8
THE SODaY ORECJOMAX, PORTLAND, APRIL o, 1914.
A Close Rancie Study cfeCtleKfppcnesc
lyd Rriland Traveler
They Haw Many Rroblems More Vital Tkan.
Exclusion Yrcm CalifcrniQ .
BY WALTER McBRlDE..
JAPAN is the land of enchantment..
Almost everybody at some time .
dreams of going there. To gain
say its charm is akin to confessing the
eternally calm face of the great
stronger feeling of dislike. Others
with, no more discrimination see In
these amiable courteous people merely
smiling dolls. Still others err by pre
suming to see no faults of any kind.
I had come into contact with Japan
ese In various ways long before I went
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sion which neems to prevail. I found
their methods entirely ethical. One was
never importuned to buy. He was In
variably invited to Inspect the wares,
of whatever sort they might be, and
the size of one s purchase never seemed
absence of an esthetic faculty. Few to determine one's treatment. That per
travelers who have seen its wonders feet politeness which characterizes the
would think of disputing the claim people of all classes, is especially
that it Is one of the most beautiful marked in the keepers of shops,
regions in the world.
That person who can behold the ma- My memories of my long: sojourn at
jestic peak of Fujiyama at sunset with the Cherry Mount Hotel in Yokohama
a golden mist behind it. or roam are a Pleasure to recall for many rea
through the mighty forest at Nikko sons. Our proprietor was a Japanese
without being thrilled, or look Into the ?an or whom one could have only
highest
Buddha at Kamakura without being ment. compared with those in America,
made profoundly aware of his own was a rather poor affair, but despite its
mortality, ought never to leave home, barn-like apartments and tawdry fur
To all such travel is a wasted effort, n'shings, Akon San's genial personality
It would be difficult to find an area and his tireless efforts to make us com
of similar extent possessing so many fortable made it seem almost homelike,
natural attractions as this little island ur room boys were all that one could
empire. From Hokkaido in the north desire. They needed only to learn one's
to the Bay of Nagasaki in the south tastes and habits In order to anticipate
there is revealed a succession of scenes OIe's wishes, and so thoughtful and
as exquisite as any one has ever pic- careful were they that the best of feel
tured in Imagination. always prevailed.
While there is a very marked agree- Their efficiency, fidelity and self-ef-
tnent among travelers and foreigners 'aement were always quite beyond my
residing in Japan as to the natural comprehension. Our under-clerk at the
charms of the country, there is by no OIf'ce, a young Japanese of 22. was one
means the same unanimity of opinion Jf the most engaging young men that
regarding the virtues of its inhabi- 1 came to know. Despite his multifar-
tants. Rather the tendency would ious duties, which ranged from caring
seem to be to give these people credit Ior the mail, running errands and mak-
for. little that is admirable. Tourists ln blueprints, to serving tea. he was
from America who are In Japan for a absolutely dependable. .Whatever was
few days or a few weeks, bringing in expected of him he did smilingly and
most cases a well-defined prejudice w'th dispatch. I shall never forget his
with them, after an encounter or two many favors for me. or his gracious
with surly or avaricious rikisha men manner and his picturesque appearance
are ant to proceed on their travels with " ""' mitten Kimonos.
1
One safer in Tokohama on the
darkest night than he would be In New
York. Such a thing as an attack on a
foreigner is very rare. I cannot say
whether this is because of the inherent
virtue of the Japanese or because of
the vigilance of the police. For a time
to Japan. Tears ago in the boarding alter my arrival I always used 'rikishas
houses of San Francisco there were no narrow, aimiy ngntea
Japanese waiters and elevator boys, streets presented to my mind an Ideal
They were generally either stolid, lm- setting for robbery or violence. Both
pertinent, lazy, deceitful, much more In- mT Japanese and foreign friends
terested in acquiring knowledge than aehed at my timidity, and I came to
in performing their, duties. Later in hav no feeling of uncertainty as re
the beet sugar fields of the Spreckels Kards attack of any kind.
