entary school boys were reported as 53
per cent. robust, 48 per cent. medium and 4 per cent. weak. The
constitutions of 1,016,000 elementary school girls were reported 49
per cent. robust, 48 per cent. medium and 3 per cent. weak. Just as
women are often underfed in Japan, girls may frequently be less well
fed than boys. Elementary school boys of 16 averaged 4.84 _shaku_ in
height and 10.85 _kwan_ in weight. The average height and weight of
512 elementary school girls of the same age were 4.71 _shaku_ and
10.83 _kwan_.

HEIGHT AND WEIGHT OF WRESTLERS [LXII]. In a list of ten famous
wrestlers the tallest is stated to be 6.30 _shaku_ (a _shaku_ is 11.93
inches) and the heaviest as 33.2 _kwan_ (a _kwan_ is 8.267 lbs.). The
average height and weight of these men work out at 5.84 _shaku_ and
28.4 _kwan_. By way of comparison it may be mentioned that the
percentage of conscripts in 1918 over 5.5 _shaku_ was 2.58 per cent.
The average weight of Japanese is recorded as 13 _kwan_ 830 _momme_.

EXEMPTION FROM AND AVOIDANCE OF CONSCRIPTION [LXIII]. The age is 20
and the service two years (with four years in reserve and ten years
depot service). The only son of a parent over 60 unable to support
himself or herself is released. Middle school boys' service is
postponed till they are 25. Students at higher schools and
universities need not serve till 26 or 27. The service of young men
abroad (i.e. elsewhere than China) is similarly postponed. (If still
abroad at 37, they are entered in territorial army list and exempted.)
Young men of education equal to that of middle-school graduates can
volunteer for a year and pay 100 yen barracks expenses and be passed
out with the rank of non-commissioned officers and be liable
thereafter for only two terms of three months in territorial army.
There are about half a million youths liable to conscription annually.
To this number is to be added about 100,000 postponed cases. (In 1917,
47,324 students, 32,263 abroad, 15,920 whereabouts unknown, 5,069 ill,
3,147 criminal causes, 2,477 absentees, family reasons or crime.)
Evasions in 1917: convicted, 234; suspected, 1,582. There are two
conscription insurance companies with policies issued for 69 million
yen. In one place charms against being conscripted are sold--at a
shrine. Desertions in 1916 (7 per cent, officers) 956, of which 258
received more than "light punishment." The conscripts suffering from
trachoma were 15.3 per cent. and from vene