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level of culture and civilization. Some quite recent legislation of his has brought her up nearer to his own level of civic liberty, but she is B long way still from the pedestal his idealists claim for her, from the status he pretends, to the heathen, that she occupies. Like the Oriental, he permits her to do manual labour; and bis vaunted chivalry towards the sex still makes queer distinctions between his maiden-aunt and his housemaid. The people from whom he adopted, or should we say adapted, most of his creed-sanctioned ethics, still make of woman more of a chattel than do the Chinese, though these latter approach nearer than the Japanese do to the Crosland ideal of keeping woman in a hutch at the bottom of the garden. In Japan they have an ancient and wholly admirable code of ethics for their women, which cannot be improved upon by Christendom, not even if we include the well known Pauline maxims on the subject. If that code has failed to keep the women of Japan well and happy, it has been the fault of the men of Japan; and the would-be emancipators should confine their energies to reform- ing the men. Indeed, examination and reflection would probably show that this applies to most countries. For all women, it has been remarked, the most important syllable of emancipation is the second. A Japanese dy remarked not long ago that England is a country of bad wives, and Japan of bad husbands. This was a result of her reading and observation: she was one of the earliest results of emancipatory training. Lad Cook on the other hand has written very plainly her conviction that the men of Christendom are polygamists in heart and fact. The Law rather confirms this, as it affects divorce. A wife may be put away for un- faithfulness, but she cannot divorce her
husband for that alone. There are dozens of proofs that the white man vis-à-vis the yellow is in much the same relation as that of the Pot for the Kettle; but it is need- lessly harrowing to drag them all out. Only the meddlers threaten to compel it. It is impossible to live very long anong Chinese without discovering that their womenfolk do not need all the pity that the sentimentalists have to offer.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
any such barbarism, even by those who are so anxious to improve the status of their women, At the worst, they like their wives to stay at home and look after the house and the children. Not so very uncivilized that, one would think. If it is to be judged by his real attitude and conduct towards woman, the white man may at once_s'op bragging of his superior civilization. There is not really in this connection more than a toss-up of difference between East and West.
Call the next witness-Woma", Herself.
SOCIALISTS AND BEER.
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(Daily Press, November 22nd.) It appears from the Radical papers that the present Government is to Lave its hands forced in the coming year, in the matter of Old Age Tensions. They tell us that there is absolute unity in the ranks of Liberals, Labour members, and Socialists, non-
n-Union as well as Trades Union men, and that it is their intention to demand in the very next session-opening, as our London correspond- ent has telegraphed, on January 28th- free State pension as the civic right of every aged citizen. All over the untry meetings are being organized to "voice the national purpose," and it would seem that even the side of conservatism is showing signs of resignation to the inevitable. Lord Avebury in a letter to the Times is reported to have admitted that "enactment can no longer be avoided," although he still hopes to see the agitators content with something less than "a system of pensions, universal, non-contributory, and entirely apart from the Poor Law." If the thing has got to that far stage, it will seem very little use to argue about it, although the Lord knows what mischief may not be wrought by this radical measure. The influence of this experiment upon the national character is unlikely to be known to any but posterity, and we hope future genera- tions will not arise to call our modern demagogus something other than blessed. Of course it may have no permanent ill-effects at all, but only a temporary embarrassment of present financial, com mercial, and labour conditions. There is one point, however, which should be The unemancipated Chinawoman, like the constantly rubbed into the hare-brains of rest of her sex, has a tongue, and the these communistic aspirants, and that is usual ten arguments. Every reformer who that civic rights involve civic responsi- goes in for emancipating Oriental ladies bilities. If every aged citizen has to be should be obliged to marry one of his first maintained as of right by the State, it is productions: if this sounds vindictive, we obvious that every young citizen has the cannot help it. If Tophet has depths for duty of helping to maintain the Stats. schismatics, it ought to have deeper for well- Yet how many of these clamourers recognize meaning meddlers. The Oriental gentle- the corollary of what they call their civic man does not work bis Adam's-apple over right? How many of these mob meetings, Music-Hall maudlinisms about Mother, but which are unanimously to yell "ave" to the he nevertheless contrives to show, to pay, pension proposition, would not yell no as that woman a very great deal of deference promptly to a proposal of universal service, and respect. He does not go to the theatre to
or conscription? As the socialistic idea laugh at epigrams and inuuendoes having develops, the dupes of the demagogue will reference to conjugal infidelity. If such discover that no utopia is possible without ever figures in his stage-plays, be sure it bitters as well 88 sweets. The idea of has a grim accompaniment of bloody sword universal pensions leads irresistibly to or poison cup. What is this reverence and universal service. They may think only chivalry for and towards Woman on of the wages, and not of the work (a quite which the white man plumes himself? likely diagnosis of their mental condition) Why is it? What quality in woman but the two things are inseparable. The demands and calls it forth? In the Socialism which is to replace the present ultimate analysis, is it not chiefly her individualism cannot stop where they weakness; and should the really civilized choose; it must evolve, and like the mills man not comport himself similarly t all of the gods it will grind them till they weaker than himself, irrespective of sex? feel exceeding small. It will be a harder Surely a gentleman is one who is gentle, not taskmaster than any they have known. If inly to women, but to children, animals, they are now chastised with whip, under and all who are weaker, less robust thauit they will fel scorpion blows. Their very him-elt. They were uncivilized men who used to do their courting with a club, but the Chinese and Japanese are not accused of
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potations will be listed. They will be put "ou allowance" in the matter of beer. This is an argument which the political
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[November 25, 1907.
