The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-03-14
BACK FROM TOUR
AROUND THE WORLD
Editor c. H. Pee Gives
Interesting Interview
LIhNY LESSONS DRAWN

labor Conditions i'm Orient-PhiiiD-
pines Il Continental Menace to Peace
With Japan-EGsst Waking Up
Sout,, Recognized .Abroad-SllOuid
Have Recognition in Selection of
Woodrow Wilson for the Presidency
Mr.. Poe Back From Mothers
Funeral.
Editor Clarence Poe Of The Pro
rressiye Farmer is again at his desk
after a round-the-world tour, which
ended with his sto~rm-delaEed arrival
in New York Monday.
Mr.. Poe left Raleigh the middle OF
last August, and has spent practically
all his time since in the Orient
China. Japan. the Philippines, and
India. He did not make a seaport
trip" but Travelled either completely
across or far into the interior Of each
travelled probably 10000 miles-by
steamer. railway. rickshaw, donkey,
elephant. sedan chair. and other
means OF conveyance in h East.
From the time left Chicago till !
got back TO New York he said yes
ttfG1E. L tfu1 [ see d SluSit 1oiilol
face that I had Yer seen before
starting on the journey with the sin
Gle exception Of NJ Sc Elizabeth Ches-
hire. whom l saw in Wuchans, China.
Asked concerning the lessons CLEAN
cd from his travels. Mr.. Poe said that
he had come to realize as never before
the tremendous privilege of being
born in America-the tremendous ad-
vantage Of life in a country where edI-
..t;,,, hos hnap common and the use
of machinery general as compared
with life in a country where the masses
are ignorant and nearly all labor done
by hand. 1t is beca use the Oriental is
ignorant and does not multiply the
power OF his muscle by equipping it
with machinery-it is because of these
things that he works for 10 cents a
day where the American gets a dollar.
And where labor gets 10 to 20 cents a
day. no worthy business,
merchandising, or what not, nor any
profession, can prosper greatly.
Seeing how immense areas have
been laid waste through defOrestatlon,'
Mr. Poe continued, Il was also i'm
pressed by the Importance OF the
for conserving u national
resources. especially our forests q nd
water lowers.
The East is waking up, however,
and there are many things IN Whlch
they are setting an example. even for
the United States. In Japan the
country children are now getting ten
months schooling a year, While ours
get only four. They are fast educat-
ing their people and this will soon
make them great industrially. Chinas
overwhelming success in hakln Oh
its ancient form Of intemperance-
"pium-also makes our temperance
Ia A,,nrioa look mild hN
comparison. In China, Japan and
India alike, l found great interest IN
making the schools train for practical
life, and America may also learn some
lessons from them in this particular
Mr.. Poe reports that the foreign
mission outlook in the Orient was
never SO promising as now, and from
having personally investigated mission
activities in each country, he is en-
thusiastic in praise of the work the
representatives of American denOnll-
nations are doing
What about war with Japan he
Was asked. In reply he said: IF
We didn't have the Philippines the
Very idea would be ridiculous and alb
surd. But so long as We hold the
islands. We are exposed a thousand
TOLD more seriously than most people
seem to realize. Japan cantake them
IN q week. any time, and then to save
our honor, we should have to so half
way round the world and fight Japan
on her own soil and in her own
waters. Russia was nearer Japan as
compared with us, yet see under what
Disadvantages she fought. If Japan
mad to come here and fight us, we
might laugh at the talk of war, but
SINCE she can force us to make her
own shores and seas the seat of con-
hlct. the situation is very different
f)nn th:1,o thot u-o, oro
ING, Mr.. Poe continued. was the
great number of people / met abroad
VINO believe that the South is today
ne most promising section of Ameri-
"a. IheS See only one thing tina
stands in the way-the negro question.
Many Northern people declare they