Erwin von Bälz wrote that he was refuted by ITO's opinion, "Japanese women may be 'treated like dolls' without being seen as human beings by Wetern people as they appears wearing wafuku (Japanese traditional clothes like kimono)" when he retorted about Europeanizing women's costume.
エルヴィン・フォン・ベルツが伊藤に婦人の服装の洋式化に対して反対意見を述べた際に、伊藤は「日本女性が和服で現れると、欧米人は彼女達を人間扱いせずに"御人形さん扱い"するではないか」と反論されたことを書き記している。