Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-15
OF W0RILDW DWI]DE INTEREST
SPEAKING ENGLISH IN JAPAN
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKlN

Bryan, dlauSJone, napoleon ana Olnef
great men of the Occident.
The great majority of books trans
lated from English into Japanese are
of scientific or technical character.
Many standard English novels have
been translated, but many more are to
be found in editions for the student of
English, containing copious footnotes
in Japanese. In this way the Japanese
student is introduced to the delightful
romances of Sir Walter Scott and to
the stirring tales of adventure from the
pen of Alexander Dumas, coming from
the French via the English. The infiu-
ence of western literature is making
itself felt upon Japanese writer's, and
many people are appearing which take
English fiction for model of construc-
ton. Heretofore Japanese poetry has
been confined within the narrowest
possible limits of mechanical formal
ism, the custom requiring that a poem
must consist of either thirty-one or
sixteen syllables; no more, no less.
Tho agitation in favor of abolishing
the use of Chinese characters by law
and of substituting the Roman alphabet
has resulted In the Introduction of a
bill in the diet, but 1t will be many
years before the change will come
about. The radical difference between
the spoken and written language of
Japan makes a phonetic rendition very
difficult, and the universal adoption OF
the Roman characters would cause
great confusion. Nevertheless, the use
of the typewriter, the study of English
and the new ideas of literature are
bringing about condition which will
one day relegate the Chinese characters
from everyday use to the limbo of the
classics.
Everyday use of English is increasing
more rapidly than exact knowledge of
correct grammar and photography, and
the result is multiplication of ridicu-
lous errors. Even the ambitious pub
lications are not always careful of their
translations. Tokyo Puck is a comic
weekly modelled along the lines of its
New York contemporary of the same
name in physical appearance, but diff
fering vastly in the character of it's
humor. This publication is entirely the
product of Japanese natives, but 1t APP
pears with a dual dress of japanese
and English. It's illustrated jokes and
cartoons have their Japanese legend
attached at the right hand of the pic
ture, running vertically, and their Eng
iish legend underneath.
Its humor is so coarse and broad that
1t 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 politics 1t is
"agin the government" and 1t does not
hesitate to attack anything short of the
throne. In a recent issue there was
cartoon showing the prime minister and
the minister of finance seated in car
riage, their faces distorted as If in ter
ror, 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 it's attacks on the prime minis
ter, although printed in English, are SO
vile that their exact character may not
even be hinted at.
The usual English as she is spoke"
curiosities may be seen everywhere In
Jananese cities. "Ferrules and ice
here" is a puzzler until one finds that
'.ferrues' is free rendering of fuel"
s'Reef 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 ana the
''higher washman'' are out for business.
as is the man who writes my company
do send baggage into any direction with
q good cheapness." The sign over
candy store reads: European Infec-
tions Here" Even these things are TO
ba taken as an earnest of the national
ambition for western learning.
The influence of the Japanese adop-
ton of English on the future of world
politics is not to be underestimated. A
century ago English was spoken by TO-
600 600 persons, fewer than those who
spoke French, Russian, German or
Spanish. Now English leads the list
of European languages, being used by
1870, ,0OO, 900, the other languages follow
ing respectively: Russian. German,
French and Spanish. In another gen.
Grafton Japan will add ten million or
more to the list of English speaking
people, and for that reason their con-
nection with Anglo Saxon ideas ana
ideals will be much more close than il
they had decided to adopt French or
German as the medium through which
thew were to come into the western
world of letters. II the present Difficult
ties between the United States and por-
fions of the British empire on one
hand and Japan on the other can be
brought to a peaceful solution Anglo
American standards of thought VIII
ultimately triumph in the orient
(Copyright 1908, by Frederic j. hasKlh)
Tomorrow-The Theater in Japan.