The Ordway new era., 1912-10-18

N "a vi or emperors. western
i: ]: !: : =: !: :
M$% and eastern. arc but
MXtdNAW human. Yoshihito In the
MKnW eyes OF his subjects Is
4MqM divine.
WWM The succession OF 9th.
/w~ er emperors Is clouded
and disconnected: that
of Yoshihito is complete and self-suf'
ficient. One hundred and twenty
third sovereign OF his line. he traces
his royal descent back to the mists
OF the world. back six hundred years
and more, before the time OF CHRIST
back. in fact. to the great heroic age
OF Japan. when two gods we're ca''eu
upon to create q land from the hauio
Islands of the air-and they createo
Japan.
From these gods he claims de-
scent, and not even the most higniy
educated and scientifically minded
Japanese will dispute 1t. That 10 the
chord Of belief which NO modern DO.
phistication can pierce. The dead
Mutsuhito has taken his harboraSe
with his fellow gods. and Yosh'nito'
reigning. 10 of his blood.
This. In part. explains the attitude
OF veneratfpn In which the Japanese
regard theit ruler. explains the senti'
ment which marks him forth from
brother sovereigns. 1t Is . sentiment
which few japanese will discuss.
TT 10 q sentiment" said one to the
writer, which It Is impossible for
japanese to analyze. and which II an
aiyzed no foreign mind could compre'
hend.
1T springs partly from the intense
idenlism OF the people and is really
a peculiar form Of patriotism. 1t Is
as II the Japanese nation were rev
erencing itself. for It believes that It.
too, sprang from the gods and that
1t is Of the family Of the emperor. To
a nation which reverences its ances-
tors. the emperor represents link
between the present Japan and every
thing that has gone before-a link
perhaps. between the material and
the spirit world. He Is at once, an
element of mysticism and the embodi.
ment Of material national strength.
It 10 MS 1.-THE Japanese gentleman
paused-"you could merge the senti.
WcuS ot u NONluu SuLAOuC Aoh SAS
pope and the affection Of q people for
= great king"
-WiN tho present emperor preserve
for himself the full sentiment which
the people had for his father!" was
asked.
The Japanese shrugged.
I'm . measure. perhaps. Wholly.
ho
That he will command a peculiar
reverence 10 certain from the reasons
have given. which are inherent In
the nation. That the affection of the
people will be as great as that given
to the late emperor IL doubtful. You
see. the last sovereign inspired and con-
trolled Japan from its growth from q
feudal land to a worldwide nation.
From the time the great princes or
daimios surrendered their powers and
estates to the granting Of a modern and
voluntary constitution in 1889. his was
the initiative OF each successive ad-
vance. He had done more even than
the nation expected-certainly more
nation before. That record was per.
personal love with which he Is regard
ed. We honor and reverence the new
sovereign-yes. He is emperor, he Is
the embodied spirit OF Japan. But.
love? Even an emperor must earn
love for himself"
So enters Yoshihito, the new EN-.
p~ror OF Japan. upon his kingdom
the recipient. in western eyes, OF
strange marks OF Japanese respect.
For II the race follows the precedents
given to Mutsuhito. Yoshihito's
name will not be pronounced by any
OF his subjects. 1.-THE sovereign, !"
''the emperor" he will be; never
Yoshihito. To call the name Of Yo.
shihitO will be sacrilege. 1t would be
as II q shrine had been assailed
And that is only q small indication OF
the respect which the Japanese will
give him as a sovereign. No man OF
woman will sit before him. None, II
convention be maintained, will speak
directly to him. for 1t is the custom
to address the emperor of Japan only
through members OF his household
In his presence even the greatest will
took upon the ground. unless the EN-.
peror be placed at some elevation
when It is permissible that the eyes
be raised. and even this is a conces.
sion to the new world Of things In
Japan.
For Mutsuhito. the dead emperor
DON'T MARI