300 FUR FACTS 



"From the point of view of the fur trade, Japan's interest for the 

 visiting dealer is wholly that of a producer of furs — not a consumer. 

 The women of Japan do not wear furs, nor are there changing styles 

 in woman's outdoor dress. Every Japanese woman when she goes 

 on the street is dressed like every other Japanese woman. All shoes 

 worn on the street, for example, are wood. The field for luxury in 

 the display of individual taste in Japan is confined almost entirely 

 to the indoor life. 



Streets and Fords 



"Speaking of shoes naturally suggests sidewalks. There are few 

 in Japan. The automobile driver plunges into the midst of the 

 crowd of pedestrians. Why there are not more accidents is hard to 

 understand. The wonder is that a machine ever runs through the 

 streets of a great Japanese city without the sacrifice of a victim or 

 two. 



"When Fords become numerous in Japan the cities will have 

 to be remodeled. The streets and also the railroads of Japan 

 are narrow and were built before her great rise in industry. 

 The Japanese realize now that building a narrow-gauge railroad was 

 a big mistake. I understand they are planning now to change to a 

 standard gauge railroad. The change however, will cost many mil- 

 lions. 



"Japan presents a curious composite of old ideas with new ones. 

 The people belong partly to the Twentieth century and partly to ages 

 of the past in which the Far East was utterly cut off from the rest 

 of the world. For example; certain progressive statesmen and indus- 

 trial leaders recently started a Safety First movement and distributed 

 cards among the people in order to secure their co-operation. 

 Strangely enough, the first day after the distribution of these cards 

 was marked by a sad number of accidents. 'Why did you take that 

 risk?' was asked of a man who had jumped off a street car under full 

 headway. 'Why', responded the man, 'I did it because the Govern- 

 ment had issued me a card which promised safety no matter what 

 I did.' 



The "Japanese Peril" 



"We hear more or less in this country about 'Japanese peril.' 

 Speaking from my own observation, I wish to record the uniform 

 kindness and courtesy with which the traveling American is treated 

 and to say that if the 'Japanese peril' exists, it is simply the risk of 

 competition with a nation which sets an example to the whole world 

 by its industry and who.se government actually works with its people. 



