HOWLER BY PRINTER

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 219, 12 April 1933, Page 2

HOWLER BY PRINTER

Delicate Problem Raised

A good instance of Japanese kindness of intention, but mistaken ingenuity, is revealed in a pamphlet recently written by a correspondent in Tokio on “The Present Situation of Education in Japan.” The author wrote: “In October, 19‘52, the whole of file medical faculty of Nihon University, Tokio, declared a strike to demand the reinstatement of Ur. Nukada, Dean of (lie Faculty, who had recently been asked to resign. On this occasion the 700 medical students each drew blood from the forefinger and in it signed an oath that they would not return to their studies until the authorities agreed to reinstate their Dean.” n

The author corrected the proofs six limes, which is Oie minimum number required in Japan if errors are I to be avoided in any English textile then marked them 0.K., certain that the text would appear without a single typographical howler.

. He, had failed, however, to take into account the Japanese printer. When I the pamphlet appeared, nicely bound, { and after many copies had been duly { distributed to Japanese educationalI ists and others sent to educational 1 reviews in England and America, the author’s attention was called to the tragic fact that the word “forefinger’ appeared as “foreigner” in the completed work. Seeing possibilities of diplomatic complications the author demanded an explanation from the printer, who replied that at the last moment he bud indeed noticed the word “forc- ! finger,” but. as it was unfamiliar to ! him, ho thought the author must have { meant “foreigner,” with which wed i the printer was perfectly familiar. He therefore changed the type accordingly. Since the explanation, the author lias heen busy assuring his Japanese colleagues and friends that the slip was not intentional. To the British and American editors already in possession of copies he has been obliged to write, stating that any antiforeign feeling there may be in I Japan has not reached the proportions that this printer’s howler would unwittingly imply.

[ There were swapping 'mean man” I stories aboard the Rotorua express the other day. Presently the man in the corner said; “I was travelling from Lyttelton to Wellington awhile ago. In the smoke room after ditf ner a well-dressed stranger asked me for a "fill.’’ I handed him my brand new pouch. Later, feeling inclined for a whiff myself. I ventured to remind this chap that he had not returned my pouch. He had the nerve to tell me he had given it back ‘Jong ago.’ A barefaced lie, of course. But I couldn’t prove it. The pouch was full of New Zealand toasted tooacco, [ I smoko nothing else. There’s no ! tobacco like Cut Plug No. 10. And ia 3 I couldn’t get any on the boat I [ had perforce to wait for my next 1 smoke till I got ashore. Doesn’t al- , ways pay to- he to obliging, does it?” The tobacco mentioned by this I passenger is one of the four famj ous toasted brands, the other three being Riverhead Gold, Cavendish, and Navy Cut No. 3. f