Evening star., 1923-10-29
EAST IS EAST
BY FRANK H. HEDGES

Inc EngilSh words como from the
lips Of little Japanese schoolboy
dressed In a kimono and wearing straw
sandals. Nine Of his playmates, one
or two In base ball suits. a few in the
uniform Of their school, but most OF
them also wearing kimonos, are spread
Of one Of Japan's great cities. They
the playing the game with all the zest
Of any crowd Of back-lot youngsters In
this country and the only words of Eng
lish they know are base ball terms.
From the day. now more than forty
years ago, when a base ball team COM
posed OF japanese railway employees de-
feated an American nine. base ball has
til 1t might safely be called the ma
tional game Of that country today. All
Of the colleges and universities have
teams-teams that compare favorably
with those In this country. Occasion
ally one Of these university teams
crosses the Pacific to play on the dia-
mondS OF American campuses, and just
as often an American university team
Journeys to the far east for the same
purpose. There arc no professional base
ball teams in Japan, but there are many
clubs In addition to the school teams.
Scarcely a boy In Japan is too poor to
be the proud possessor of a glove, a
bat or at least a good ball.
AS the day express to Kobe speeds
along the coast line or through the
passed but Japanese are seen with
rackets in hand playing tennis on all
sorts and kinds Of courts. The success
Of Shimizu and Kumagae in the Davis
cup tournament has given tennis the
same impetus In Japan that came to
hn a yrxy he ry.tn
Of the island empire have adopted that
game also as their own.
\ n y +
Sport, as understood In this country.
was unknown to old Japan. 1t is an
innovation from abroad, but an inno-
vatfon that has been eagerly welcomed
by the younger generation. Fencing.
judo. wrestling, archery and swimming
were known to old Japan, but they did
not partake Of the nature Of sport.
Fencing was serious business. train
ing for warfare later in life. Judo.
more generally known in this country
by the incorrect name Of jujitsu, was
taught in order that the man might
learn to defend himself in hand-to-
hand encounters. 1t is still so re-
garded and the teachers Of the art
have decreed that no professional
matches shall take place. Archery fell
in the same class as fencing and swim
ming was highly regarded for its prac-
tical benefits only. Mountain climbing.
practiced in Japan for centuries, was Of
q religious nature and was usually per-
formed by pilgrims. who ascended one
or another OF the sacred mountains Of
the empire.
Wrestling alone came within tho
realm of sport. but it is a very diff
ferent type wrestling from that
known In this country. 1t has al
ways been done by professionals by
stature and girth. Formal rules
take much Of the enthusiasm from
the sport. and during these later
years 1t has steadily waned In popu-
lartty. Disputes and jealousies among
the champions have aided it on the
enormous wrestling hall In Toxic
now destroyed by earthquake, holds
thousands OF spectators while thou
sands more gather before the bull
letin boards of TOXIC newspaper
Offices during the two annual wres-
-
Base ball and tennis are not the
sole importations in the line of sports
that Japan has made from abroad
For more than ten years the far east
has had its own Olympiads the las
having been held In Osaka only last
May. Japan and the Philippines tied
to Japan on a technicality. Prince
Chichibu. the second son of the en-
peror. was the patron of the meet
He Is an enthusiastic fencer and ten
mis- player himself. The records made
at Osaka give promise Of what the
games In the near future. Fi1ipinos.
Chinese and Japanese. with bit NOR
expert training. will be able to hold
their own against the hest athletes
Of this country and Of Europe.
Association foot ball such as ie
played In England; golf, basket ball
volley bail skiing. skating and row.
adopted as her own. The Younr
Mems Christian Association more
than any other single institution
has brought about the popularity Of
basket ball and volley bail. In tn"
skating and skiing throughout the
bers Of the imnerial family has don
much to foster these two sports.
Rowing is largely a university ac-
tivity.
s.. An even more startling departur.
from the past was made when wom-
en- first began to follow in the foot
steps Of their brothers In athleti-
contests. Tennis. more than anv
other sport. has been taken up b
them. and the woman tennis play
ers who won their matches at Osaka
last May were ordered to play be-
fore the future Empress OF japan
trothed to Prince Regent Hirohtto-
* ~
with the Introduction and growth
of sports has come the necessity
of developing sportsmanship. 1t l
seldom that university contests arr
marred by a lack Of the spirit OF
fair play. but the same cannot al
ways be said In regard to profess
sional or semi-professional events
The Japan Amateur Athletic Asso-
citation. whose rulings are effective
throughout the nation in amateu
sports. is not open to criticism, al
though. 1t has been called upon t.
deal with some peculiar problems
such as barring jinrikisha puller
from amateur meets on the ground
that they are professional runners
The association. however. has NJ
Jurisdiction over professional sports
and too often rules are made on tn
ground that favor this or that par
tfcular Individual When America
wrestlers met judo experts in Toki'
three years ago. each to use his owr
style Of combat, the crowd threat
ered to mob one OF the American
when he foored his man with
half-Nelson. The American ther
offered to bar all neck holds on hi
part but allow his opponent to. re
tain all Judo holds. The crowd wa
in such an angry mood that the con
test was postponed until the mex