JAPAN & CONFUCIUS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 6, 7 July 1938, Page 31

JAPAN & CONFUCIUS

STILL ANOTHER PUZZLE

The Japanese mind, as has frequently been remarked, is not easily understood by those who live west of Suez; in Lancashire it may not be understood at all, says the "Manchester Guardian." It would not, for instance, have occurred to the man in the Manchester street that the anti-Japanese movement arose in China because "the Chinese forgot the doctrine of the Chinese sage Confucius, which is still respected in Japan." Yet such, we now learn, is'| the truth which has led the Japanese! authorities' in North China to revive i the ancient festival' of Confucius • in! Peking and even' to'spend ."a large, sum,of money in.repairing the ruined' temple." What doctrine in particular.! is"* meant? It is recorded that wheni asked by a disciple what he would, consider the first thing to be done, if i entrusted with the government of a I State, Confucius replied: "The rectification of names." Would the sage, who placed such emphasis on calling a spade a spade, have approved of the Japanese habit of calling a war an incident? But it was his "golden rule" which, best expressed his .teaching. "What you do not like when done to yourself," said Confucius, "do not do to others." Or in modern terms: "If you don't want Tokio bombed, keep off Nanking. 1' The doctrine of the sage ("which is still respected in Japan") seems to cut both ways. No doubt it is only ignorance of, the Confucian classics which prevents one from appreciating this Japanese theory, but one must confess that it does not greatly help us to understand Japan and only makes Confucius worse confounded.