Company in Monterey County. I had an In Toklo. Kobe. Kyoto and Nagasaki
opportunity to observe those conditions 1 'went about day and night without
which have since seemed to demand tne least fear. I must say, however,
restrictive legislation. that Japan has her full share of crim-
As an assistant secretary to the Hon- ir.als and the accounts of revolting
orary Commercial Commission from murders and crimes constantly appear
Japan, which visited the United States in the Press. Our rooms at the Cherry
in 1909, I got my first real insight into Mount were always unlocked and In the
the Japanese character. The commis- Summer time the windows were wide
sion was made up of representative Pen. No one seemed to think It neces
buslness men from the chief cities of Mry to guard his belongings,
the country, and many of these gentle- When you come to the Japanese chil
men were of very high character anJ dren yu "re getting very close to the
intelligence. During the three months eart of these mysterious people. The
I traveled with them I formed friend- love r "Parents for children Is their
ships that have endured and that have most beautiful trait and one that is
constituted a large element in my en- Quite easy to understand. Children are
Jovment of my year's stay in Japan. called a name that means "treasure
While I found much to admire In flowers" and it seems quite to express
many of these high-class men, I think the tender relation that exists between
my opinion of the Japanese generally parents and their offspring. Anyone
was not greatly changed until I went who can withstand the charm of even
to live in Yokohama.. Remembering an average Japanese child is Indeed
the old days in California. I expected deficient in feeling. I found them the
. to find the people of Japan proud, in- most fascinating children in the world,
solent. grasping and enamored of the Without anything like the Intellect or
military Ideal. I found them on the personality of an American child, their
contrary the most gentle, patient and gciod nature and gentle manners give
amiable people I have ever met. From them an attraction that it is impossl
the highest to the lowest I received ble to analyze.
nothing but graclousness and courtesy. I found the Japanese an unusually
Thsir dignified and friendly attitude, attractive people in many ways polite,
not only toward each other, but toward deferential, amiable, considerate, ob
foreigners as well, was a revelation to liging. I do not. however, believe that
me. Excepting 'rikisha men. who seem they care much for the foreigner.
i at least In the treaty ports consti- That trait of aloofness which has in
tutlonally excitable. I do not recall fluenced their entire history, cannot
ever seeing a disturbance between for- be surmounted. Tourists are welcomed,
elgners and Japanese. Subjected to the of course, since entire communities
' exactions and impatience of tourists or thrive on their expenditures,
foreign residents, they never seem to Japan Is not a rich country. In fact
lose for a moment that self-control it is a very poor one. The most amas
whlch is quite a marvelous trait. While lng thing about the Japanese people is
their slowness was often both disap- their ability to make so much out of a
pointing and annoying. I was fortunate meagre opportunity. With every
in having no .difficulties with shop-, square inch of available land taken,
keepers, and contrary to the jnpres- with burdensome taxes, and with pov
erty widespread, vit is not to be won
dered at that tho presence of the pros
perous, patronizing foreigner is re
sented. That Japanese should manifest any
friendliness toward foreigners is evi
dence of their consummate tact. In
Yokohama the relations bewteen Jap
anese and foreigners are peculiar. The
Yokohama foreign settlement is made
up largely of English people and as
everyone knows, they have the strong
est race prejudice of any people on
earth. The disposition of most of
them toward all nationalities outside
their, own is one of either superiority
or indifference. The social code in
Yokohama is rigid and the atmosphere
dull and formal. Their caste Ideas are
pronounced and I regret to say that
many Americans adopt the same super
cilious attitude. To see anything
worthy In the Japanese Is a breach of
decorum, is In fact to be hopelessly
ordinary. One sometimes wonders that
the Japanese endure them at all.
At the time oi the land legislation
in California there was a good deal of
bitter feeling among the Japanese, but
no such display of it as the American
press has tended to convey. In order
to understand their point of view one
must take into consideration the fact
that the Japanese are naturally a proud
and sensitive race. Their splendid
victories over the Chinese and the
Russians, their advancement in gov
ernment, education. commerce, and
science they feel, justifies them In.
claiming absolute equality with Cau
casian nations. '
Any disparagement they will not tol
erate. The action of the State of Cali
fornia seemed to them a most unjust
discrimination, particularly in view of
the restriction against further Immi
gration from Japan. They had re
signed themselves to the loss of that
privilege. The land act they regarded
as an Insult, as an implication that
they were inferior . and undesirable.
