The Washington herald., 1910-07-17
THE NEW EDICT OF PRINCE CHUN
1t Strictly FOrbidS All Marriages Between Cinnamon and White
Remarkable Reasons for the Issue of the Decree

white women japan Is quite as strongly
opposed TO matrimonial alliances OF t.iis
kind. and IT is not so very long ago that
japanese nobleman OF high rank.
namely, Count Todo. was deprived Of
his patent OF nobility, as well as Of his
offices az court and of his orsers OF
knighthood. by the Emperor for having
married while in England q well-to-do
widow. Mrs. E. G. Addison, at the
registry Office In Hanover Square. Lon
don, on September Is, 1907 The union
proved Incompatible. and was quickly
followed by divorce. Count Todo was
punished. not for having divorced his
English wife. but for having married
her. and he was given TO understand that
a man Of his rank and birth had no
business to wed & foreigner.
It Is true that discount Aoki was per-
mitted 10 occupy the position of Ambas-
sador Of Japan at Washington, although
married to a German, Baroness Rhaden.
To this IT may be replied that, in the
first place, Aoki is not a member OF the
old nobility. or Of the court class, like
Count Todo. His viseountcy is Of recent
creation. ard his marriage has proved
great obstacle TO his success as ambas-
sador abroad and as assistant secretary
OF state al Tokyo. IN fact, IL has been
the main cause of his retirement and OF
depriving his, country of services that
would otherwise have proved extremely
valuable.
The japanese object to such marriages
for a number Of reasons. They realize
that their ethics. their ideas. their prin-
ciples. their traditions. are entirely diff
ferent 20 our own. and that a white
woman can never fit into japanese life.
Then. too. they do not ike our per-
fume. The japanese. Ike all other ORR
entails. and Ike the Indians. find the
perfume of the white races very offensive
they declare that It IS not only
'pquant." but even rancid"
To such an extent is this the case. that
when one of the lieges Of the Mikedo
resides sufficiently long in America or
Europe 10 become impregnated there
with. IL is considered sufficient 10 exempt
him from that military service which is
obligatory upon every japanese citizen.
In fact. the japanese contaminated by
our-well. let us call il perfume-is re-
garded as unfit for association with his
| fellow-countrymen, precisely as II he
were afflicted with leprosy
| It is considered unfair that they should
be compelled TO exist in the same atmos-
phere as one so disagreeably odortfer-
Gus, and not only does the perfume OF
the white races constitute a disqualified
/ ton for service in the army and in the
navy OF Japan. but It actually. according
| 10 japanese law, constitutes a valid rea-
son for divorce; that IS 10 say. either
husband or wife may demand a disso-
luton OF marriage on the ground that
one or the other has become frnpreg-
mated with the perfume Of the white
races.
Until now the latter have always
| fondiy imagined that they were regarded
by the yellow people Of Asia. by the
blacks OF Africa. by the Eskimos. by the
redskins, and by the Indians OF Central
and South America, in the light of SUI
perior beings, almost as demi-gods, and
we have prated to our hearts content
about our prestige"
It is rather disconcerting, not to say
| humiliating. TO discover that instead OF
exciting respect. and even reverence. We
| create disgust and that We are tolerated
| with difficulty by our dUsky brethren.
owing to our 60 them offensive per-
fume. When people entertain such preju-
dices with regard to the white races as
do the japanese, on grounds such az
those which ] have just enumerated as
gently as possible II viii readily be IN
derstood that they disapprove in the
strongest fashion of marriages of their
countrymen with white women.
No reference TO these alliances between
the yellow and the whit RAGS would be
No reference TO these alliances between
the yellow and the white races would be
complies without laying stress on the
| fact that every white woman in the
Orient who weds native. no matter how
high his rank or excellent his character.
becomes thereby an outeast among the
people of her own color, and an object OF
| aversion and contempt 10 her husbands
people The lines are terribly sharply
drawn East OF the Suez.' Not only the
white women, but even the white men
there hold aloof from the American OF
European woman who has wed an ORR
entail. and even If her husband is a reign
ing prince, she will always be looked
| upon. by white and yellow alike. as a
pariah.
Copyright. 1910. by the Brentwood Conpsny