The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1894-10-04
HAzED THE MIkADo's BROTHER.
An Experience of Prince Azuma While He
Was at Annapolis.

1t is not generally known that
Azuma, a brother Of the emperor of
Japan, was O cadet at the United
States Naval academy at Annapo-
lis, +" said an ex-naval officer. "Our
government has for many years &C
corded to foreign nations the priv
lege of sending, at their own ex-
pense, representative youths to this
school, and several Japanese have
been graduated from it, notable
among whom are Admiral Matz1nul-
la and Captain Katz, both of them
distinguished officers of the navy of
their country.
''While Prince Azuma was at An
napolis a funny incident happened,
and it aptly illustrates the readiness
with which foreign youth assimilate
American ideas, even when directly
antagonistic to the prejudices and
traditions of their own native land.
when Azuma reached the acad-
emy-this was % years ago-he was
then lad of about Is and was &C
companied by a valet, this being the
first and only instance in which a
naval cadet was allowed an attend
ant, and special permission had to be
obtained from Washington. Matz-
mulla had preceded him by two years
and Katz by one year, and both were
highly esteemed by the officers as
well as by their schoolmates.
"Hazing is a fine art at the Naval
academy, and third class men are
very attentive to newcomers after
evening taps But by common con-
sent the Japanese students were
looked on in the light Of guests and
were spared the ignominy of dan
Cling in baskets from the outside of
windows, roosting in trees, grinding
imaginary hand organs and other
disagreeable tasks from which no
American student was exempt
Hence Matzmulla and Katz knew of
these episodes only as they were told
them by their less fortunate fellow
classmen.
Besides the small size and deli
cate appearance of the modest and
bashful prince appealed to the SYM
pathetic side of the cadets, who in
deed had vague sort of impression
that the sacredness of the 1nikado's
persOn-it was more revered in those
days than extended to all his
family and that possibly our home
government would visit condign
punishment upon any one who dared
to invade the chamber of Azuma
without special invitation from that
prince.
"Katz was e. member of the class
which, according to the conditions
of the school, was privileged to
harass, perplex, tease and annoy the
class of which his illustrious prince
was a member. Having been at the
school an entire year, he had learned
much about the freedom of America
and the absence of CASTE. True, he
had escaped hazing, but he never
could appreciate the courtesy and
would have been better pleased had
he been served as the rest. He was a
jolly, rollicking fellow, who could
enjoy a joke as keenly as any men,
Der Of his class, and he joined in all
the pleasures of the school, those
that were forbidden as well as the
legitimate.
lone night soon after the arrival
of the prince his valet rushed fran
tically into the quarters Of the officer
of the day and with horror depicted
in every line of his homely face de-
clared that My Lord Katz was talk
ing the most unseemly liberties with
the person of his august master,
Prince Azuma.'
Fastening toward Azuma's
rooms, this is what the officer heard
as he drew near the door:
"'I'll have you ordered home, and
then your head will be chopped off.
"'Oh, thunderl irreverently came
from the lips of Katz. This isn't
Japan, and if you don't kick higher
and keep up that whistling I IL SINCE
your hair for you
1.-THE officer saw Azuma executing
high steps, with puckered lips, en-
couraged to this action by lighted
candle in the hand of lively Katz.
The latter bore without complaint
the punishment that is melted out to
detected 'hazers, but he indignant
~ protested to his fellow students
against what he termed the rank
injustice of caste distinction in a free
government.
"Azuma's health became very
poor, and he only remained at the
academy for a few months, but he
sojourned in this country long
enough to pick up sundry beset-
ments, which I am afraid still cling
to him. Unlike Matznulla and Katz,
he loves the pleasures of the court