Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1910-06-24

vi Japanese themselves; tnat tney
are a very proud race and believed
that they had now reached stage
where in religious matters as in to
other things, they were capable of
taking care of themselves and that
because of this fact, if outside nations
desire to further spread Christianity
according to their teachings) they
must educate Japanese who would
in turn rromulgate their dogmas.
Even then, he did not believe that
they would accept, in its entirety. re-
ligion as taught by those who are
being sent there. In reply to a
question as to the kind of religion
they would have, he said that judg-
ing from the past, they would secure
what, in their opinion, was best from
each of their religions and make up
one Of their own. and taking as cri-
terion their achievements in other
lines, there need be no fear but what
the religion that they would finally
secure would be one particularly
adapted to their needs.
Japan has many temples, and in
some can be seen exquisite hand
carvings which must have taken
many years of patient and artistic la
Dor. In Toxic, is the largest Budd-
hist temple, and here can be seen a
rope 300 feet in length and three
inches in diameter entirely made OF
human hair. Just imagine the
amount necessary in the manufac-
ture of this rope. The temple is said
to have cost eight million dollars and
built almost entirely by the contri-
buttons of the poorer class. Those
who were not able to give money,
brought their hair to assist in max
ing this rope and it was used in
hoisting heavy timbers into place,
some OF which were four feet thick
and over forty feet long. At the
present time it lies coiled up on the
veranda Of the temple exposed to the
weather. and nothing to show from
whence it came. A person might
pass it by as q coil OF common rope If
they did not know its history. but
when one examines it, they are iu-
stantly impressed with the magni-
tude of the work involved in making
this, as well as the self sacrifice OF
those who made it possible.
Japanese commercial honesty, as is
well known, is very low. One of the
prominent bankers when asked as to
the reason. acknowledged that such
was the case and said that the Sam
urai in days gone by were warriors
of the country and men of honor.
That the trades people were looked
upon as their interiors, and in conse-
quence OF this those of the Samurai
did not enter general business but at
the present time prominent men
we're endeavoring to have the En-.
peror prevail upon some of the Samu.
raj to become merchants, thus plac-
ing official approval upon trade and
they had every hopes of being sue
cessful, and if accomplished he said
that the outside world would then
notice great improvement in the
commercial honesty of the Japanese.
The railroads and telephone and
telegraph systems are owned and op-
Grated by the Japanese Government
and the street cars by the municipal
tiles. They do not even stop there.
but engage in other lines; for in
stance, the principal hotel in Osaks
is owned and operated by that city,
this being done so as to have inviting
hotel accommodations for tourists.
The indications are that it was not
profitable for private enterprise to
erect and operate hotel in keeping
with the requirements of tourists.
The city itself did so and undoubted-
ly will retain it until such time as
they can dispose of it to private par
ties. In one respect they are away
ahead of us in the telephone system,
as they have public telephones on the
street corners at numerous places
throughout the city. Unlike our
telephones, which. are situated in
stores and other like places, which
close up at night and therefore are
not available perhaps when they are
most needed, these phones are at
the service of the public at any hour
of the day or night. Our cities
could we'll take q lesson from Japan
in this respect
Although we are talking forest
conservation. Japan is acting and you
can find large tracts Of land where
trees have been set out In regular
lines. They present very pretty
appearance, being planted with AS
much care as we place our fruit Or
chards.
The bank buildings as a rule are
handsome structures. The YOkoha-
ma Specie Bank, in Yokohama, for
instance, being q beautiful and i'm
posing stone structure covering hall
a block. The Bank of Japan in To-