Japan's Equatorial Emplre—By Willard Price. Photographs" by "the Avthor. Hokuseldo" Press, "Kanda, This is a fascinating record of a Journey through the South "Sea Islands which were formerly German colonial possessions and since the Great War have been under Japanest mandate, It is an eye-opener in many Fespects. The discussion of the customs of the different islanders, the vivid description of life among them, Should interest the sociologist and a thropologist, no matier how amateur. The chapters dealing with the strategie Importance of the islands asa Great" Wall. between the "American continent "and Asia" should Interest. the student of world affairs. Most in-fuguing is the discussion of. the "mandate." Hew the Japanese 'a trying to stem the decline of the Polynesians and the remarkable sue~ cess they have so far had is contrast-'e6 with the inevitable swallowing up of the race in the tide of Japanese immigration—an energetic, "forceful people equipped with the latest Things in science, competing with a happy-go-lucky, indolent and primitive group, who see no reason for working any harder than they have fo, and are so hedged about by taboos that certain kinds of work invite punishment from the evil spirits that "figure so largely Ju their a Constructive Policy The author also answers several questions that the Japanese policy of Seclusion in these islands has caused the world to ask, Are the Japanese fortifying the islands in defiance of the terms of the mandate? He replies that they are not. He saw no signs of fortification, and residents the islands of Afty years standing "persons whom the Japanese come to. and ask for information about the Islands '20. great is their knowledge "told him' that they had heard nothing of fortifications. There were improvements being made in certain harbours, but these, in the light of the author's information, are easily understood. Dangerous, " reef-strewn bays, perhaps suitable for the canoes used by the island fishermen but quite inadequate for the shipping Services being encouraged and. subsidized by Japan, were being cleared for merchant vessels, and, in the author's opinion, badly needed it. That, once cleared, they might also be suitable shelters for war vessels fu a possible future conflict, did not detract from their usefulness'in bulld-ing up and increasing the commerce between. the islands and Japan.
Another "question that has "also been asked "is. effectively answered, are the Japanese endeavouring to Japanize the islands? The answer Uhat the peoples of different islands" have no common language. There are fow means of mutual communication except the poisoned arrow. The Japanese are thus obliged to conduct most of their education in. Japanese, which is becoming the common means of communication be-{ween one island and another, Increased. facilities for native travel between one island and another have proved the necessity for this common means of communication; and. that Its) also having the effect of Jopanizing the native is more an in-rect result' than deliberately $n-tended, Island Customs Perhaps the most interesting part of the book deals with life on the Island of Yap, where the native currency is large circular stones, some 'Of which need. several' persons 10 carry, and where everything fom Social customs to the habits of gov-fernment is dictated by superstition Jand taboo. The morality of the people is interesting, especially so far os sex concerned. A gir] is segregated in special houses set aside for the pur-Pose when she reaches the age of puberty, but thereafter she is allowed What would be described in other paris of the world as almost unlimitlicence, Children born out of wed Jock are not a shame to a woman, but. rather the reverse, since they prove that she is capable of bearing during the past two decades, the hildren—a quality that is highly
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.