The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-05
RETURNED FROM JAPAN
JOSEPH n. HEROD, SECRETARY OF
LEGATION, ON LEAVE.
He Talks Entertainingly of the PeO-
PIE OF TOIxio-Views OF the
War and Manila.

Yokohama on May IL, arriving at San Fran
cisco after a voyage attended by no par
ticular incident save the loss of trunk
containing a valuable set of sables belong
ing to Mrs. Herod and number of her best
winter gowns. Leaving Japan with seven
teen trunks, the Herods were naturally
much vexed on departing from San Fran
cisco to discover the loss of one of their
boxes They are hopeful. however, of re-
covering the missing piece OF luggage. Mr..
and Mrs Herod will spend two three
weeks in Indianapolis before going East for
the summer.
Mr.. Herod brings an abundance OF fresh,
gossipy information from the Orient, and
talks very interestingly of the way in which
the war situation is viewed in the East. do
you know Dewey" is about the first ques-
ton put to Mr.. Herod, query which the
secretary of the American legation can an
swer in the affirmative. He has met the
commander of the Asiatic squadron, but the
meeting took place before Dewey became
the daring hero of Manila. Late last fall
the Asiatic squadron touched at Yokohama,
and Commodore Dewey and staff proceeded
to Toxic to pay their respects to the United
States legation. AS a matter of courtesy
the attaches of the legation returned the
call and paid visit to the flagship of the
squadron. There was talk of war then, but
the relations of Spain and America had not
become the all-absorbing topic. During the
visit Of the flagship Mr.. Herod had a pleas
ant chat with the commodore and found
him a charming man.
DEWEY A LADIES' MAN.
Dewey is what might be termed
ladies' man." says Mr.. Herod, land is very
fond of society and receptions. His man
him he looked as if he had been groomed
by good tailor, but there is nothing fop-
pish about his appearance. He has a fine
face and swarthy complexion He re-
marked to me that he was the first man
from Vermont that ever had command of
squadron. He said he was prouder of that
fact than anything else. 1t is told of Dewey
that when he took command of the Asiatic
squadron Secretary Long asked him if he
expected to be made an admiral. Dewey re-
piled that it made no difference to him what
title he sailed under as long as he had COM
mand of the fleet During the visit of the
legation on board the flagship at Yokohama
the probabilities Of war with Spain was, of
course, discussed, and Dewey remarked then
that his ship, the Olympia, was the best of
her class, and in the event of war he and
Gridley, her captain, would give good ac-
count of themselves.
Although he had not visited the Philip
pines, Secretary Herod is familiar with the
manners and customs of the people of Ma
Mia, and says the city is not looked upon
with favor by the Japanese. The corrupt
methods of the custom house officials of
Manila, he says, are so we'll known to ia
pan that the Japanese Mail Steamship
Company, one of the largest corporations in
Manila. All sorts of traps are laid for the
unwary steamboat captain to defraud him.
In Manila nearly every day is some kind of
holiday which is kept sacred by the people.
Captains of steamships who attempt to
transact business on these days are often
fined heavily, and the Manila officials have
a habit of falling to warn foreign ships of
the approach of these holidays. Mr.. Herod
says the people of Japan are In hearty
sympathy with the United States in the
present trouble with Spain. ION May we
had a telegram at the legation announcing
the Manila battle. The message came from
tanned more details than the first message
received by the people of the United States;
There was great excitement in Toxic, and
the Japanese were quite as much delighted
as the Americans over Dewey's victory"
On the way TO San Francisco Mr.. and
islands, spending day or two at Honolulu.
There the secretary found the war excite
ment more intense, If possible, than in the
Hawaii are in sympathy with the Ameri-
cans, and they show it on every possible oc-
casion. At Honolulu the decorations were
profuse, and everybody wore a bit of an
American flag or a patriotic button. When
Mr.. Herod left Honolulu the people of the
capital were preparing to give the Ameri-
can transports en- route to the Philippines
q reception when they reach the Hawaiian
islands mass meeting Of the e o6 citizens Ead had had
raised to make the reception success.
The ladies of the city were taking an ac-
tive part in the preparations. Princess
ofn nV1fC ant a IN N n
lister at Honolulu rendering the use of the
palace and grounds for the reception.
In Mr. HerodS own language Japan is
a delightful place in which to live, and the
people there are most charming" The sec
rotary says the country now affords al
most every European luxury Toxic mas a
population of 100000. Every house has
flower garden. and it is said that Toxic has
more of the green ,; about 1t than n any large
the coolest weather recalled by Mr. Herod
being % degrees above zero In his opinion
the beauty of Japan lies not in the cities,
but in the country The palace at Toxic is
furnished throughout with European furni-
ture and all in all the structure is said to
be the handsomest of its kind in the world.
Mr. Herod says Toxic is distinctly mans
city. There is little there to attract the
ladies of the legations outside OF the rare
opportunities for shopping. The men have
their clubs and can amuse themselves In
various ways but the society OF Toxic Is
limited to official circles.
THE JAPANESE PEOPLE.
IF we could only nave an opera OF coll
cert once in a WHILE" remarked Mr.. Herod
yesterday with regretful sigh, 1--WE could
not wish for a more delightful place than
Toxic" The secretary says the secret Of
Japan's love for America lies in the fact
that the people of Japan have always real
lied that this country could have no pur-
pose of ACKNOWLEDGMENT in the East, and
besides wherever Japan has sought advice
of America it was invariably given without
any Interior purpose. Through the advice
of General Grant in 1872 Japan introduced
the American national banking system, to
which it chung for several years. AS APP
piled to Japan, however, national banks
have not in late years been so successful as
elsewhere, and now the country is taking up
q system after the style of the royal bank
of Belgium.
''All the modern generation of Japan is
educated in Western methods, says Mr..
Herod land the people understand just
what America is capable of doing. Ameri-
in the last year. One reason of this is be-
cause America has the faculty OF making
high grade machinery at a cheaper rate
than other countries. America sends loco
motives TO Japan that are constructed
after the English style at a cheaper price
than they can be made in England. The
police system of the large cities of Japan
is the finest in the world, although IL would
be impossible to operate Ii here. In Toxic
police office at least once year and every
time he has visitor in his house who is to
remain more than twenty-four hours the
presence of this guest must be reported TO