The Patriotism of Japanese Women.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7843, 21 May 1904, Page 5

The Patriotism of Japanese Women.

Amongst the dainty little musumes; of Nippon there is a. great-de-sire to proceed ;to the front as nurses and the ,War Office is called upon weekly to .deal with numerous applications. One girl, named Ineko Takahashi, has a really spirited and patriotic motive for offering her services. Her brother Mbusaku was found guilty of being a Russian spy, and so distressed and ashamed did Ineko become by her brother's action that she endeavoured to persuade 10 sisters belonging to the girls' school at Surugadal to proceed witli her to the war. ( In getting the band of 10 together she failed, but has succeeded in inducing two to accompany her, and with those she- willgo to the front, and do what she can to atone for her brother's misdeeds. Brave little sister ! This is but a hint at the .patriotism which possesses the women of Japan. Unlike our mothers who did not' care to see their sons trooping off to the South African war, they do what they can to make their brothers and sons go, and nothing pleases a woman more than the sight of her husband and boys setting out to do battle for their 'rliomelahd. With' such mothers a country cannot fail to produce warriors, arid whilst there are warriors the protection «f hearths and homes is always as- j sured. Tt seems to be an unwritten law that women whose husbands have died in battle shall not marry again, and many who . havo been widowed in this war have already indicated, by shearing off their hair, that they will not again enter the matrimonial bonds. Such a thing, no doubt, is good as an evidence of fealty to dead lovers, but if many lovers are killed it should not be a good thing for the future of the country.