agents at Home should not lose sight of. As for the poor, dreaming fools, they claim pity rather than censure, for they know not what they do.
A MERE LAPSUS LINGUÆ.
(Daily Press, November 23rd.) As we have frequently expressed admira- tion at the reticence of Japanese statesmen and the moderate and careful utterances of publicists in that empire, we cannot affor! to ignore a recent alleged utterance by Count OKUMA, about which the foreign papers in Japan have been writing very strongly. Count OKUMA, who, by the way, holds no official position, aud who has attained the age of second indiscretion, was addressing the Kobe Chamber of Commerce. The translators seem to agree that he spoke to the following effect:
"The three Fundred millions of India who were oppressed by Europeans were looking for Europe. Indians were fomentin an agitation protection of Japan from the oppression of for the boycott of Europese goods and if the Japanese failed to avail themselves of the opportunity an to go to India at the present moment, they were disappointing the Indian people. If they refused to take what was sent by heaven, they would be punished accordingly. From ancient times India had been full of treasure.
with him 400 camel-loads of treasure from India. Alexander the Great brought bick So did the Mohammedans. Now the Indians were inviting the Japanese to come and trade with them and they were losing a grand opportunity if they hesitated to go. The Japanese could no tonger live without earning money by doing busi- entitled to demand the protection of the State ness abroad, so that Japanese business men were in the matter of trade within certain limits, sad they owed a corresponding debt to the State and must advance and discharge their duties to th- full, otherwise the finanes of Japan could not be maintained. The Japanese nation was now planed in a dilemma as to whether taxstion should be increased farther, or the national expenditure curtailed, as a means for filling up the deficit of about Yea 100,410 1,0 -0 which was threatened in the next budget. A rat driven to bay bites the oat, as a proverb had it; the time had arrived for the Japanese to pluck up their spirit and act."
Knowing what we do of the Japanese press, we are not altogether trustful of either its reporters or translators. Public speeches are frequently Daily-Mailed there, if not wilfully garbled, and few of the translators have the all-round intelligence ne essary to do strict justice to the matters they attempt to rauder from one tongue into another. Taking the whole contex', and refusing to dwell on the naughty passage quoted it seems evident that Count OKUMA was looking at the matter from a purely business point of view-no very heinous offence. If the Chinese were suddenly to organize a boycott of Japanese goods, we would not think it wrong to urge British merchants to seize the favourable opportunity to enlarge their turnover— that is, if we thought they needed such unnecessary advice. That is where Count OKUMA's almost senile folly peeps out. India just now is offering a more favourable market for Japanese salesmen, they surely did not have to wait to find that out trom Count OKUMA. Assuming, as we fairly may, however, that he did say all attributed to him, there is really no occasion to get excitable over it. It is not his first indis- cretion. An extra amount of indulgence has to be shown towards the very young and the very olit. Count OKUMA is 69 years old counting by birthdays, but far older counting by his condition. It is a long while since his services as a G›vernment official were dis- · pensed with, and his subsequent career as a cabinet minister and party leader was full
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