EAST AND WEST

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2159, 27 May 1914, Page 2

EAST AND WEST

iHI 1 vM lOL"\r\ VOMT

Onco again the stimulating contrast of the vory new with t-lie wry oid vrhich tho Far Kast. presents is thrust forcibly upon our miiuJs (sa.ys a Htmxi paper;, On Tlitirscla.v, April 9, the- Dowager Knspress of Jafian c}iccl in the Nuftiukn Pakea. Next tfay the iifctess body Ksde its State entry into ToJdo with 4ho sftmt pomp ami L'ircumstaiie-c flesorded to living maifistv. It is not feofilting for a member ot tho Imperial llenso to meet death eiit.sido the capital, alsdj wlmij tl-tfath visits one of them (joyond "it-s wails, custom iivimcmorial jowscriliets that the corpse shall \k. treated as a living persMi aiwtil it \\&s bista brought Within the ptwintts , where trsditiotl orclai.ns that Royalty may die.

'Vkets is sbaiething luagni&eont >n all ■otiquctto ivliich ean %no-re death itself jsnnwtlimg, too, quite inconceivable to ottf Western nimk-soo f thought. Tno whole Japanese people do hoiiiage to the-araß-s-ing CfHivontian. In tho I'.ifaco where tiio Empress bad died, her dc'ad k«lj- gavvj farow'oil' aiuEeiices. Oh its arrival at To'rfo, iwiuees ami. nobles, Ministers al*d olßcials, n't-taided to iewive it, a-s tfeougli it iived. It was driven through iho Streets at- a trot in the same carriage and with th© same oscert, Tho same troof s Hii-e-rl tlw- route, and the snme masses of peoplf\-;-watelW(:t f!a> pyoeessioH osj.its ws.f. piily their v.ijbi-oken silence, as fte S'tiito «oaci! passed in the- moonttghi, with its dfivsyn minds, showed, that the}- kncvv'rfio grim eofpso must- be carried- to its vrtonts. and put iiita posscssioa of them. Tit™, aW.I Jiflt till then, waa it pormis-j-ibltt ta prociaiin w'tat barclon it hare. Then «i(ii-e'the m-ost .dreadhil part of the strange corenionisl. At the flflor o-E the tfiiperinl Palace the living Empress had to weleffftte as ynt alive tho poor remains oi' her ddnd reiative. T-Im faaietion whs net yot done. r fii?n a-H tlio world knew a«(l had i<) ae!;!ie«-i?{lgft that the Dowi!ge-f Eiapress was no nrove. Within tiie pal-nce it was -eticjuottfc for lw to luiv'6 eli-ad. ■

J'n every ctafai-l of the story" (writes "Tho Times") the most inodsin of the material di-soeveries of tha West, conio sharply , into eonfcict with ttasc customs of fl/eh-ilisii-tron geiafc tack for sis-anil" twertty centuries." Wie etmvjMitiots that members cf the Imperial House lmisfc net Aia ifAoe.pt Within tiro rtpp&iiitbd aw it is daistiitess CQHneetO't sVJtJi tho cardinal doctrine of fDligfe.fi iuul 01 Japrtneso patriotism, that tfte Empefqi , Kf tiro <tescCTtfejit of tto gods who sit tijton "ibe tiifiinw of a Uwtl Siiceussuvi wnbrokon for ages nJid tliat Iβ. his virtues ii-u-d' t» t.'Jjo v-lftups of ; Ws a,ncestors tlte prosper ifcy arid tbo fihry of the Emprro oi* (!tK'-. That is tiro faitJi upon ivlurJi the of JajdJi and her peojite is luiilti 'flu?' Enmeiw ralips by tlmftt? flglit in a sense very different fliiij fa.|- iiiovo personal tliaa over was <'laijKO(t i;y tho jWoiiMfij.t of Christian khisrs. TUft rlpilit is still irSfliv and. fijlty; ftekiravvlcidg.od: \v the immense lmajeritv of iiis stilijoets. 'The unanimity with which all classes hiive aiiMed m sripviorting iiftp- straage lipt'bn tlwttto tVwil j*t Hvtxl fiHticßtcs how general tlio flolaiow■leilgmcivfe still fe, aiii how tlnjversal is the oWiewe or ■Japan fe teceive tj-ndi-tieu. B'.it the qKs.stibii iiwvjtnblv presomts'itself fimv.Joßg thnso bellf-fs and fee-Uuge cfta TftsisC immodiiied.fch&-i)iip.ic-j> t of WcsterM loamiB!? »»d Of 'Wcatcrii..

linblts of thought-.