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the progressive improvement of languages. Without this aid languages deteriorate and pass into decay.
If we understand the place held by the Japanese language, and estimate rightly the value of its special principles of development, it appears undoubtedly possible to improve it by the adoption of suitable educational methods with the aid of English-speaking teachers and of the Government department of public instruction; the Mombusho.
When fifteen hundred years ago the Chinese language was brought over to Japan and taught in schools, no effort was made to introduce changes into the native grammar. The Chinese and Japanese Buddhists taught Buddhism. The object of attention and admiration to the Japanese youths of the time was the literature of China, no attempt was made to translate the Buddhist books or those of Confucius into Japanese tongue. It was the task of the educator to teach both in the Chinese language. The consequence was that Chinese words and phrases were imported into the Japanese language wholesale. The Japanese medium of thought remained in all its grammatical categories unchanged. Nothing but the use of numeratives between numbers and nouns, such as the word “ban” in “ictic ban nie,” the first article, and perhaps some few other unimportant additions, was gained to the grammar. The old stiffness of the laws of position was still retained. This is much to be regretted: a fine opportunity was lost of altering the grammar for the better.
Now that the Mombusho has undertaken to establish instruction in English throughout Japan, another such opportunity for modifying the inconvenient principles of the native grammar is afforded: a vigorous effort now made to correct vicious principles of grammar, and introduce the germs of solid improvement on a sound philological basis would open a new path of progress to the language.
There is no good reason for the verb always coming last, or for the case marks being always suffixes. Why not attempt to restrain and modify these capricious limitations? I would propose the introduction of the English prepositions, from, to, by, with, and would recommend
