The evening times., 1896-03-03
DIPLOMATIC DINING.
Secretary Gresham'- Digestion Saved
ny the Rule of His Secretary.
CIlcnUO Journal

Secretary Gre-lIam'- Digestion Saved
| ny the Rule of His Secretary.
Chicago Journal.
The presentation by the japanese minis
ter of his cmperor's tokens OF esteem TO
Mrs. Gresham will probably he followed
by a ike action o IL the part OF Cbina's dip
Iomaticreprescntativc The hcsupposi'ionthat
the Chinese minister wiIlfollow the example
| OF Japan's representative is founded on
several incidents which happened during
the last year OF the late sccretary's life.
| One OF them is sufficient for illustration.
The japanese minister had given Il dinner
| in honor OF Secretary Gresham. As soon as
| IL became known to til. Chinese minister he
| concluded the interests OF bis country.
and therefore OF himself. would be well
| served by dining Secretary Gresham. The
| secretary had a good time 1T both places.
The japanese minister. desiring to outdo
his Chinese colleague ia the diplomatic corps,
invited Secretary Gresham a second time.
aud honored him with n more splendid feast
than the first. This was followed in Il short
time by another dinner To the Secretary
OF state at The Chinese legation. This din
ner not only surpassed the one 1T the former
legation. but the last one given by the
Chinese minister This was followed in turn
by another dinner at the japanese legation.
and the rivalry continued with greater
frequency and more spiendor, until the
digestive organs of the Secretary OF State
We're threatened with collapse.
1t is a fact that he inquired OF his pri-
vate secretary. X. VI. Lands. whether the
first dinner had been rendered by the
Japanese or the Chinese minister. The
in n1
was to treat each minister with the same
respect. so that il the japanese diplomat
had given him the first dinner, he would
see that the last one he accepted was from
the Chinamau. Mr. Lands had forgotten.
and he so told the Secretary.
.well. Lands said the Secretary. in n
fatherly way. hunt up the invitation. This
is grave matter with me. You know it
would never do TO play favorites, or even
seem to. as my accepting more from one
tiian the other-and right in the midst OF
a war, too-would be interpreted as doing.
hut this has got 10 stop some time. TINS
high feeding is killing me-
Lands spent The best part of the day
hunting for that invitation. But his hunt
was fruitleSS. There was apparently moth
ing but long list of highly-spiccd dinners
entente bet ween this country and the two
chief nations of the Orient was to be
kept out of jeopardy. Happily. however,
so the story goes. the iDgcnius Lands hit
upon n plan. He invited the japanese
minister's attaches to Il quiet little dinner
at Chamberlins. After the sixth course
ard the third bottle Lands observed that
the Chinese were great diplomats.
How so?'' 'quoth the Jap.
Well" replied lands, take them in
little things. Now, this series of dinners,
for instance. which you and John are Civ
ing the old man. You wouldn't have
thought OF it had not John given the first
one"
why. my dear feilow,' said the Jap,
..you are mistaken. 1t was the Japanese
minister who gave the first one
surely you are joking" said Landis.
"On the contrary" the Jap replied, II
was never more serious. l was speaking
of il today. You remember it was just |
after Secretary Gresham returned from
Chicago and his Indiana farm. The night |
after he came back he dined with u.s.
Permit me-" said Landis, Ito open an |
other bottle out of compliment for your !
memory. 1t Is truly marvellous. 1 re- |
il your menlory was as good as I have |
often heard the old man say it was"
Whether it was the wine or the compli-
nent matters not. The fact remains that |
the Jap smiled happily for hours. The
dinners ended with the next, and the sec
digestion WAS saved.