The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-12


 body does that.
 T wish some woman would write ex- actly the the truth about Japan from a woman's standpoint-write what she thought of the men just as countless, poetic, rhapsodic men have written of the Gheisha side of the Flowery Kingdom
 The Ugly Japanese
 'If you haven't been to Japan you have perhaps no idea that the Japanese men are quite the ugliest men in the world. The sight of them stabs a beauty-loving woman in the eyes. Theis grotesqueness made me vince when I saw them.
 You see, the men writers are looking for Gheishas as their ships land at Yokohama. They probably don't see the men at all. They never seem to have seen the race as race, from a physical stand point. Their legs are so short and their shoulders so gnarled and stopped. This all comes from sitting on their legs and bearing heavy babies on their backs when they are little more than babies themselves
 "The impression I first received from the sight of human Japan bore in upon me their marvellous ugliness and marvel ous strength The Japanese Is like the mountain burro of California-he can feed off of rocks and keep foothold anywhere. I don't believe any modern nation could whip these people along their own shores or in their own country
 "Of course, the picturesque oddity of the woman and children was a delight to me, and there Is such a gentle courtesy everywhere. and it Is all like a gay, little stage set with bright. moving pictures.
 The Bridge of Blood
 'When I got home my country looked vast and gloomy and gray. There were no little, cozy corners in the landscape Japan is full of cozy corners and pigeon holes to rest in-the little papu-lore shops, the pretty gardens and resting places along the hillsides that are all like old fashioned rookeries on a big scale
 'I was in Nikko last summer Is there any need to tell about Nikko? It is a bunch of mountains full of temples with an avenue of trees 25 miles long leading up to the temples, and there's a wide, rushing, rocky river spanned by the famous red lacquer bridge built by a Shotgun to commemorate the spat where he killed his riclSshaw ceolie.
 ''He admired the puddle of warm, red blood and thought a whole bridge of it to span the torrent right there would bez charming The Japanese are so artistici
 ''There is wide, rough street, edged on either side with gay little pigeon-hole shops leading from the railway to the lacquer bridge and this forms the town of Nikko, and in this town you may buy for a song the most beautiful lacquer in all Japan and the finest furs in the Flowery Kingdom-heavenly sables for a song and cheaper bunny rabbit furs for less
 "Cats are quite scarce in Nikko. and If you want to know why, go to the fur riers.
 Japanese Teddy Bears.
 Speaking of cats, do you know what a puppy cat is?
 "The puppy cat is indigenous to Japan, and no lady of fashion in Tokio of Yoko- hama is without one of these charming creatures to guard her tea table.
 '"The puppy cat is the Teddy bear of Japan, and comes in all sizes and colors. He is made of papier 'mache, has a face like tabby and a tail like a puppy, has a handle at the back of the neck like teapot and wears a beautiful red and gold saddle like Nikko horse, so just what the puppy cat is remains cryptic, but he is the fashion, so 1t doesn't matter
 ''The horses of Japan are the saddest of living creatures. They are not real animals but the Frankenstein's of the animal lkingdom-dull, sodden automa- tons insulated with the sodden power of burden bearing
  these stupid bipeds. If you go a riding, a betto must run beside the horse to in- sure safety by means of grunts and gyratons that would plunge a spirited animal and his rider into eternity, but silent and reserved Is the poor horse of Japan. without curiosity. ambition or resentment.
 q used to long to treat these Mikado horses to cocktails, just to see if the ex- pertinent would give them a more cheer full view of life. Cocktails are so very cheering.
 Poor Japanese Horses.
 "The Japanese seem to treat their horses kindly enough, but they don't un- derstand the real needs of a self-respect- ing horse. They don't even shave them, the poor things are all hairy, liketramps, punches of whiskers growing out of their ankles and their manes all tan gled and fuzzy.
 Then they are bathed every afternoon at the Japanese tub-hour in scalding hot water, and that can't be good for them. Each horse has two big woodentubs, and stands up to his knees in the steaming water, while his master scrubs him all over with hot father.
 "Could any animal ever have won the Derby after such treatment?
 Everybody In the Orient likes to make comparisons between Japanese andChin- 
 give advice.
 No worldly wise traveller ever takes advice or ever believes wholly anything that is told him, but waits>a and judges of country from his own viewpoint and experiences.< Most people inc the Orient will tell you that the Chinese servants are far better than the Japan csc but some people, on the other hand. who have lived in Japan quarter of century say they would have no servant in the world in preference to a Japanese.
 The Hotel ePrfection.
 '"The best service I have had in any hotel was Japanese service. The hotel is a small one in Yokohama, kept by a Swiss.
 "The servants were ai1 men, of course, Japanese men and boys, and their atten- ton to every little detail of service was perfect. They were prompt, observant. thoughtful and 1t goes without saying, exquisitely polite.
 "Of course, service in all countries de- bends pretty much on the master, and the Swiss hotel keepen Is the best on the globe
 "The Americans and Europeans. how ever. who have homes in Japan, also have excellent Japanese servants when they know how to treat them.
 "In the first place the foreigners must realize that the Japanese who goes into his service is no ordinary menial. The boy he employs may be the nephew or cousin of the Japanese prince or admiral the master dined with recently.
 "Household service ranks far higher than trade in the scale of occupation in Japan. At the Mii1ko hotel there was an elegant young Japanese. the nephew of one of the great war heroes, and this boy was bellman, office boy, and occa-