The Washington herald., 1920-07-12
JAPS ESCHEW
ARMY SERVICE
People Tire of Exactions
Imposed by Ambitious
Mlitaristic Policy.
MBIBE WESTERN IDEA
Prefer Home and Children
To Death and Worship
AsHeroes.
MBBE WESTERN IDEA

In view OF the Increasing distaste
for military service evinced by the
young men of modern Japan, the
army and navy authorities are hard
put to it to invent ways and means
to counteract what Is regarded as
an evil influence insinuating itself
into the mind of the rising gener-
alton
In old Japan. the soldier died for
loyalty only; loyalty. not In the
modern sense of devotion to the
emperor. but loyalty to his feudal
lord. After the reorganization of
the Japanese army with the COM
ing of the Meiji Era, this sectional
loyalty was merged into national
loyalty to the emperor; and this
has been the main inspiration OF
the Japanese soldier during the past
sixty years.
Adopt Western Ideas
But with the rapid growth of
Western ideas which suggest that
conscr:ption is reasonable only in
emergency, and that the soldier
and right, rather than out of blind
obedience or mere personal devotion
to an individual, the young man OF
Japan has been fighting shy OF
military service, to the great dis
satisfaction of the military authori-
ties. He is as willing as ever to
die for his country: but not for a
system or to promote the wealth of
a few individuals; but he must be
persuaded that he is dying for his
country.
In accordance with his new spirit
of liberty and reason, the modern
young man of Japan betrays a
growing dislike of the nations mill
tary system and resorts to remark
able means to evade conscription.
1t cannot be said that the new
spirit is as yet very general, at
least not openly so, for few have
the courage to face the wrath of
the military authorities; but the in
stances of aversion to military
service are becoming more and
more conspicuous and increasing in
number.
Increase Every Year.
Every year the authorities con-
fess the number of evasions is on
the increase: and it is well-known
that a sufficient number of candi-
dates for officers has not been equal
to the annual demand in both the
army and navy. The devices re-
sorted to in order to be rejected
as conscripts are in some instances
curious.
In addition to the amputation of
fingers. impairing eyesight and
otherwise mutilating the body. there
are some who feign various weak
nesses and even purchase charms
from neighboring temples to ward
off the unlucky choice of the con-
scription officer. That temples
should be willing to deal in such
charms is regarded as most unpa-
triotic. Last year there were some
956 cases of desertion from the
ranks of which some per cent
were officers.
spirit Worship Incites to War.
One of the means long in use
among Japanese for inspiring
greater desire for military service
is that of worshipping the spirits
Of those who have fallen in war.
In Tokyo there is a big shrine
known as the Yasukuni Jinja. in
the vicinity of the war museum; at
Kudan, where twice every year the
leading army officers and soldiers
come for three days to worship the
spirits of fallen comrades.
At this worship the imperial
house is always represented, and the
affair is treated as very great
occasion. Ample sports and other
amusements are provided lest acts
of devotion should fail to hold the
attention of the assembled crowd.
Among the names of those wor-
shipped at this shrine are those OF
Englishmen who lost their lives in
the service of Japan during the
war with Russia.
Soldiers Want Children.
The idea is that If a man dies
FOR his country he becomes a god,
entitled to the worship of his coun-
trymen. But one cannot forget that
ancestor worship is universal in
Japan and that there Is a very
general conviction that the dead
cannot be happy unless they leave
progeny to worship them.
For this reason the average Japa-
nese will adopt a child into his
family rather than run the risk OF
5ying childless and have no one to
worship his spirit. But the worship
given to the fallen soldier is greater
since it includes worship from even
the emperor and the imperial
princes and great personages of the
nation.
May Prefer to Live.
Whether the fighting man Of
modern Japan will consider the ex-
ira honor of being worshipped by
imperial persons as sufficient to
Justify the sacrifice of his life at
A.he order of the military Is a ques-
ytion now occupying the minds OF
the latter The number of those
seeking to evade conscription sug-
rests a change OF sentiment among
the young.
Japan. like Western nations, will
be thrown back on the necessity
of providing some higher ideal in
return for the sacrifice of life than
she is now presenting to the pub
lie, before she can expect her sons
to seek military service. When
Japan considers the fact that dur
ing the war more than 5000, 900
Young Britisher volunteered to die
for their country her own methods
seem defective.