to support
native industries. As the Japanese wishes
to buy his whiskey at Is. Cd. a bottle. II
really lie fortunate that he should be pom
tent with Glasgow wine made In Japan.
Finally 1t would seem that we have still
something to learn as to the secret OF the
real Government Of Japan. Many books
have tried to pierce the veil, but it re-
NAMED for the great 1to's son-in-law to
lift IL.
There was no revolution forty years ago.
1t was only 'the great change The pow
erful Satsuma clan had never paid allegi-
ance to the Shotgun, the powerful Chosiu
clan was in rebellion against him. Tosa
and Hizen sympathized. The Mikado re-
sumed his activities.
In time a constitution was granted. Cab
inets have risen and fallen with alarming
rapidity. The outside world wondered how
Japan survived this rattle Of Cabinets.
The Japanese themselves do everything
for their Emperor and In his name. and
told us nothing. But rumor always held
that Satcho (Satsuma and Chosiu) had their
own leaders and policy and imposed the
on the nation. In the war it came
that above his Cabinet the Emperor de-
pended on five Elder Statesmen-Ito. Inouye,
Oyama and Matsukata.
In the Baron's informing pages we see
tDe 1dCIS TeCOUClncut " lOul Out VI Lle INt
elder statesmen and the present Premier
(Katsura) and nearly all the other ruling
men Of Japan are the men OF Satsuma and
Chosiu. who made "the great change
Japan il ruled by it's greatest men. Why
not all nations intrust their national
existence to their five greatest men Of all
political creeds?
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