The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-08
By N. P. D.
= ERMAN propaganda becomes an

Thomas F. Millard's account of Japan
csc propaganda by which, he says, the
world has been crnningly led to accept
Japan's own slightly exaggerated esti-
mate of herself After reading Mr.. Mil
lard's book, a man will be likely to look
under his bed at night for Japs, and
even question the pinkness Of peach BIOS
SONS in Japan.
What Mr.. Willard calls our illusions
about Japan he ascribes to the propa-
ganda conducted by the japanese Gov
eminent In the Western countries and
throughout the world. He describes
Japan as past master In the art Of
window dressing, and says the principal
task of the Japanese propaganda has
been to window dress" the country, par
hcularly for the benefit of the tourists
Even what good railways and hotels there
are in Japan, Mr. MiIlard calls propa-
ganda, run at heavy loss, with deficits
paid by the Government, in order TO i'm
press tourists with japanese efficiency
and to show how much better they do
things in Japan than in China Every
thing In Japan, peach blossoms and all,
We are doubtless to understand, is staged
for the tourist. He quotes a private
letter:
"In the eyes of the tourist Japan is
clean, comfortable, progressive and pros
porous, while China is dirty, corrupt, I'M
comfortable, backward and squalidly
poor. In Japan the distinguished guest
Is motored up to modern buildings
through arches bearing Mandatory inscrip-
tons, is received by intelligent officials
who discuss everything that interests him
intelligenhy, and who are sohcitous for
his comfort and entertainment while in
the country. In China the same man
wades ankle deep in mud, gets pockets
full of bad money, finds Chinese persons
whom he wishes TO see only after ditigent
search through gloomy and crumbling
buildings, and may then be indiferently
treated by an opium smoking idler who
owes his place to political corruption,
and who is interested in nothing so much
as in ending the conversation and In get
ting his visitor off the premises. Natur-
ally the visitor cannot understand why
or how any reasonable person could ever
object TO Japan, who alone seems to be
successful in getting things done in China,
taking China over bodily, and cleaning
it up in the interests of America and all
other nations which hope 10 do business
in this country"
But this we are told is only a first i'm
preston. After a few weeks, "fully 95
per cent have acquired not only a senti-
mental liking for the Chinese, but a
great faith in the capabilities and the
future of the Chinese people, and also a
cordial dislike for the japanese"
II.
Even Bushido was invented not so long
ago for foreign consumption, and the
Washington Square players, who rescued
a poor season with q little play of this
title, signifying the japanese code Of
loyalty and chivalry, were doubtless in
buc pay VI odpdu. MI thL1dIu 4uOtCo
a writer that Bushido is $50 modern a
thing that neither Kaempfer, Siebold,
Satow, nor RENAL men knowing their
Japan by heart-ever once allude to it
in their voluminous writings. The cause
of their silence is not far to seek: Bush
lido was unknown until decade ago.
"The very word appears in no diction-
airy, native or foreign, before the year
1900. Bushdo, as an institution or a
code of rules, has never existed. The
accounts given of it have been fabricated
out Of whole cloth, chiefly for foreign
consumption. Thus it comes
about that the neo- Japanese myths con-
corning dates, and Emperors, and heroes,
and astonishing national virtues already
begin to fnd their way into popular
English text books, current literature,
and even grave books of reference. The
japanese governing class has willed it so,