The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-09-05
STATURE OF THE JAPANESE.

(From the New Orleans Times Demo
crat)
One of the most extraordinary and in.
| teresting experiments ever ATTEMPTED
by a government is now under WAY
in Japan. It is the determination tC
make the Japanese race taller heavier
and larger; and all the energy of the
nation. all the many departments OF
the public service will be'caIIed on to
assist in this colossal undertaking.
! The japanese are, as is well known
| a small race. not only below the aver
! age of mankind. but below that of all
neighboring peoples. No satisfying rea-
son has been given for this popularity
although the japanese have an expla-
nation of their shortness. The various
! races whose blood flows in that of the
people Of Japan were all of good size.
The original inhabitants of the islands
were of fair height. while the Koreans.
who came in afterwaTd. but in prehis-
toric times. and mixed with the ma
tives, were then and ara today eXcep-
tionally large. Both Korea and China.
which have from time to time helDed
to populate the country, breed people
fully up to or above the average. There
is nothing in the climate to account for
the small size of the Jaoanese, as is
shown by the conditions. prevailing in
the neighboring Philippines. 1t is pos
sible that famines or climatic condi-
tons in ages long past may have stunt
ed the growth of the people: but it
seems strange that they should not
have had similar influence on Japan's
neighbors.
Although small. there is no evidence
of degeneracy or weakness on the part
of the Japanese. They are well formed,
of greater proportionate strength than
larger people, are able to endure ia
tigue, and in the late war with Russia
showed themselves the equal of any
known race in the physical feats thew
performed in their marches. their en-
durance, etc. Indeed, some persons
found their small size advantageous to
them, making them more wiry and bet
ter able to move faster
1t would seem, therefore. that the
objection to the height of the Japanese
is not because of any physical unfit
ness it carries, but more because of the
looks. The japanese evidently dislike
the name of pigmies, dislike the Jokes
made over their size. 1t may be that
they find their authority in Korea in
terfered with or threatened bv this
fact. The Koreans are tall and large.
and this fact may prove a natural
temptation to them to resist the tyran-
ny of their little masters.
1t remains to be seen whether this
attempt at hurrying evolution will ac-
complish the result sought Cor The
psychologists differ in opinion on this
point; but the japanese, who have the
greatest faith and courage. are work
ing earnestly on the problem and de-
clare that they have every reason to
feel encouraged.
TIL undersize of the natives is at
tributed thy them to the fact that the
Japanese squat on the floor have no
chairs and are seldom standing. The
custom of squatting, sitting bowIegged
on the ground, pursued through count
less generations has had, the Japanese
declare. the effect of re-
ducing the length of their legs Two
strong arguments are presented in sup
port Of this theory; first the fact that
the japanese are small only from waist
down, bandy-legged as it were. No one
would think them small 10 sea them
seated; it is only when they rise that
one perceives that they are understood.
because of short legs; secondly, the
peasants and other workers who stand