nal religion like Christianity is more effective
than Buddhism, but it does not follow that Christianity is better than
Buddhism. I find I get to like Mr. Uchimura more and more and his
views less and less. It is not his theoretical Christianity but his
courageous spirit which attracts. He is a courageous man and we have
very great need of morally courageous men. Although Christianity is
impossible without Christ, Buddhism is possible without Buddha. A
variety of religions is not harmful, and we have to take note of the
Christian temperament and the Buddhistic temperament. Orientals can
only be appealed to by an Oriental religion. Christianity is an
Oriental religion no doubt, but it has been Westernised. It must
always be borne in mind that Buddhistic literature is in a special
language and that it is difficult for most people to get a general
view of Buddhism."

In further talk the speaker said that in Japan the individual had not
been separated from the mass. But it was difficult to exaggerate the
swiftness of the national development. The newer Russian writers were
"certainly as well known in England, possibly better known." As to
Tolstoy alone, there were at least fifty books about him. But it had
to be admitted that, generally speaking, the Japanese development
though rapid had not gone deep. In painting there was dexterity and
technique but few men knew where they were going. Their work was
"surface beautiful." They had not passed the stage of Zorn.

We spoke of conscription and I said that it had not escaped my
attention that many young men showed an increasing desire to avoid
military service. From a single person I had heard of youths who had
escaped by looking ill--through a week's fasting--by impairing their
eyesight by wearing strong glasses for a few weeks, by contriving to
be examined in a fishing village where the standard of physique was
high, or by shamming Socialist.[224] Many Japanese bear
uncomplainingly the heavy burden of the military system. But the
others are to be reckoned with.

Said one of these to me: "We Japanese are not inherently a warlike
people and have no desire to be militarists; but we are suffering from
German influence not only in the army but through the middle-aged
legal, scientific and administrative classes who were largely educated
in Germany or influenced by German teaching. This German influence may
have been held in check to some extent, perhaps, by the artistic
world,