THE JAPANESE PEOPLE

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 4566, 8 November 1937, Page 7

THE JAPANESE PEOPLE

MILITARISTS' AGGRESSIVENESS. STRIKING CONTRASTS. The seemingly paradoxical view that the Japanese people are likely to provide world-leaders in the search for peace was expressed by Mr. J. A. Brailsford, organising tutor of the W.E.A., in an address to the Winton branch of the Labour Party (states the Southland Times). He spoke from intimate knowledge, having lived among the Japanese for some years, besides seeing that at war in China in 1914. While the militarist leaders of Japan went to extremes, the people in their personal life were among the most courteous and gentle in the world, and those who stood for the spirit of goodwill were as thorough in living up to their principles as were the militarists.

The speaker recalled that in 1914 Britain had encouraged and aided the Japanese in the invasion of Shantung (China) as a part of the war against Germany, who held concessions there. Again in 1931 a large and influential section of the British Press had supported Japan’s seizure of Manchuria. He had disliked this encouragement of aggression and believed that if, instead, full support had been given to the peace party in Japan, the course of history would have been different and happier. Without wishing to excuse in any way aggression, he pointed out that the character of a people was not necessarily represented by its Government’s policies, much less by the aggressiveness of its militarists. In the case of Japan the army had plunged the nation into two aggressive wars, in 1931 and 1937, without waiting for the Government’s consent. Once engaged in conflict, the Japanese people—like others—were carried away by war fever and believed what was told them —that they were fighting for peace and righteousness. Even so, there had been in 1931 leaders bold enough to protest and to express sympathy with the Chinese. In peace time Japanese conduct in general was marked by courtesy to one another and to strangers, gentleness to children and strong idealism. The contrasts were most striking. Foreign residents were spied upon constantly by the police, yet were the recipients of innumerable kindnesses for which payment was refused. * While labour agitation was severely repressed, employers had such a sense of responsibility for their workers' welfare that it was usual to pay bonuses and discharge allowances. Companies which, after losing more than £1,000,000 in the slump, were at last obliged to dismiss some of their employees, had paid to these by way of compensation sums totalling hundreds of thousands of pounds. As for the children, while they were disciplined to a very frugal life and had a difficult school curriculum, including the Chinese language and English also for those who went beyond the primary stage, they were gently nurtured and treated with respect. Corporal punishment was not permitted in schools, and the schools in general were excellent. Though men did not think it right to give their seats to women in tramcars, he had seen grown-ups stand so that children might sit. Always when he had entered a tram carrying a small child, a seat had been vacated for him.

Heroic Qualities.

The Japanese soldiers were famous for their heroic qualities; always men were ready for sure-death ventures, as when, in the attack on Shanghai in 1932, four carried a land-torpedo to smash through a wire-entanglement, well knowing they would he blown to pieces when the torpedo burst. A like heroism was shown by some who chose to be soldiers in the cause of human brotherhood and unity. For instance, Kagawa, the Christian evangelist who had visited New Zealand two years ago, had given up everything in order to help the slum people of Kobe.

The speaker had travelled with Kagawa on the first steamer that went from Kobe to Yokohama after the great earthquake of 1923. The famous preacher and author, who at that time was receiving about £ISOO a year in royalties on his books and giving it all to his philanthropic work, was travelling steerage and wearing a suit that cost 7s 6d.

A whole sect of people, the It-to En, had given up all possessions and went to work wherever they were most needed, refusing to accept any wages; they simply relied on the goodness of humanity to give them the means of living in return for their services.

Mr. Brailsford also spoke of the cleanliness of the Japanese, the spotless mat floors, the daily “honourable bath,” exceedingly hot; of their high achievement in art, their readiness to learn from other people and to adapt what they learned according to their own genius. With these qualities and

their cherishing of children, the Japanese, he believed, had a great future. It might well be that their militarists with their mad aggressive policies

would bring Japan to national suicide. This was likely enough in view of the power of Russia to the west and America to the east. As the Jews of old had destroyed themselves as a nation while giving mankind the personal inspiration for a new life, so it might be with the Japanese. Mankind would be carried forward by the union of understanding of the people of all nations, but there would be some outstanding leaders and among them, he believed, some Japanese.