the
collection of materials about other countries, their peoples, products,
characteristics and importance from sources other than text books.

_Every rural school as well as every high school and public library in
the land should have one or more copies of this book._

W. F. BARR

_Dean College of Education
Drake University_

AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The contents of this book have appeared, in substance, in Successful
Farming, a magazine that has a circulation of more than eight hundred
and fifty thousand copies per issue, and the book is published largely
at the request of many of the readers of this journal.

The author began traveling in foreign countries many years ago. Some of
the countries described in the book have been visited many times and
often with unusual opportunity to see places and people as they really
are.

When the writer began traveling it was with no thought of ever writing
for a magazine or publishing a book. It is only natural, however, that
one would read what others say about the countries he expected to visit.
Travel books and articles were often read in public libraries and the
habit was formed of making extensive notes, sometimes entire sentences
being copied in notebook without the use of quotation marks or any
reference whatever to the author. It is therefore impossible to give
credit where credit is often due.

No literary merit is claimed for the book. The information was gained in
every possible way and the book is sent forth hoping that it will be
suggestive and helpful, especially to those who find it impossible to
visit foreign lands. If the eye of an author of a book or magazine
article should read the following pages and fall upon a thought or
sentence that is familiar it will be evidence that your book or article
was very helpful to the one who writes these lines. This book is simply
an effort to pass some of the worth while things on to others.

"Jas. T. Nichols" [handwritten signature.]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I The Land of Opposites--China 5

II The Pearl of the Orient--Philippines 12

III The Country America Opened to Civilization--Japan 20

IV The Transformation of a Nation--Korea 28

V A Great Unknown Land--Manchuria 35

VI The Land of Sorrow--Siberia