The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-02-22
MAKES FRIENDS
FOR JAPANESE
Miss Michi Hawai-, of Toxic Y. w.
c A., Proves q Delightful
Speaker

A>SNCi has Jdpdn Sent out q more
eloquent or delightful daughter to
plead her cause among the women Of
other nations than Miss Michi Hawai-
who visited North Yakima Friday
on her way home from the world
conference of the Young Womens
Christian association in Europe. Miss
Hawai- spoke in the morning at the
high school, in the afternoon at a re-
ception at the home of Mrs. Frank
Horsley and in the evening at the
Y. w. c. A. rooms. In a sweet, rath-
er plaintive voice, which nevertheless
frequently broke into laughter, she
told last evening how she came to be
interested in the work for young wo-
men in this country, and of how she
had taken home its inspiration to her
own people, with the result that there
is now successful association in
Toxic. The Japanese young women,
she says are eager to get the broader
view on life opened up to them in
this way, and the work could be much
more extensive, if there were more
workers available. AS it is there are
four secretaries, two from this coun-
try, one from Canada and one from
England. Two homes are owned by
the association, in which young wo-
men can live, one the gift of a
Scotch noblewoman 1t is one Of these
homes which the northwest Confer
ence has undertaken to support this
year and al Miss Frances Cages sug-
gestion last night, the North Yakima
association pledged itself to be re-
sponsible for the running expenses for
month which q hnrt SS0
College Graduate
Miss Hawai- is a graduate of Bryn
Mawr. She tells amusingly of how
she didn't want to leave Japan, didn't
want to be educated, but how, upon
the persuasion of a friend, she did
make the trip, in search of wider
knowledge and great souls. Nature IS
beautiful, she says, art is beautiful
but there is nothing so beautiful as
human beings. Wherever she has
gone, In her studies and in her tray
els she has met her great souls, here
and there, not everywhere but
wherever she has met them she has
rejoiced.
Quite tragically clear Miss Kawai
makes the transition in her country
between the old ideas and the new
Young women wishing for wider eX
perience, broader ideals, find lack
of sympathy and understanding from
mothers brought up after the old ira
dition. In Toxic alone, a city Of two
millions. there are some 10000 girls
working in shops and factories, $1,000
going to school. One of the things
the Y. w. G. A. in Toxic has taught
it's members is to play. Healthy, hap
by play is one Of life's best assets, ac-
cording to this Japanese woman.
On Platform Ever Since
It was at a summer conference OF
the association that Miss Hawaii first
became actively interested in the work.
Called upon to speak as a representa-
tive of Japan before a big audience,
she said she was quite paralyzed with
fright and timidity. Then there pop
ped into her head the thought. What
would my grandmother say if she
saw me?" This. and the answer,
"Michi. what are you doing on that
platform? Get right down." was her
introduction to a short talk on the
needs of her people which made a
great hit with the audience. and"
concluded the speaker. i've been on
platforms ever since"
Miss Hawai- is a teacher in prf-
vate school in Toxic where girls can
go after they have finished the high
school. 1t is not an exclusively Christ
ian school. though it's principal is
president of the Toxic Y. w. c. A. and
was one of three Japanese women
back in the seventies to come to this
country to enter women's colleges.
While in North Yakima, Miss Hawai-
and Miss Frances Gage, of the North
west Conference. have been the guests
of Mrs Walter Reed. They go today
tu Ellensburg.