Their case has been weakened a good
deal by the fact that the very rights
for which they contended In California
they have never been willing to con
cede to aliens at home. Indeed every
effort is made to curtail the activities
of the foreigner in Japan. No oppor
tunity is afforded him to compete with
Japanese, and It is predicted that In
the course of time the foreign mer
chants will be forced out of Japan. At
t
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that If Japan should ever find us at lem which Japan has to deal with la
a disadvantage that she would Dot use' that within her own borders. Social
it to our barm. A nation whose tra- lstlc Ideas have been spreading slowly
dltion Is founded on the strongest arn and the growing discontent of the
and the sharpest sword could hardly PPle with the ever-Increasing burden
be expected to do otherwise. The t""ln hits brought about a state
California question is noV when all ' alrs which will test the powers
Is said, as grave as many suppose. of tno" at the head of the government.
Thut time will solve it to the satlsrac- I have never been much concerned
tlon of both nations the more optlm- over the euspected sinister designs of
lstlc are confident. Japan toward ourselves and have had
Just now Japan Is facing problems less apprehension In that regard
thut are far more vital than the some, since my stay in Yokohama. There-
what abstract one In California could ,or- I did not Interest myself In in-
any rate the foreign settlements will where life is singularly fortunate. The ever be. Japan's affairs on the Asiatic vestlgatlon of the military strength of
never be enlarged. intimate character of the relations continent are apt to demand all the Japan, Nevertheless one would have
While tne California Legislature was with Japan since the opening of the sagacity of her statesmen for some to be in that country only a short
considering the land measures meet- empire to the world, the enormous vol- time to come The government of time to realize that It has a large and
Ings of commercial and political bod leu time of her commerce with Japan (In China Is anything but favorable to efficient standing array and a reserve
were constantly being held in Toklo one-third of Japan's foreign trade Japan's ambitions in the Orient. When force that would be considered for-
to protest against - the treatment. of was with the United States) gives her j wa in Shanghai in September there mldable by the most military of na-
Japanese there. The yellow journals In the eyes of these sober-minded, was very strong feeling against the tlons..
were loud in their demand that the very practical men an Importance Japanese. They had not convinced the Soldiers and sailors are constantly
enactmentv of the bills be considered beyond that of any other nation. De- people of the new republic that they passing through Yokohama, and on
a sufficient cause for the issuance of spite the humiliating treatment of were not concerned In the revolution various trips that I made to places in
.an ultimatum. Even some of the con- Japanese In California, the belief In n the south. Also the extensive mil- the Interior I aaw many of them and
servative papers were outspoken In the good Intention of the American itary activity of Russia In Mongolia had an opportunity to Judge., casually,
their opinions as to the probable out- people at large is becoming widespread, should be disquieting, even to a na- the character of Japan's soldiery,
come. Our Army and Navy were con-'Our high Ideals as a nation, our gen- tlon less alert than Japan. By the !
stantly being compared with those or erosity. love or iair piay ana treedom military party this was considered a
Japan ana tne results oi nostllltles rom intrigue are an dui acanowieageo. situation necessitating an Increase In
were ingeniously forecasted.
They are a sturdy, sober, dignified
I could never get any of these men tha armv bv two divisions, a Question lot of men; splendid physical specimens.
Among thoughtful Japanese, how- to tavor nostuities as a means or set- that, when It came to ba voted on in Orunkenness or rowdyism re not quzl.
ever, one could find no such hysteria, tling differences. They usually dis- the Parliament only a year ago, pre- ities one will find In them. They give
America to a steadily growing number posed of that feature of the issue by cipltated the downfall of two cabinets the Impression of being thoroughly dls-
of Japanese means t,l Dorado or saying rati sucn a course wouia mean and such a popular demonstration as clpllned. They are. far from being as-
Utopla, a land of golden opportunity, Japan s ruin.
of Immeasurable resources, a region I am not prepared to say, howevec.
Toklo had never seen before.
Perhaps the most significant prob-
sertlve . or bold. a!myst childlike
their Ingenuousness.
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