TOYOHIKO KAGAWA

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 126, 14 May 1935, Page 8

TOYOHIKO KAGAWA

Japanese Author and Social Worker WONDERFUL PERSONALITY Dr. Toyohiko Kagawa, who is to visit Napier shortly, is one of the most arresting personalities in Japan to-day, and yet perhaps few people in New Zealand knew of his existence when they read of his proposed lecturing tour in New Zealand. Of noble birth and destined for the diplomatic service, he chose instead to become a student at a Christian college and was therefore disinherited. In spite of ill-health he has devoted his life to work in the slums and for the last nineteen years no offer of worldly advantage or honour has deflected him from his purpose. Like St. Francis, ho has captured the Christian faith in its crystal purity and his inner joy is so contagious that it up-

lifts all with whom he comes in contact. in spite of his constant work and partial blindness, due to his work in the slums, his books have taken the public by storm—poems, novels, children’s stories, economics, philosophical essays, Bible studies, indeed a rich variety. The Government that put him in prison later invited him to sit upon the Imperial Economic Commission, and his advice is now in constant demand.

it is said that he fascinates people with his extremes —a Christian faith, so simple as to be almost childlike, flowers into a social philosophy staggering in its embrace. He does not believe in violence and he has therefore set his face against Marxian theories, though his own life lives out the economic principles of communism. He says; “I like the word communism and 1 am sorry the Marxians have monopolised it. We must consider the sharing of material things as only one side of Christian living. if we practice Christ’s Sermon on the Mount we shall have real communism—of a humanitarian type—giving communism, not robbing communism. I have no sympathy with it if it means violence.” The Student Christian Press have published Kagawa’s book “Love, the Law of Life,” which should be read by all social reformers.

As soon as it was known that this outstanding Japanese leader would come to the province on one of the five nights allocated to country centres, a committee was set up to make arrangements. Canon Hodge presided at the meeting yesterday afternoon in Napier, when there were also present Deaconess Saunders, Mrs Browning, the Revs. It. B. Gosnell, C. B. Boggis, J. A. Dagleis'n, Major Goffin, Messrs J. H. Oldham and H. R. French.

After reports on the seating capacity of halls available were received, it was decided to use the Drill Hall, Napier. Full particulars will be advertised later. Tickets will be issued for several hundreds of seal? for the people of Hastings, Havelock North, and the district to the south, to ensure accommodation for those coming from a distance. The date of the visit is the 29th inst. No charge will be made for this reservation nor for admittance.