The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1910-1920, 1910-11-05
Japanese Farming and farmer Folks

l lege OF the Imperial University of Japan sit
- uated at komaba, near Tokyo, where had an
appointment with Director Matsui. MY purpose
was to get further information concerning the gem
eral condition OF Japanese farmers and Jananesa
farming, but the biggest fact my researches
brought out was not in regard to rice or barley or
potatoes or taro, any other field product of the
Mikados Empire Rather it was a fact with re-
gard TO what is in every land the most important
OF all farm crops-the crop OF boys and girls
And the big fact ! discovered was simply this:
These brown Mongolian farm children. whose land
we opened to civilization but fifty years ago, and
whom we thought OF but yesterday as backward
heathen-they are getting. as general PROPOSE
ton. Just twice as much schooling as Is furnished
In our Southern rural districts: their parents are
providing. in their zeal for their childrens well
fare. Just twice as good educational facilities as
We are giving our Southern farm boys and girls
who bear in their veins the blood OF a race which
has carried the flag OF human progress for a thou
sand years, and whom we are expecting to con-
tinue to be leaders in civilization and enlighten-
ment.
japanese Farm Children Getting Ten Months
Schooling
In other words so Dr. Matsu told me (and
went to-day to the Japanese National Department
OF Education TO verify the fact) the japanese
farm boys and girls getting ten months school
Ing year. while the Southern farm boy or girl
Is getting only five or six months-and when
vas in Southern country school fifteen years ago
not nearly so much rs that, Do you wonder that
| avoided telling the Japanese educational officer
just how our provision for farm boys and girls
compares with Japan's and that also neglected
to tell him how compare In the matter OF
utilizing school advantages when he showed me
that OF all the children between and IA in all
the Empire OF Japan the school attendance Is 9S
per cent-9s out OF every 100 children OF school
age" attending school, and In several provinces 90
out OF every 100. Thirtyhve years ago the average
school attendance in Japan only 2S. and in
1898 only SO. but by the time OF the with
Russia It had passed 90 and since then has been
climbing straight and steadily toward the amazing
maximum itself. the Official figures showing gain
OF per cent a years. per cent. then IS. then
90. then 81. and now 9S, and the leaders
ambitious for % 100. they told me to-day.
No More nlteracy In Young Japan.
And then in the matter OF compulsory attend
ance: when this officer OF inferior race show
ed me that Japan is so intent upon educating
every boy and girl in her borders that she COM
pels attendance the public schools for eight
years. didn't tell him that In civilized America,
the great enlightened nation long held up TO
him as n model. demagogues and others, on one
pretext or another. have defeated almost every eff
fort for effective compulsory education laws. in
the South at least and II a boys parents are In
different TO his future the State does not compel
them TO give him fighting chance in life-for
its own sake and for the boys
With these facts before me- as | have said,
did not make any vainglorious boasts OF the great
educational progress Of our Southern States these
last twenty years: all the proud reports | have
heard Mt educational rallies and conferences SEEM
ed somehow to collapse like punctured gas-bags.
However much progress have made, these
brown Japanese brethren" have beaten us. While
there is official census on lliteracy here. every
Japanese man In his twentes must serve two years
In the army (unless he is in normal school study
ing to be teacher) and record as to literacy Is
kept in the army. and the Department OF Educa-