Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-02-08
OUR DUTY AND JAPAN

IL Just as i sat down TO send you my
weekly land weakTy?) greeting my eyes
fell on this notice in church paper:
! The japanese have sent a Sift of
$4,000 to aid the Young Mems Christian
association of this country. OF this sum.
$4,000 was contributed by the emperor
and empress of Japan on Christmas
eve. as an expression of their apprecia-
tion Of the splendid work done by the
Young Mems Christian association for
the soldiers in the japanese army dur
ing the RuSSo-Japanese war.
Major General Hibiki. himself a
Christian. emphasizes the Importance OF
the Christian leadership of Japan in
the Orient. and urged the necessity of
missionary work in that country.
For" said he, III we win Japan for
Christ, we win Asia"
That statement may sound a bit ego
t!stic. but when one knows the nation
one can see the truth of the statement
They are a progressive, proud nation and
their highest ambition now is to lead.
Many japanese Christians occupy po-
sitiOns of responsibility in the imperial
government and their conduct goes far
70 leaven the lump.
This year our Sunday school mission
money is 70 be sent to Japan and hope
that all of you will give as the Lord
hath given to you. God sends the rain
and dew. the shade and sunshine. wheth-
er you have returned to His work the
tenth or have denied the partnership.
Think what this country would be if
Christian influence had not been the
dominating power.
Christianity originated the orphan
homes, the homes for old people, the
poor houses. insane asylums hospitals
and the Red Cross work. Christianity
put woman on the high plane that she
now occupies and lifted her from a
part Of mans goods and chattels to
his partner and equal. Even when I
was in Japan il was the usual thing
Tor a girl TO be picked up, not needing
her tears and entreaties. and taken to
the house OF some man that had seen
her photograph and offered the family
good terms for her.
In Korea the women and girls were
not called by any given name, 1t was
Mr. So and Sos wife or mother or
daughter. In Japan the head of the
family and all of the advisers were men
or boys. There is no word signifying
husband. Should you meet a woman
and you would enquire about her hus-
band you would use the words Dan-na
San, meaning the honorable master, -
and in speaking of him the wife would
use a word that means master" The
word a man uses in speaking of his
wife means the inferior creature"
The Japanense want to appear we'll
and for that reason many people who
travel through their country come back
delighted with them and sneer at the
idea of sending missionaries to such a
nation. They assume a virtue they
have not, because they know the way
that the people of America look at
things that are entirely out of their
line OF living.
The family name must be kept up, If
there is no boy in the home the wife IS
sent to her home, or another is brought
in and given charge of things or a boy
is adopted. In the latter case as soon as
ne is grown he marries one of the girls
in his adopted home, and rules the
house.
There are suicides, runaways and some
very unhappy homes, and, on the other
hand, I know some very. very congenial
homes in that Sunrise Land" If the
man has a nice disposition he grows
fond OF his wife and children, but for
some il is torment The young couple
are always in the home of the mans
parents. The girl is more like an up
per servant than anything else. She is
on probation for a year, her mother
in-Iaw judging her fitness to sew, to
cook and TO keep house. If a little girl
happens to come first it is ample cause
for the young wife to be sent back to
her fathers house. If she has not pleas
ed the family and the baby is a boy
they may decide to send her back and
to keep the baby. l knew one poor lit
tic mother to be sent home when her
little boy was nine days old. The old
grandmother was jealous of her and
made her son believe all sorts Of things.
I knew an officers son who was taken
from bis mother when he was about
ten or eleven. I used to feel sorry for
the boy, there was a new wife and a,
home I'm a different part of the country.
He grew very fond of me and when he
was unhappy he'd come to see me and
we would learn a new japanese song or
he would tell me of his mother and
her home. So many times l would
think OF our Saviour's words, one thing
thou lackest' when with those people
in their case it was the knowledge OF
Saviour. the srbsence of Christianity
iu their lives.
l hope that these lines will help
you to see your duty clear and that you
viii understand that the mere fact of
Japan being a brave, artistic nation
makes IL even more important that
they should be won for Christ. They
are light to lead others into darkness
Of Buddhism or to the true religion
that makes heaven OF even the prison.
er's cell
Faithfully yours.
LIZZIE o. THOMAS
Tuerurnbfa Ala