Page:Scented isles and coral gardens- Torres Straits, German New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies, by C.D. Mackellar, 1912.pdf/419

Rh When the Germans were first established at Kiaochou, and in the full flush of their pride in the achievement, they sent an order to Japan for three hundred Japanese girls for the use of the soldiers! The answer they got surprised them!

The Japanese were furious; told them the Japanese women were not commodities to bought and sold—a mere article of export—but were the honour and the glory of their land.

But about Japan I shall write no more. The books about it are legion. I would only urge others to go, look and learn for themselves ere all the charm is gone; for some of the modern “improvements” are very conspicuous and not at all artistic. The telegraph wires and poles, for instance, are more than evident, and disfigure many places, some of which seem all poles and wires.

Sufficient to say that I revelled in Japan, the little I saw of it. It was very cold at times, and Japanese inns inland were unbearably so at the time. The heat of a charcoal brazier was never sufficient for me, and I have always particularly disliked charcoal fumes. All the trivialities that amused me would be tedious to read—and more, Japan is not a country to read about; it is a country to see. Each one must see and judge for himself.

Europeans resident in Japan make many complaints about the Japanese—I dare say they have cause. But the passer-by is not so affected, and, if a mere pleasure-pilgrim like me, may as well give himself or herself up to the charm and ignore all else.

The hotel at Yokohama being rather full, a young Scotsman was placed at my table one night, who introduced himself, saying he had known me by name and sight for years, had seen me at German watering-places, in Scotland, in London, more lately in Ceylon, and Hong-Kong,