Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-16
Japanese Interviewers.
HOW THEY wAYLAY AND PUMP THE UNsUsPEcTING
EUROPEAN.

HOW THEY WAYLAY AND PUMP THE UNSUSPECTING
EUROPEAN.
From the Manchester (England) Examiner
The watchdogs of civilization sleep with one
that there's not foot where man may dweIl'
but the interviewer dwells there too. Four in
reviewers for the vernacular press called upon
me before l had been forty-eight hours on
Japanese soil, and when / succumbed after
vainly pleading privilege, it was to find that
the alert-minded japanese had simply taken
the American system of interviewing and re-
duced it to its simplest terms not to say ad
absurdum. With him interviewing is strict
business from the start like pulling a tooth or
boring hole, and he wastes no time like his
transpacifc archetype over pleasant introduce
tory remarks about the weather or your voyage
The operation is as follows: You receive
card bearing series of cabalistic marks. and
uncertain whether your visitor is a minister of
state or guide in want of a Dob you go down
stairs and discover a dapper little gentleman,
in appearance about nineteen, dressed in fault
less foreign fashion tennis shoes, flannel trou-
sers, white waistcoat blue coat, flowing neck
tie, spectacles. and pith helmet, and speaking
English with the accuracy and impressiveness
of a copybook. ''Good morning. Are you
Mr.. Blank?' GOOD morning. 1 am" Il
am the reporter of the SO-0nd-So newspaper of
Toxic. Will you permit me to interview you?"
with pleasure" The interviewer then takes
a seat. produces a notebook and pencil and be-
gins with the directness of a census-taker
How old are you and where were you born?''
And when l tell him that was born of poor
but respectable parents in the year one, let
us say, he gravely commits the unfamiliar
phrase to paper. How long will you stay?-
how long since you started?-where have YOU
been?-what is the circulation of your paper?-
how do you like Japan?--what do they think
of Japan in England?-what is it expected will
become of Corea?-wll there be war between
England and Eussia?-will Ireland get home
rule?"-these were all among the questions he
pressed upon me with the relentless persistence
of pile-driver.
At last, when had been compelled to draw
literally upon my ina gination for my facts and
the notebook of the enemy of travelling man.
kind was full supposed that the interview was
over. Nothing could be further from the in
reviewers idea. He settled himself in his
chair, resharpened his pencil, produced a new
notebook and said: If anything of interest
has ever befallen you upon your travels please
give me full information now" This was too
much, and when said to him as he was going
IF you do me the favor of sending me a copy
OF the So-dnd-SO containing this interview will
you be kind enough to put a mark upon it so
that may know which is the right way up
ward?" / thought a twinkle in his eye showed
it was dawning upon him at last that to cross
question a solitary and ill-informed individual
upon the policies of all nations and the details
of his own obscure life was really huge joke.
But had my doubts again afterward when
sure enough received an extraordinary look
ing newspaper with ''top" solemnly written on
one side of it.