The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1916-10-12

are worth great deal more to Japan
than to the United States. No doubt
they are worth going to a whole lot of
trouble to secure to Geographically
more than they would be worth to US
to hold, eventually.
To permit the japanese to own
land in California may mean the partl-
al political control of the state by
japanese born citizens of the next
generation. The Californians realize
this and are fighting to prevent the
contamination of such posi- bility.
But federal laws govern such questions
as the right of aliens to hold land and
franchise, and while states may to a
certain extent minimize the effects of a
federal statute by state legislation, in
the end, if sufficient pressure is exert
ed. the state must obey the mandates
of Washington.
1t looks pretty safe to state that
within a few years at the most, after
the close of the world war, California
will be open to japanese emigrants.
The oriental mind possesses infinite
patience, and is rapidly reinforcing
this admirable quality with adequate
resources. In addition to all these,
he is possessed of a religious fervor
that makes Of him ar opponent at once
subtle and daring. That he is not a
physical coward we know from the
history of his war with Russia.
1t will be interesting indeed to
watch how the next round of the dip
lomatic battle turns out. We may
score another famous diplomatic "tri-
umph" hut it looks as though we
might have to pay a pretty stiff price
for it, as the japanese are not keen on
what they term strategic" and bril-
liantly successful retreats over in
Europe.
-
The critics of poetry allow
liberal margin of play in substance, to
the recognized author who follows
certain fixed technical rules of con-
struction. But woe betide the poet
who dares break down the barriers of
rhythm and carves a new path in the
field of poetry. Thus the writer of
free verse;" though product of his
brain is intrinsically the purest sort
of poetry, is condemned by many be-
cause of nom conformity to certain
established, narrow and mechanical
limits of construction.
Carl Sandberg, whose recent book
Chicago Poems," is causing much
comment, is being made the recipient
of much abuse on the part of critics
because Of his utter neglect of meter
and rhythm.
The writer is not sufficiently
familiar with the rules of orthodox
poetry to venture an opinion as to the
merits of Sandberg's verse from a crit
ical viewpoint. But if true poetry is
purely inspired work of thought, it
must be greater than mechanical rules
of construction. 1t must be capable of
expressing itself in terms not limited
by rhymes, This would appear to be
the idea of the ancient masters of free
verse who were acclaimed poets by
the nation.
Here are few lines from one of
Sandberg's Chicago Poems"
''The fog comes
On little cat feet
1t sits looking
Over harbor and city
On silent launches
And then moves on
These six little lines express more
than many verse OF twerty lines of
mechanically perfect poetry.
To anyone who has had the doubt
full good pleasure of watching the ap-
proach of fog and its gradual en-
velopment of the city beneath it,
Sandburg's analogy of cat feet and
fog is the essence of poetic expression.
In the first two lines one can almost
feel the velvety, tentative touch of the
Cat feet as they gently grope their way
forward. When the development of
city Is complete the silent, soft-footed
fog settles down 10 rest. Soon it grows