The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-07-12
SAYS JAPANESE
ARE GETTING BIGGER
AMERICAN PHYSICIAN GIVES RE.
SUITS OF HIS OBSERVATIONS
IN THE ISLAND EMPIRE.

pastor, was occupied yesterday morn
ing by Rev. Henry c. Mabie, who ar
rived on the Korea from the Orient
DR.. Mabie is home secretary of the
American Baptist Association and went
out to Toxic to attend the Worlds
Students Centennial in April and the
Morrison Centennial held at Shanghai
in May.
Dr. Mabie spoke largely of impress
sions Of the advancement made by the
two countries since his last trip there
seven years ago, and in part said: "An
observer is sure to see, even in con-
flicting conditions, possibilities as well
as obstacles, and the contrast in gen
oral conditions in the Orient between
this and my last visit there is most
marked. The most patent thing is
the change of front in the government.
which permits of accessibility to the
outsider. This has arisen since the
Boxer trouble, the Queen Dowager
realizing she could not expel foreign
ers, and the Government has endeavor-
ed to find a way way to do better.
THE advance of education and edu-
cational facilities is little short of
marvellous, 20O0 modern schools having
been established within three years.
AS an example of the revolution i'm
ideas, the idols have been thrown out
MI -,
and the temples converted into institu-
lions of modern learning In Japan
80 per cent of the population is com
PEELED to attend school.
The whole system as now estab-
lished owes its origin to DR.. G. YER
beck and DR.. Murray, missionaries who
went out forty years ago. At that
time they held the confidence of only
about a score of people in their project
of planting educational advantages and
now there are hundreds in attendance
at the Imperial University in, japan,
which consists of six colleges and en-
braces every educational adjunct.
Another marked feature is the al
tered status of women in both these
countries; where only few years ago
woman was her husbands slave, sub
servient and unheeded, she is now
his recognized equal, sitting beside
him, eating with him and receiving
every courteous attention which a man
and gentleman accords his wife in our
country.
Girls are employed by the hundred
in shops, book stores and other places
of good employment. The Commercial
Press of Shanghai has thirty-two
power presses in operation and $50 en-
ployes under the management of ma
tives, all but twenty of which are
Chinese. The others are Japanese.
"The Japanese are a wonderful peo-
pie, the most composite type of any ma
ton in the world. Their ability to
learn is one of the most salient points
and their perfection of accomplishment
is attained at very early age. The
children are instructed in mechanical
arts and when as young as s years
are doing work that few artisans of
our country are competent to turn out.
We do not begin to teach our children
before they are II or IS years of age
to learn trade.
Even physical growth and progress
are being rapidly acquired by the Japa-
nese, their stature having visibly in
creased within the last generation. This
is due to athletics and the fact that
the sitting posture assumed so many
centuries is being done away with. 1t
is undeniable that their morals are bad
but they need a moral motive. In
science the Japanese are expert and
advancing, also in military training,
100000 being constantly under arms
Japan is the great mediating power
between the East and the West, and
we certainly ought to take pains to
keep on friendly terms with her.
There is a question of the command OF
the Pacific, this nation continually add
ing to her navy, in the purchase of war
vessels, and while the question arises
as to where she obtains her money for
these expenditures. | would say that
Japan has good tariff; she is collec-
ing money fast and has a fine system
of economy.
While l am not prepared to state
upon the possibilities of war between
ourselves and Japan, there are many
things she could do before a war to
annoy us and make us uncomfortable,
as might be indicated by the recent
action taken by the Japanese Chamber
of Commerce regarding restrictions to
be put upon Americans. Still, there is
much of pleasant feeling and friendli-
ness, as during our two centennials
both Buddhists and Shintos sent greet
ings to our delegates and the En-
peror threw open his gardens to all
visitors"
DIR. Mabie leaves on Tuesday for his
home in Boston.
ga,