New-York tribune., 1914-12-01

Of Japanese art, when drawing, paint
ing and writing, which is also consid-
cred an art, fourished as they never
have before or since in that country.
Flower arrangement also got its great
est impetus then.
Boys, Too, Become Flower Masters.
"Histories tell US that there were
one hundred schools at that time de-
voted to this one art" she continued.
eve know positively Of only fifteen Of
the most important, but no doubt there
were others, whose fame has not come
down to us. At that time everybody
was learning it, boys as we'll as girls,
and most Of the flower masters were
men. Of late years boys have had so
many other things to learn that they
are giving less time to it. But that
does not mean that they are losing in
terest Many grown men practise
flower arrangement as an avocation to
which they devote some of their spare
time"
"Do you find great difference In
temperament between Japanese and
the American women you teach ?"
"Oh, no; hardly any in the larger
qualities. l have noticed one striking
difference. Americans are so much
more demonstrative. They always tell
you when they like you, and that is so
pleasant. ! like that custom very
much.
ave Japanese, on the other hand,
are extremely reserved. We feel deep
ly, but we do not express it. Women
are even more reserved than men, but
! both are becoming less so through
Western influence. In fact, everything
connected with women is rapidly
changing in Japan, as it is everywhere
else.
"Our woman's movement has not de-
veloped quite as far as yours, but II
/ has done wonders for the short time
IT has existed. 1t all began only fifty
years ago. The thing we worked for
first was higher education, and this
we have completely achieved. No one
/ now thinks 1t strange for women to
study and even to be nurses or doc
tors Economic changes have also
widened their opportunities for self
support, :,
Practically all the telephone oper-
| ators and the ticket sellers in rail
road stations are women. They were
/ tried at first in a few places, and it
was found that they actually made
! fewer mistakes than the men, so pretty
soon they replaced men entirely"
However, they got lower wages,
didn't they?"
Women's Wages Low In Japan.
"Oh, yes; women's wages in Japan
are very low, much less than those
paid TO men, and in the factories the
conditions are even worse than here.
! To reform them is one Of the most
important objects Of our thoughtful
| women.
"There is hardly any suffrage move
! ment as yet, and / do not think there
will be for some time. You see, we
don't have universal suffrage even for
men, and the women have been so
busy getting themselves educated and
| coping with the new industrial condi-
tions that they haven't interested
themselves in politics much. Tho in
telligent ones believe in 1t theoretical
ly and expect IL 70 come some day, but
II is not an Immediate issue.
Keen Interest In Home Management.
"One of the things that interest our
women most is the application of
| scientific methods TO home manage
ment. We are all studying domestic
science SO as to do away with the
rather wasteful, laborious and hap
hazard way Of doing things that our
grandmothers were accustol.ed to in
the old-fashioned feudal home.
"These are the things that interest
most Of our thinking women, but we
have a small group that is still more
advanced They read Ibsen and are
great individualists, but ] believe they
are somewhat extreme. Here is a pict-
ure of them," and Miss Harada hand
ed me q Japanese magazine that de-
votes itself exclusively to women's
problems.
Have Their "New Women" Too.
The Extremists" were a very at
tractive group Of young girls In nativ,
costume labelled "Our So-called New
Women" but whether this title was
derisive or laudatory was unable to
discover. A moment later. on turning
the pages. was pleasantly startled
at seeing the well-known faces of Mrs
Pankhurst and Christabel Pankhurst
Mrs. Pethick Lawrence and General
Flora Drummond gazing at mo out OF {
wilderness Of Japanese print.