Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 71, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 March 1910 — JAPAN TURNS TO BEEF. [ARTICLE]

JAPAN TURNS TO BEEF.

New Poller Adopted In Order to Increase Stature of Ita People. It is rather startling after all that has been said and written regarding the rice and fish diet of the Japanese to learn that their government has established large farms with a view to obtaining sufficient cattle for slaughter, so that each day some flesh food may be distributed to their soldiers, says the Salt Lake Tribune. It has been heralded far and wide that the many reasons for the wonderful victories of the Japanese armies during the late war with Russia lay in the great stamina and endurance of the little yellow warriors, who heretofore had lived exclusively on fish and rice. So this new policy of the mikado’s advisors will cause much surprise and also considerable regret among the advocates of vegetarianism. This new measure is part of a plan which, so it is hoped by the authorities, will result in increasing the height of the race. The superior stature of the white races has been the envy of the natives ever since the invasion of the former into the islands, and much consideration has been given to means to lengthening their own bodies. So now a flesh diet la to be tried. A number of observations give color to the hope that it may prove effective. Thus the tribe or clan of wrestlers, who are of considerable importance in Japan and who there live almost apart from the rest of the people and whose diet consists largely of

meat, present individuals of a glgantte statute. Under the ancient regime the eating of flesh was regarded with great horror by the whole population. The nobles alone tasted at times the flesh of the’ wild boar, as a fitting end to an exciting hunt. But within the last twenty-five years the consumption of meat has spread among the people, until now In the streets of the cities booths are to be found In plain view, where for a small sum generous portions of boiling beef or of horseflesh can be bought Tho Europeans and the Americans who have lived in Jar pan for thirty years or so, or those who revisit that land after a long absence, testify that even now this partial Introduction of a meat diet has modified the physical appearance of the laboring classes. The men are less pale and more muscular. It appears also that their stature has been considerably increased, at least among the coolies and military. On the contrary, among the artisans and other workers of sedentary habits, who continue-to live on rice and vegetables, we find, as heretofore, many individuals of exceeding small stature.