Evening star., 1921-12-13
BY JUNIUs b. WOOD.

missionaries shall be free to open
a sentence with a wealth of signifi-
canoe in the agreement which Japan
and the United States have just COM
pleted over the little island of Zap.
To the Christian world it means the
life of more than 100 schools in the
scattered Japanese mandate and the
continuation Of seventy years of
American Protestant and thirt, five
years of Roman Catholic missionary
work in the islands. To world diplo-
macy it means that the terms of the
mandate as drafted by the signat0Ty
powers of the Versailles treaty have
been revised by two powers confer
ring outside of the league of nations.
The precedent established may have
tar-reachlng consequences.
Schools In Doubt.
The original mandate guaranteed
religious freedom for the natives and
permitted missionaries to continue
their work in the islands. provided
they were of allied or associated pow
ers nationality. Nothing was said
about schools and the question at once
arose whether conducting a school
was any more of a religious activity
buxom native might be. Before this
was answered the league of nations
decided that the laws of the nation
holding the mandate should apply in
the mandate.
Under the laws of Japan religious
instruction is forbidden in secular
schools and no private schools can
exist without permit from the gov
ernment. With usual governmental
thoroughness. the Japanese educa
tional law was applied to the man.
dated islands. buildings were erected
teachers were sent from Japan, the
Japanese language was taught, com
pulsory education was enforced to
fifteen years of age, and the mission
airy schools. which taught the native
language and morality as we'll, were
closed by the half dozens as fast as
government schools could be opened
The expense was heavy. but the Japa-
nese government is proud of its
schools and steadily extended its field
of worS
Most of the teachers and clergymen
on the islands are natives who have
been trained in the Protestant or
Catholic schools in earlier years. In
response to the protests of the three
American and one Australian mis-
sionary at the head of the work. the
naval governor over the mandate ex-
planned that there would be no inter
ference with their religious work, bu,
that under the laws OF Japan educa
tion was a function of the govern
ment. Attention of America was first
called to the situation in cables to
this newspaper last March. after the
Japanese navy had permitted me to
! make voyage through the mandate
The Official red tape. which made /,
practically impossible for mission.
aries or any other persons, excep,
Japanese. to travel between the diff.
ferent groups of islands. also is re-
moved in the American-Japanese re.
| vision of the mandate.
The islands. whose chief CONNER.
cial production Is copra, are prac.
tically closed to the commerce O,
other nations. The Japanese govern.
ment has explained that this restric.
| tfon will be removed soon, when 9
civil administration replaces the pres.
ent one under the navy. At present 9
special permit is necessary to visi,
or trade with the islands, and ths
only ones which have been issued ars
for a small American schooner to cal
at Saipan once q month and an Aus.
IL tralian schooner in the Marshal
Islands.
Several other notifications of tn.