The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-10-06


East who speak the languages
. of the countries to which tkoy .
are sent. Japan is the best
equipped nation In the world, o
because she has body Of train .
. ed scholars in the diplomatic o.
. service, trained in the languages .
. and customs of almost every o.
. country on earth. No diplomat .
ever leaves her shores that can .
not speak the language of the .
country to which he is accred- .
ited.-Rev j. H. DeForest, DID, .
of Japan. .
o ee Q . o o Q Q
An intensely interesting talk con,
corning Japan and her relations with
the rest of the world was that given
last evening IN Central Union church
by Rev. j. IL. DeForest, DID, one of the
foremost Christian workers in Japan.
1t was not an address, nor resume of
what Christianity has done for Japan,
or the number of converts per annum;
it was not n dry summary of the mum
Der of missions scattered throughout
the territory, or the number of Bibles
distributed, but common.sense discus
sion of internal affairs of Japan and
the events which have contributed to
her present greatness, and it was as
well wholesome tribute to the splen'
did moral influences Of old Japan, upon
which have been laid the foundation of
| one of the most patriotic nations on
| earth. The statements made were a
| revelation in some respects, for they
| disabused the minds of the very large
congregation present of some fallacies
which have been banded around the
world.
Mr.. DeForest is a magnetic speaker,
a striking personality which commands
attention, and he dealt in very infor-
nal manner with subject with which
he is thoroughly familiar. His long
residence of thirtyfour years in the
| Orient has given him opportunity to
judge Japan and the Japanese people
at their real worth, and he praises
without exhibiting any prejudiced par.
TALLY.
He spoke primarily on the subject of
"The Barriers Between the East and
the West He said in introduction
that between the East and the West
America and Japan, there were two
great barriers against communication
of thought and brotherhood, and one OF
these was language. There were also
conditions of customs, looks and clothes
included in this barrier. There are
differences of moral ideals, differences
in the evolution of families and gov
eminent. With all these things con
sidered, there arises a problem, the like
of which the world has never before
seen. These two great civilizations
the one of the West and the other OF
the East, have come together, and the
greatest question is: "What are you
going to do about iti'' He proceeded
to give illustrations of the difficulties
that are before the Occident when il
faces the East, and the difficulties that
confront the Orient when it faces the
West.
In somewhat humorous language the
doctor said it was an astonishing thing
what a difference there is in the shape
of the heads of the human family. Tn,
difference in the head as found il
Japan is so marked in that countr,
that it has appealed to him strongly
When he first went to Japan, the heat
of the male Japanese was shayen il
the crown, and the women shaved theil
eyebrows and blackened their teeth
which did not add to their beauty
Then there was the Japanese nose, 81
different from the American nose
When the Japanese first saw American
noses, it was great surprise to them
When Commodore Perry landed there
the Japanese artists got busy, and ont
of the funniest pictures was that show
ing these barbariansp and the way
the Commodore could be picked out wal
by the length of his nose, which tn,
artists made several inches long. DIR
DeForest said he was fortunate in get
ting a view of this picture, rare thing
for foreigner to see.
The Japanese seemed very funny Il
the doctor when he arrived, but he dis
covered that the Japanese also consid
cred him equally as funny. He laugh
ed for the first six months at what h,
thought was funny, the features of thu
Japanese, but then he found the Jap
anese were laughing at him and other
of his type, and all were called cred
bearded barbarians," and much to hi
surprise the Japanese called them "reC
bearded monkeys" He overhead
jolly crowd of young Japanese maxim,
fun at their expense and the tern
monkeys was used. From this the doc
/ tor said there is no good or common
basis for human intercourse of the Wes
and the East in that kind of Judgment
He found, however, that they were
imbued with some of the highest ethica
ideals. Take for instance, hari-kari
which to the West seemed relic OF
barbarism. But hari-kari has a pro
found ethical significance The disem
boweling process is so repuIsive that
the mind of the Western can hardl,
endure the idea at all. But hari-kar
is at the foundation. of the nation 1
patriotism THE underlying self sacr
flee involved in the hari-kari, first in
the family, and then in its relation to
the law. and finally to the honor OF
the nation, produced a grand funda
mental principle of righteousness. He
spoke of the forty.seyen young men
who committed bari.kari century
ago, the memory of which event may
never be forgotten. Hari-kari was a
great moral advance which JapaA
made, which shows the magnificent
| power of self-sacrifice which lies mt the