Evening journal., 1918-08-08
II Concerns You
What is Behind The Mask?
Size-Up of Young Japan
BY BURTON KNIsELY
Copyright, 1918, Newspaper Enterprise
Association

OOpyIlgnli lJlc, newspaper EuteFpIlst
Association.)
KOYOTO. Japan, Aug s.--What are
the ideals OF the boys Of Japan today -?
They viii be the realities OF Japan
tomorrow, when those boys are men.
In what direction and toward what
goal is young Japan preparing to lead
the nation which Is the guiding star
Of the East and the captain OF the Mon
golian race? To read this riddle Alright
would be TO forecast history.
Is young Japan coarse or fine, am
Gus or Indifferent, militarlstic or
peace-loving?
Ha~ Young Japan any color that tints
the spectacles through which the world
must try to peer into Japan's future
Or is young Japan just average, and
therefore a negative factor, and will
Japan's destiny be simply what eco
nomic and international forces make
~, without human interference from
within?
This brief study Of young Japan Is
based on these factors: An opportunl-
ty 10 size up and talk to young Japan
ese students in four universities
Tokyo and Kyoto and Waseda, the larg-
est schools in Japan; observation Of the
young men OF Japan Of all walks OF
life at their work and play; associa-
tion with typical young japanese, such
as a young government official, young
professor. young politician. a youns
business man, a manufacturers son, a
boy OF the working class.
The young men who count most In
Japan have three chief traits:
They are intensely patriotic.
They are intensely ambitious and dll-
igent.
They are intensely progressive.
They will never fail TO stand as a
unit, aggressively, for whatever they
believe TO be the best interests Of their
country. They viii never lag behind
through slothfulness. They will never
tolerate a Japan which does not ad-
vance. socially and politically as well
as industrlally.
The biggest problem in the minds Of
the biggest young men in Japan is
Can Japan have real democracy and
keep the EMPEROR" It may be an
swered at once by saying that most Of
them believe that Japan can-and Will.
They are concerned only with the de-
tails OF how best to-do this.
Young japanese who get above the
crowd amount TO more and have big
ger influence upon their country than
Americans would be likely to assume
are a greater factor, probably, than
similar young Americans.
In America the level OF the mass is
higher, the struggle for existence Is
milder, and mediocre men often win
prominence and place.
In Japan they do not.
The mediocrities are slfted out early
IN a much harder game OF life than
Americans have any experience OF.
Those who survive TO reach the top
arc genuinely capable-men OF real
force and big ideas. And the knowl-
edge Of the seething mselstrom that lies
so short a distanc3 beneath them makes
them ever aware OF their good fortune
and spurs them 10 their best efforts TO
merit its continuance.
So young Japan IS In all respects
match for young America, young
France, young England. She IS not
asleep. She Is not incapable. She is
not dlssipated.
Morality. or immortality, Is we'll
known 10 he franker In Japan than in
the western world. but the leaders OF
young Japan do not waste their ener-
gies.