The Virginia enterprise., 1907-06-28

I Expenses OF Chinese student in
Toxic are estimated at minimum
of 80 yen. The expenses of a girl stu.
dent are less than those of a man. =
The terrible situation here with re-
spect to school girls is not, as has
been carefully, explained to me over
ana over, because Japanese girls do
not prize virtue; but because they
prize other things, an education, and
realty to parents far more. Girls are
sent into Toxic from the country to
get an education who have no. idea
where they are going to- board $or to
attend school, and lack the money to
do either.
In all this it is to be remembered
{ that the attitude of the Japanese
toward the relation Of the sexes is
very different from that of the occi.
dent The social evil is licensed.
Though by no means confined to
those holding licenses) and it is com.
mon for parent to sell his daughter
into life of shame. Ninety eight per
cent. of the prostitutes in the empire
are secured in this manner. "Sale" is
not the word employed here; the
keeper lends money to the father, to
be repaid out of the daughters earn.
ings. The former takes good care
thai the debt is not wiped out until
he is ready to let the girl go. The lat
ter never thinks of rebelling, for flial
! obedience is the first article of the
Japanese creed. Yet it is significant
that no swords, knives or sharp
weapons are allowed in the "Yoshi-
wara," which is the name of the dis.
trict set apart for this purpose, lest
the unhappy girls make away with
, themselves. 1t is said that the aver
age number of visitors to this quarter
of Toxic is no less than quarter of
| million a month.
I can believe this, because of what
I have seen. The night I visited the
Yoshiwara, in company with mis-
| sionary, the streets were 50 crowded
that policemen stood in the center OF
the road, holding aloft lanterns to d.
vide the traffic. which is entirely
pedestrian.
Two inexpressibly shocking aspects
of that nights experience especially
impressed me. One was the number
| of boys and young men, thousands OF
them in student dress, who openly fre-
quent the Yoshiwara. The crowd was
like that which lines the down town
streets of an American city on the
night of a presidential election. Not
only were there myriads of men on
| the streets, but women and children
also were out enjoying the life"
These would, unabashed, chat with
the girls in the cages, and the latter
seemed to have no feelings OF dis
| grace.
An Anglo-Saxon does not relish the
sight of human beings displayed in
cages. Yet hundreds of these line the
streets of the Yoshiwara, each con-
tanning from dozen girls upward.
True, the cages are beautifully gilded
and lacquered, some of the rear panels
being real works Of art; and the girls
are elaborately dressed in gaudy
gowns, each seated before toilet box
where she perfects her painting and
powdering in public. The cages are
cages, and the poor painted creatures
within are human beings, thus offered
for public inspection and sale.
One hour in the Yoshiwara is SUI
ficient to turn any white man forever
! against the licensing Of the social evil.
Adjoining the Yoshiwara and a part
of it, is the hospital for derellcts.
Everything is minutely regulated by a
special department of the government.
The latest official statistics show more
than $4,000 licensed prostitutes in the
empire, with more than 10000 geisha
girls in addition. Taking all classes
of prostitutes, there are said to be, &C.
cording to the latest publication on
the subject, How the Social EVIL Is
Regulated in Japan" no less than q"
900 900, or five per cent of the popula-
ton of Japan, or ten per cent. OF the
female population of all ages!
In the light of the foregoing, it is
seen that one of the tremendous tasks
undertaken by the missionaries, and
especially through the girls schools,
is the creation of the Anglo-Saxon con-
ception of morality in the Japanese
mind. A missionary is also chiefly
responsible for the agitation which re"
suited in the law a few years since,
giving the enslaved girls a loop hole
of escape from the life, under certain
difficult condit itions. A rescue home is
maintained in Toxic by the mission
aries and the w. G. T. o., and three
others throughout the empire, by the
Salvation Army. The most tangible
and promising efforts for, the better,
ment of moral conditions among the
students are those put forth by dis
tinctively missionary agencies.
Copyright, BY Joseph, B. Bowles> :,