To the Editor of The Japan Advertiser
Sir,—I
beg to call your attention to a gross misstatement of facts which appeared in
your paper recently, in the headlines over an article written by Yone Noguchi.
The position in which this statement appeared, no less than the substance of it,
seemed designed to hurt Mr. Noguchi. I refer to the words, “His moral conduct
and treatment of his wife led to a separation.” Your correspondent has been
misinformed. I, as the former wife of Mr. Noguchi, who know the facts, assure
you that this statement is utterly untrue. Though I was not happy as Mr.
Noguchi’s wife, I did not consider myself to be ill-used. On the contrary, he
used such courtesy toward me as I should expect from one of my own countrymen.
Nor was the moral conduct of either of us the cause of our separation, though
this is usually assumed to be the most obvious cause of separation. We separated
upon a mutual understanding.
(It is possible that
a thoughtful reader of Mr. Noguchi’s article in The Advertiser might find in the
author’s own mental attitude and inability of appreciation of Western ideals a
clue to the hopelessness of a union between such a thinker and an American
woman.)
As I have some regard for justice I cannot
but feel indignant at your unjust attack, and most earnestly desire that you
will publicly retract the erroneous statements which appeared in your paper of
September 21.
I beg to add that Mr. Noguchi
contributes regularly toward our support. That I am making my living by teaching
is hardly a matter for commiseration, since teaching was my chosen profession
for many years before I met Mr. Noguchi.
Sincerely,
THE AMERICAN WIFE OF YONE NOGUCHI
Chigasaki, Sept. 29.