The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-01-06

tanned at so great cost? The mission
arles make prompt answer that it is
needed to provide the nation with Chris.
i sian leaders and teachers; if Christian
colleges are necessity in America,
they say, much moro so here
But | find educational experts draw.
ing fhe deadly parallel, They declare
that, from an educational standpoint,
tne mission schools are now generally
ln1erlor TO those maintained by the Gov
ernment, Even in the study of Eng.
hsh a Government examiner assured
me, the mission schools, despite their
hgh proportion Of foreign teachers. are
oelow the level of other schools Mis-
sion workers themselves saw that all
persons who come out to be teachers
should be required to possess a teach.
er 8 certificate, as well as a college edn
cation, | am told that the Kobe col
lege for young women, maintained by
the Congregational Women s Board of
Missions of the Interior, Chicago, and
the Presbyterian school for young wo-
men, !oklo, still rank among the lead
ing girls schools in Japan; hut even
these feel the changed conditions. ON
al sides hear that the Congregational
kIndergarten at Kobe, conducted by
MISS Howe, easily leads in this form
OF Instruction, and it would rank with
the best institutions Of similar natnre
at home.
In all fairness ii should be said. how
ever, that after close inspection of
many schools, both Government and
missionary, Of ali grades, / must pro. BRO
nounce in favor of the latter in certain
PARTICULARS. In the first place, they are
manlfestly peater and cleaner and more
attractive to the eye. They are de-
signed with greater care for comfort of
the pupils-though all such matters as
sanitation and hygiene, the amount of
moor space and air space per pupil, etc.
are regulated minutely by the Govern
ment. There is greater freed ON and
brightness and individuality noticeable
among mission school pupils. In the
Government schools the girls live so
closely by rote, and so greatly resemble
antomatons. that one is tempted to trv
the effect of the sudden introduction Of
a mouse. More important yet, the mis-.
sion schools. especially those for girls,
are unqnestionably safer, and are chos,
en- by more careful parents for this rea-
son. Upon this point | shall write
presently; but first let me mention the
greatest present educational and mis-.
slonary opportunity in Japan.
What japan Wants From America.
In conference with score of .Japap
ese leaders, only two white men be-
sides myself being present, ] bluntly
asked what Japan thinks of the mis-
slonarles, and what form of mission
work now needs doing. BY common
consent their spokesman was man
whose conspicuous work has won him
o decoration from the Emperor. and as
his Judgment comedies with the views
expressed TO me by other candid Japan
ese, | quote his opinion:
Japan most needs help in educa~
tion and philanthropy. If mission
schools are to be maintained, let them
be hrst.class as schools But if Amer
lea really wants to help us most eff
fectually, she should send teachers,
strong, able, Christian teachers, to
enter the various middle and higher
Government schools throughout the
Empire. Every one of these would
welcome such one to teach English.
Then by his influence and by person
counts for most, he could do untold
good in shaping Christian character
the students. Japanese re-
spect teachers, and especially foreign
teachers; and such men would have
more weight than those whose business
it is to come out and try to make
Christians.
This man had in mind something even
further advanced than the work of the
teachers. The latter are men selected
by the international Y. M. c. A., with
headquarters in New York. These men
receive no mission aid whatever: they
have an absolutely Independent relation
with the Government, and are supported
entirely by their salaries. But by
means of Bible classes, personal conver-
sations, the introduction of the stu
dents into their homes 10 learn foreign
1t ~
ature, they are doing an immeasurable
service for Christianity. Japan is eager
to increase the number of these men,
and. as one OF the teachers said to me.
HThere is no better place in the world
for qualified American who wants TO
do q great educational work than right
here.
The Japanese whom | quoted above
had larger thought than even this.
He would like to see foreign teachers
sent even to the Government schools
that cannot afford to pay their salaries
in full, the latter coming from mission
boards at home. Thus one teacher
could serve several schools, and create
clientele for Christian work which he
would be In a position to utilize 10 the
utmost advantage. This, of course,
would be something new in Christian
propaganda: but | am persuaded that
IN TINS general Qlrectlon lles LHe lutuIe
field for foreign mission work in Japan.
The foreign preacher will go; the for
eipn manager of church work will go;
The foreign medical missionary has
practically gone already; but in their
place will come the foreign Christian
teacher and the trained executive for
philanthropic and eleemosynary enter
prjses.
Student immortality.
The whole student problem in Japan
must be viewed from a moral side
While morals and ethics have place in
the curricuIa of all higher schools, they
have not an equal place in the conduct
of the Young people whom thew are sup.
posed to affect. The minister of educa'
tiou and other national leaders are
frankly alarmed over the situation, and
they have turned 10 the Young Men S
Christian association for help. The lat
Ter with the Young Women s Christian
association, is erecting lf-supporting
Iormitories where many have safe
homes. Statesmen who are themselves
arrant nationalists declare that the stu
dents must have some religious motive
for the desired morality.
Even the daily papers are wrestling
with the subject of student 1mmorahty
"a contradiction of the statement made
nv some leaders that the recent shock.
ing revelations have not caused RIP
.l,a l.