The Cairo bulletin., 1912-05-02
TAKES RIGHTFUL PLACE
JAPANESE MERCHANT RAISED IN
SOCIAL SCALE.
Heretofore Only the Colder has Been
Looked Upon as following
Worthy caIIna--Enpcror Has
Changed This Idea. =.

4 t.stf e
japanese business methods have
been widely criticised. especially In
the last few years, as lacking those
standards of commercial honor which
prevail among Occidental nations. A
writer In the Atlantic says that. the
question most frequently put to him
since his return from the Orient has
been:
why is 1t that the Japanese are so
dishonest that they cannot even trust
themselves. and have to employ Cttnar
men at the head of all their gr>at
business concerns?" NA4s tf4
He explains this almoSt universal
impression by saying that the average
tourist usually has business relations
only with the branches of the three
great banks established in the treaty
ports. When he cashes his letter OF
credit he observes the singular fact
that tho money is being handled by a
Chinaman instead of by native.
The simple truth" says tLs writer,
lis that these three banks all Of
them. by the way. foreign conce. US
are the only business houses In 'he
entire empire so conducted. WI I,
Japan was opened and these foreig.
corporations in China sent their
branches into the new field they sent
their Chinese compradores with them.
'Ycs, while nil this can be SAID.
and should be said, In the interest Of
simple Justice, 1t Is nevertheless unde-
nisble that In Japan the ideals OF
commercial honor and the methods
adopted In the conduct OF business
are not what they are in the west.
and there is much OF which the Occi-
dental may Justly complain.
There IL historical reason for
this The fact that In the Olden. days
In Japan the merchant was placed at
the bottom of the social scale and tho
soldier at the top, while in China ex-
actly the reverse IVES the case, fully
explains why Js~an has produced
splendid soldieTy. md has woeiuly
suffered In her mercah'e life, while
the army In China has be VI the sport
Of the nations though her :. sr:Aants
have attained a high place II the
world OF huFiness credit. .. ga.
Put even though the cake OF GUS
torn is the hardest to break. It's pow
er OF resistance has been already ma
terially weakened by the wise policy
Of the emperor; and the merchant Is
no longer the pariah Of the real-7.
Prominent among those who by the
emperor's favor have risen from the
social dust into places Of highest
honor IL Il family whose history Is sig
niiicant. .... ...4.
The Mitsul family of Japan have
been called the Rothschilds of tho
cast; but while the fame of the lat
ter has gone abroad over the world
the Mitsuis have remained practically
unknown except to a feN western
merchants who have had extensive
dealings with the Orient. The Euro
pean family owes its great renown to
the fact that for century there has
been no slightest stain upon Its COM
rlercial honor. @&
But its career; 1t should be remem.
hered, has been passed In world
where business itself has been held In
honor; while the MItsuis. engaged In
pursuit utterly condemned by pub
lie sentiment, for three Centuries, In
spite Of the demorallzing influence OF
the social ban, have been trusted by
government and people alike. and
have kept the honor OF their name I'M
stained Now. thanks to the new
spirit animating the nation, they no
longer stand so conspicuously alone