The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-19

Oriental line. crowded with passengers
and flying the British coIors, was Just
starting on her voyage to San Fran
cisco. In honor of the arrival o. the
American Minister her spars were
decorated with the hangings Of our
own glorious banner, while from PROV
to stern f1uttered the little streamers,
tokens of welcome and emblematic of
the principles l was supposed to repre-
sent.
The Japanese Government, in antici-
patton of my arrival, had given orders
for the admission Of my goods and
chattels exempt from customs search
and duty. The next morning we pro-
ceeded to Tokyo, seventeen miles dis
tant, and the legation carriage, which
was in waiting, took us TO the legation.
The gates of the porter's lodge dew
open, the porter bowed, his wife and
baby bowed, the carriage rolled under
the porte cochere and servants innu-
merable and their families, with ORR
entail salutatiOn, installed US in our
new home. In front of US, at the top of
a fifty-foot staff, the flag of the States
waved in welcome of our coming. The
flag is not hoisted except on occasions,
and the arrival of a new Minister pre-
Sents such an occasion.
Hon. John F. Swift, whose life is so
much a part of the political history of
California, the former Minister, died at
his post of duty and Edwin Dew, be-
ing First Secretary of Legation, as
sumed the duties as Charge d'Affaires,
and with him I drove the next morn
ing to the Foreign Office in order to
arrange with Viscount Enomatto, then
Minister of Foreign Affairs, for my
presentation to His Majesty the EN-
perOr. 1 was received cordially, con-
Quoted to chair, and presently tea
and manila cigars were brought in.
drank the tea with all the outward
signs of relish. Recognizing the idea
that deceit is a part of diplomacy,
grew in favor with myself, for I abom-
mate tea most wholesomely. I was as
sured, as all Ministers had been, that
the time of my presentation would be
speedily arranged, for until that event
I could have no official standing in ia
pan. If I had permitted the lingering
taste of tea to faint my reflections they
would have been bitter indeed, but it
did not, for the cOurtly gentlemen 1
had just left, and whom I came to
know so we'll afterward, treasured me
as I looked into the future, fraught
with so great events for that Empire
events which seemed to come one after
another, foretelling to my mind the
grave circumstances of war, with it's
responsibilities, all of which I am not
permitted to tell. One morning not
long after this I received a communi-
cation, bearing the Imperial SEAL dated
the 18th day, the 9Th month, the 18th
year of Miyi, and signed by the Minis
ter of Foreign Affairs informing me of
the time I was to present my letter of
credence from the President of the
United States.
Information also arrived that the
same time was arranged for Mrs.
COMBS presentation to the Empress.
This is customary and required No
other lady can be presented. The wife
is member of the official family. In
case the Minister is single, the sister
or other member of the family cannot
occupy the same position. They have
no place in the court life of Japan. l
once presented to His Majesty the En-
peror our Rear Admiral in command Of
the Asiatic squadron, but his wife was
not permitted to enter the palace. This
last communication embodied the di-
rections that Mrs. Coombs should ap-
pear in Robe montante traine." I
give this simply to illustrate how pune
tilious the court life of which we were
about to become a part.
A good genius dwells at the court of
Japan, and I cannot refrain at this
tfple from rendering to her the tribute
ter character so justly deserves, and in
tesole way thank her for innumer-
able kindnesses. Baroness Sannomiya
was by birth an English lady, highly
educated and accomplished. and kind
I, - Lr.y-
She is the wife of Baron Sannomiya,
the Court Chamberlain. By her address
and good sense she has gained a re-
markable influence at court, and ap-
preciates the advantages, and in that
country, the requirements of court life
with it's thousand forms and technical
observances. She called to kindly offer
suggestions in the way of Celebrating
upon the instructions already given. A
person might be ever SO familiar with
society's rules and yet be a novice in
a place like this. Indeed it seems that
the conceit which grows out of such
experiences is that which leads to err
rors. A breach of etiquette at home
might offend the susceptibilities of a
class in Japan it would offend a ma
ton, and it is the unwritten law to
follow the observances of the court to
which you are accredited howbeit they
might appear frivolous at home.
We are not all alike, and must take
the world as it is given us. Perhaps
we might have offered some improve
ments, but the world is better than 1t
would have been had all our improve
ments been acted upon in the begin
ming. At any rate, it is not our prov
ince to reconstruct the code of laws
in vogue for centuries and largely ac-
countable for the forming of charac-
ter. There is one thing to be said, the
palace and drawing room have never
made them effeminate. On the con-
trary the Japanese character is at its
best when tried in the big wars that
make ambition virtue. If you will, my
reader, indulge me a minute 1 will re-
veal to your minds eye the formal pre-
sentation at court. You must go your
self in the capacity of Minister.
On the day appointed a carriage from
the imperial household will call at the
legation at o'clock in the morning.