Norwich bulletin., 1910-03-17
FOUR ORIENTAL zNElGH6oRs"
 BY MRS. M. E. BRADFORD
Reading at Ossood Memorial Under Parish House Association Auspices.

A delightful reading upon Our Ori- ental Neigf1bors was. given at the Os- good Memorial Wednesday evening by Mrs. Mary E.. Bradford of Burling- ton. Vt, under the auspices of the Parish House association. The read ing was preceded by the singing of Tosti,s Mattinata, which was finely rendered by Miss Elsie D. Brand with Miss Alice l.. Woodward as her ac- companist- Rev. Dr. Howe introduced the speaker who gave her hearers an entertaining paper upon fhe courts or Turkey, Japan and China Mrs. Brad ford's style is fascinating and she gives a scintillating, picturesque de- scription of persons and events. At the close one seemed quite personally acquainted with Abdul Hamid, the China. Of these three neighbors. Japan is most progressive and has already arrived at western ways, China is ar irving while Turkey has only begun the journey.
 Turkey is Changing.
 Until the middle of the last century T1-key still retained all the oriental splendor of early days. Then suddenly a sultan wished to travel. He re- ions and for the French empress Eu- genie, which led to so much extrava- gance that the Young Turk party de- posed him and put Abdul Hamid on 
 This suspicious, deceitful monarch, possessed with a mania of dread and anxiety and fear of death, strength ened his position in his palace fort ress from whence. being master of diplomacy, in his Knowledge of men and events. he watched every move among the other nations as well as in his own and kept the balance among them for many years His only ap- pearance was his weekly ride to the mosque for service
 Mrs. Bradford pictured the life of the harem and the ignorance of the people But the sick man has finally demised-the dark days are going in Turkey.
 Japan's Virtues.
 Japan is the synonym for patriotism, heroism and loyalty. Many centuries have prepared her for this Civil strife, Shintoism and Buddhism have caused strength and loyalty peace and calm. which sinks all individual ity, accepts the inevitable without any sense of snartyrdom and does all for the emperor and the state. The un- derlying virtues of the Japanese are thoroughness and concentration. Jap an is still behind us in the treatment of women. The social class distinc- tions are very different from ours. The mikado has become a visible person. age since 1867 and instituted many re- forms. He is gentIemanly and progress sive, thought he can still retire to the impressiveness of lofty seclusion upon occasion-common to oriental sovereigns He still keeps a country palace away from the strenuous life of Tokio.
 China improving.
 The striking, figure in China is that of the renegade dowager empress. The outside world has been knocking at the door of China since the six teenth century, but never fully enter ed until 1894, when foreigners first entered the inner or Violet city. The Manchu dynasty came into power 200 years ago. The empress was a Man chu of good education. After the em- perOr's death she liked being regent so we'll that all those associated with her in power conveniently died of heart failure. After China's defeat by Jap an, she lost prestige for a while and the emperor came into power, but he started too many reformS-he was ahead of his times-dnd the old lady promptly suppressed him. Finally she saw that she too must progress lose China. She was silent, magnet lc. remorseless figure. The secrets of life in China are conservatism and economy Everything is utilized and everyone lives and dies by rule-many of these rules being 5000 years old. Some of the fashions are over a thou sand years old. She is superstitious more than she is pagan. But all this Is going now and new and better things taking the place.