The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1907-10-17
A MESSAGE FROM JAPAN.

hl. StOISc 'lcbSOh' StIlcldly VI tht
Y. M. c. a. association at Osaka, Japan,
is at present in this country and on his
trip visits several associations in Wis
consin. He spoke at the rooms of the
local association last Monday evening
and gave very interesting account not
only of the work of the association in
the far east, but of conditions in gener.
al Mr.. Gleason is from Philadelphia
and his expenses are paid by his home
association. During the Russian-Jap.
enese war the great effort of the y. NJ.
G. A. of Japan has been in the Japanese
army.
First Mr.. Gleason gave brief account
of the countries of China and Japan.
China, he said, outnumbers Us to l,
and Japan, though small country that
can be cut out of the United States %
times, has population of almost 90 600,
600. He spoke highly Of the physical
strength of the oriental ami dwelt es.
pecially on the rapid r. of the Japan
ese. Both China and Japan are ancient
countries. The earliest records of China
begin $50 years before the lsrealites left
Egypt Thus it has witnessed the rise
and fall of Babylonia, Greece aud Rome.
These nations are proud of their his
tory and the people have a great rever
ence for their ancestors,
The late war was dwelt upon and
much was said also about the attitude
Of Japan towards education. School at.
tendance is compulsory. Boys and girls
are both compelled to secure an elemen.
tary education. The high schools col.
leges and universities are filled with
students. In Toxic alone there are $50,
600 students, Is, 600 of which are from
China. Japan is thirsting for the new
education, and China is also waking up.
The y. M. c. A. has done much in
Japan during the last few years. Dur.
ing the war stations were established in
the army and at these many things We're
provided which added much to the com.
fort of the soldiers On their return
home the whole Japanese army passed
through the association rooms at Dalny.
The secretary spoke of the fact that the
Japanese government did all that it
possible could to keep liquor away from
the soldiers and at Dalny strong guards
were kept to prevent any of the soldiers
from getting into the dives of the city
The Mikado himself sent $4,000 to aid in
the work of the association in the army
and after the war a great increase Of in
terest not only in the y. M. G. A but in
christianity itself has been manifested
The speaker closed with the thought
that whether the Orient is to be menace
to the peace and safety of the world de.
pends upon whether the vast land is to
be allowed to remain pagan or not
Buddhism is losing its hold on the young
er generation and soon the nation itself
will be without any religion whatever
A great opportunity lies at our doors at
this time to introduce the Christian re-
ligion.
Two Wisconsin boys are at present
doing Y. NJ G. A work in Japan Mr.
G. V. Hibbard a graduate of our univer.
sity is working among the students of
Toxic, and G. S. Phelps who was for 3
years secretary of the u. w. Association
is the secretary of the Kyoto association.
Both of them did Y. Nj. G. A. army
work
AT the close collection was taken up
to aid in the work these men are doing
and $40 20 WAS collected