The Weekly Journal. — 1904-06-10 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

LET US CONSIDER THE MATTER.  The Turk is moved by fatalism and the hope of a voluptuous Heaven; the Japanese is animated by the dread of shame—of shaming his ancestors and of failing to win honour for himself after death. What could be more expressive of Japanese contempt of life, as illustrated in the Kin-chan conflict, than, say, the apologetic letter ef the young warrior to his parents, stating that he had not yet bees killed but hoped to have that honour shortly? ',would commend to those who are interested in this subject—one of GREAT IMPORT TO TUE WORLD  —an article in the current number of the "Monthly Review" on "Ancestor-Worship in Japan." Therein, my dear sir and madam, you shall find, at the hands of a master of tho subject, a fairly full and very clear statement of ancester-worship as a powerful influence— the most powerful of all influeuces—in the formation of Japanese character, especially as a fighting taco. I can conceive of no more striking illustration of this power than is contained in this statement by Mr Alfred Stead in the cuticle to which I have referred:—" Undoubtedly, also, it is ancestor-worship which is to blamo for the preference shown to male children—the female children will leave their family at marriage and venerate the ancestors of the husband. Thus they aro not valuable in the sense that a son is valuable. This feeling is universal, and any day it may be seen amongst the common people of Japan.  ASK A VOMAN HOW -MANY CHILDREN she has, and she will tell you the number of her sons." There seems to me, however, te lie something more in this preference than the fact that daughters reveronce the shades of their husbaud's ancestors. Sons can do great martial and other deeds of honour, and so accumulate lustre upon the ancestors and the parents, ennobling the past, present, and future of a family. SHALL WE CALL THIS PAGANISM?  Undoubtedly ancestor-worship, which has prevailed in Japan for 2,500 years, and is as general among all classes to-day as it was in the remote ages. has in some degree been found wow all races. The lets Mx Herbert Sveriges.  I may remark, says that ancestor-worship was the first form of religion, and we know that it was found among the ancient Greeks or Romans. The Roman Laren, or household gods, were frequently ancestors of the family, and I think that if one could inquire deeply enough one would find that the Totemism of the Red Indian was a form of ancestor-worship. Nay: I verily believe that the tartans sprung from ancestor-worship, being, like the totem, either the sign of the whole clan or a section thereof. (What does my friend "Tonal' IdacTarvish" say to that ?) And, my dear sir, if you but think of it, do not  PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD in Christendom suggest connection with ancestor-worship in the Far East? If the dead can consciously be benefited by prayers of the living, why should not dead ancestors be conscious of the honour paid to them by the living? (Answer me that, 0 disciple of Aquinas!) And now after this speculative digression of mine let us return to our muttons in the form of Mr Alfred Stead's article.  HERE ARE EXTRACTS THEREFROM: It is no uncommon thing for an Englialuniut. bereft of all his relattona, to say to himself: 6' What ia the good of remaining on among tho old soones? I will go away to a new country." No Japaneso would, or could, over feel that. He might go away before ho was the sole re. presentative of a family, but it i:i very improbable that he would ever wish to do ao when the whole duty of family and national worship rested upon his ishouldtrn.  A Japanese writer describes the ceremony of anoestor-worship feasts which take place after the ceremony thus :—•• The relateres assembled' partake of the sacred cake which has been , offered to the ancestor, and talk about his meritorious deeds, while each person gives voice to a resolve not to degrade in any way the good name of the anoestor.  As a concrete example of the effect of ancestor-worship may ho taken the feelings of the Japanese soldier and sailors who are now on the field of bottle. By nature they are the least fitted to be soldiers; mentally, they are the worst. They are largely drawn from the agricultural classes, who, as practically vegetarians, have been unaccustomed to shed blood or to see blood shed.  -Any act of heroism or devotion to Japan will lift the doer to a pro-eminent position in the eyes of those who will venerate him. Taken together with the teachings of Bushido. whioh held up /theme as the greatest punishment possible, the effect of ancestor-worship rosy be imagined upon the Japanese troops. Knowing possibly what fear is they are not able to be afraid, but are impelled to deeds of heroism both by the desire of being good anoestors and the neeePsity of avoiding shame.  Death is not to be avoided. A&VO in so far as the prolongation of life enables the soldier to do glonous deeds—a glorious death is always preferable to a surrender. That closing passage is illustrated in the fact that Japanese soldiers captured in the war have, in not a few eases, committed suicide.  EVEN JAPANESE CHRISTIANS are said to continue their ancestor-worship, so deep-seated is this instinct of the remarkable race. Here, then, we have the most powerfut of the influences that enable the "little Jap" to astonish even those who, knowing much of the peculiar people, were prepared for great achievements at their hands. Another but subordinate influence is climatic. An island race, I he Japanese are fearless of the Sea, and the eaboard communities are very hardy. But what of  VEGETARIANISM AND ENDFRANCE? The Japanese who are performing wonders of physical feats both on sea and on land eat but little flesh meat, the majority of them subsisting almost exclusively on the products of the soil. This is a strong point for those who are somet lines contemptuously called gra enters." It is clear that there is much nutritive virtue in rice and other grain when consumed by a hard-working and open-air living people. If there is scientific truth in the familiar ~tying "plain living and higb thinking" it may reasonably be said to In brilliant illustrat ion lathe martial skill of the Japanese even 8s the practical virtues of ancestor-worAiip find dazzling expression in their amazing courage when great deeds are to be done at the van of their beloved Nippon. Addle!