The Washington herald., 1908-04-16

day relegate the Chinese characters from
everyday use TO the limbo Of the clas-
sizes
Everyday use Of English is increasing
more rapidly than exact knowledge of
correct grammar and 0rthography. and
the result is a multiplication of ridiculous
errors. Even the ambitious publications
are not always careful of their transla-
tions, Tokyo Puck Is a comic weekly.
modelled along the lines of its New York
contemporary of the same name in
physical appearance, but differing vastly
in the character OF its humor. This pub
lication is entirely the product of Jap
anese natives, but it appears with dual
dress Of japanese and English. Its illus
trated jokes and cartoons have their Jap
anese legend attached at the right hand
of the picture. running vertically, and
their English legend underneath.
It's humor is so coarse and broad that
it would not be permitted to circulate in
America, and it is condemned by the
higher class Of japanese newspapers as
indecent and scurrillous. However, 1t has
a big circulation. In pohrics It Is "agin'
the government" and 1t does not hesi-
tate to attack anything short Of the
throne. In a recent issue there was a
cartoon showing the prime minister and
the minister Of finance seated in a car
riage, their faces distorted as II in ter
TOR, reading a newspaper, Above were
portraits of the late King and Crown
Prince Of Portugal and underneath this
legend; Marquis Saionji and Mr. Mat
suda, who raised the taxes, read the news
Of the Portuguese assassination" Some
Of its attacks on the prime minister. al
though printed in English. are so vile
that their exact character may not even
be limited at.
The usual -is-spoke''
curiosities may be seen everywhere in
japanese cities. 'Ferrules and lee Here, -
IS a puzzler until one finds that fer
rules" is a free rendering OF "fuel. "
Beef and Hen Met Here" is the sign
over a butcher shop. "CentrifugaliZed
milk" is milk from which the germs
have been expelled By the Pasteur
method. The sublime tailor" and the
higher washman" are out for business,
as is the man who writes. my company
do send baggages into any direction with
6FFe< ~A-NsskAiN AtAR 0tkA IhEf Il
candy store reads: European Infections
Here, Even these things are 10 be
taken as an earnest national ambition
for Western learning,
The in.5dence Of the japanese adoption
Of English on the future OF world poll
ties Is not to be underestimated. A cen
tury ago English was spoken by 2O00O. 900
persons, fewer than those who spoke
French, Russian, German, or Spanish.
Now English leads the list Of European
languages. being used by 10000 600. the
other languages following. respectively
Russian. German, French. and Spanish.
In another generation Japan will add
ten million OF more TO the list OF English
speaking people, and for that reason their
connection with Anglo-Saxon ideas and
ideals viii be much more close than if
they had decided to adopt French or
German as the medium through which
they were to come into the Western
world OF letters. If the present difficulties
between the United States and portions
of the British empire on ore hand, and
Japan on the other, can be brought 10 a
peaceful solution, Anglo-American stan
dards of thought viii ultimately triumph
In the Orient
Copyright 1908. by Frederic J. Haskin.)