The Early History of Banking in Iowa (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1900 edition. Excerpt: ...chapter will, therefore, present but a few of the important phases of the geographical and cosmic phenomena which gave rise to and then modified the characteristics of the Japanese. 1 Bluntschli, The Theory oft/ze Slate, p. 225. ' Cf. Prof. Seligman, Eronomic Interpretation of History, in the Political Science Quarterly, February, March, and June, 1902. 14. In the first place, let us see what effects climate has produced. Climate in Japan is not so mild as is usually supposed by foreigners. On the contrary, it is severely cold in winter, except in a few places; in the northern part, in particular, we have heavy snowfalls from November to April. There is scarcely any place where the thermometer does not reach the freezing point in winter.2 In summer, on the other hand, it becomes very hot; in some places the heat is almost unendurable. Fortunately, however, we have two seasons between the cold and hot. and the hot and the cold, which are very beautiful, pleasant, and healthful. In short, the climate of Japan is one of constant but gradual change; the average is neither extremely cold nor extremely hot. Nor is it unhealthful. Now, history shows us that civilization does not advance nor continue in a region where the climate is injuriously cold or hot. In either extreme of temperature, man's energy and vigor do not, and in all probability cannot, exert themselves. The silence of the forests during the noon-tide glare in tropical regions, does, indeed, furnish evidence of the enervation of animal life; while the stunted shrubbery in the remote northern regions shows the depressive influence of extreme cold. It is a temperature that is moderate and changes regularly which most stimulates human energy, both mental and physical, and...