EASTERN TRAVELS

Evening Star, Issue 18541, 25 January 1924, Page 9

EASTERN TRAVELS

ADDRESS BY MR FREDERICK STUBBS. ‘A Special Correspondent’s Experiences in the Far East ’ was the title of an Interesting lecture given by Mr Frederick Stubbs, F.R.G.S., the well-known traveller, in the Y.M.C.A, Rooms last evening. Tho lecturer explained that ho was afflicted with tlio wanderlust, and yearned for new and far countries. Ha had to pay and suffer for it, however) but there were compensations. His experiences during the last twenty years had been very interesting. Ho had been in Romo, Pompeii, walked by the Rhine, tho Seine, the Yangtse Kiang, and the Missouri. He had seen India, been in Venice and Monte Carlo; had ascended groat mountains; listened to great watorlalls, and walked on tho burning sands of the Sahara. He had talked with President -Wilson and Mr Lloyd George. He mentioned these things not in a spirit of boasting, but to interest them. The last two years had been spent in tho Far East. The Philippine Islands wore his first port of stay niter leaving Hew Zealand. He proceeded to describe tho system of .government by America a.nd tho habits and customs of tho natives. The women, he said, wore superior in intelligence. Trial marriages existed In these islands. Before registering tho marriage tho young couple lived together for several months to see if they were suited to ono another. He visited some tribes in tho Interior, and found them very interesting. These tribes would not wear clothes, and tho Government nucl missionaries were trying to get them to do so. They wore head-hunters, and were very fond of dogs-—lor eating. The Filipinos wore trying to get the government ot the islands in their own hands, but in his opinion they were not capable of government, and America should never allow them to have their own Administration. Hongkong was next visited, and there he found a splendid Y.M.C.A. He lectured twice on How Zealand at Hongkong University, and boosted the beauties of Now Zealand. From Hongkong he went to the Portuguese town of Macao, which, ho was sonw to say, derived its income from the vices of the people. The next country ho visited was Japan, with its sixty or seventy million people. With this tremendous population it was a very small and unfertile country. Japan would have to find an outlet for hhr population. They would bo forced by Nature to seek new lands. Event.un.lly, he thought, tho Japanese would be compelled to force settlement on the northern shores of Australia. The climate of Japan was overrated by most travellers. It was very wet in the spring, very cold in the winter, and hot in the summer. The Japanese were an industrious people, and very kind and courteous to strangers. The Japanese lack of commercial morality was always a surprise to the Englishman. This was duo to the fact that in bygone days it was only the lowest who were engaged in trade. Ha had heard about their lack of sexual morality, but they had different ideas and standards to ours. Marriage was not for life in Japan; there was no religious ceremony. Divorce was very easy. A man could got a divorce for the slightest tiling. There were many customs in Japan which appeared curious to us. Writing was started from tho opposite end of the lino; the surname was written first, followed by the Christian name. They took their hoots off when entering the houso and kept their hats on. Tho Japanese were a clean people, and there were public baths everyv. here. Children wore regarded as a boon :i'.u! a blessing, and the servants would do little services without accepting tips. If it was a matter of business they would make as much out. of one as they could, hut if it was a kindness they would not accept, money. lie was glad ho had seen Tnkio before the earthquake. There were Y.M.C.A.s in Tolrio also.

In Japan all students had to learn the English language. Even in Germany English was a compulsory subject, and ho thought English would become the language of educated people throughout the world. He had been very sorry to hear of the destruction of Japan’s great cities hy the earthquakes. Altogether ho spent ihvco mouths in the Japanese Empire, and saw most of its beauties. Tho religion of Japan was almost universally Buddhism. There were about 200,000 nominal Christians, but he was afraid that the Christianity was only skin deep in most cases. The missionaries, mostly Americans, were not making many converts. Tho Japanese valued Western learning more than Western theology. Ho was convinced that tho Japanese had no desire for war, but wanted peace with tho other nations. The Japanese were very frightened of Bolshevism, and that was why they kept so many troops in Siberia. After leaving Japan he went to Korea. The Koreans, ho said, were of powerful physique. Agriculture was the mainstay of the Koreans. Korea was better governed to-day by the Japanese than ever it was in the past. The lecturer proceeded to describe his travels in Manchuria, China, Singapore, Malay Slates, and India. There was unrest in the East owing to our teachings of self-government and religion. The spiritual results of our missions were not flourishing. There was unlimited cheap labor and unlimited resources, and the East would very shortly ho a serious competitor in the trade of the world. If once these millions of people were trained in warfare the result would he trouble for tire West.

In conclusion, the lecturer said that throughout his; travels he had boon struck with the beauty and fruitfulness of the earth. Mr Stubbs was accorded a hearty vote of thanks at the conclusion of his address.