The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-26
CONSUL HARRIS in TOWN
HE Is THE AMERICAN REPRESENTA-
TIVE AT NAGAsAkI, JAPAN.
Mr.. Harris Lives ut Goshen, Ind, and
Is Here on "a Sixty Days Leave
conditions in the East.

After four years continuous service in
Nagasaki. Japan, Charles B. Harris, ap-
pointed consul to Nagasaki in October, 1897.
by the late President Mckinley, is home
on the usual sixty days leave Of absence
granted TO members Of the diplomatic and
consular service. Consul Harris lives in
Goshen, and is on his way to Washington
to report to the State Department.
In the words General Harrison once
used in speaking of indianapolis" said Mr..
Harris, Il come from no mean city.
Nagasaki. since the development of the
Philippine troubles and the Chinese war.
has assumed position of Importance with
regard to the United States exceeded by
few cities of the Orient. United States
transports and war vessels have used it
as stopping place on the way to their
stations in the Philippines, and since the
outbreak Of the troubles no less than 100000
American soldiers have frolicked on the
queer streets and spent hundreds of thou
sands of dollars for curios. Those very
soldiers have made me proud that L am
an American. Their splendid physique
their soldierly bearing, their intense pride
of country, and more than all. their uni
formly gentlemanly behavior have worked
wonders In making the name America re-
spected and even loved by the little won
Oh
flower Kingdom. British, French and
German cOnsuls as well as high japanese
officials, have come TO me and praised
highly our boys in blue. The japanese are
inclined to retire into their shells with the
dOmineering Germans, the reckless French
and the sometimes Brutal British. but with
the Americans they are true friends.
a PORT OF REFUGE.
when Hades broke loose in China. and
the Boxers were burning and Staying,
Nagasaki was one of the chief ports of
refuge for the thousands of foreigners who
fed from the bloody scenes. Missionaries,
rich merchants, many of them reduced to
sudden poverty, really objects of charity;
globe trotters touring the world and finding
a little more adventure than they expected,
and a Heterogeneous collection Of men of all
races fOcked there. The real nature of the
Japanese people came out at that time
They furnished homes, loaned money and
ameliOrated innumerable cases of destitu-
ton. l am enthusiastic on the subject or
the Japanese; they are a magnificent little
people, and are really what William y.
Curtis designated them, the Yankees of
the East
when 1 first went to the picturesque old
treaty port l had nothing to do for three
months, and American faces were none too
plentiful. Then Dewey smashed the Span
iards and the swinging stride and tall
figures of men from the States became
common sights. l met Senator Beveridge
never knew a man who has better devel-
oped the faculty for getting at the inside
of things than the senator. He made a
thorough study of Nagasaki, as he did of
the rest of the East, and has, believe,
comprehension of the conditions affecting
the United States existing in the Orient
possessed by few Americans.
''Nagasah is a great place for news
paper men, | made the acquaintance of
dozens of the correspondents sent out by
New York and Chicago papers, and also
London papers, and found them without
exception to be thoroughly good fellows
Nagasak was a convenient place for news
paper men to hang out on their way TO
and from China and the Philippines.
Consul Harris, in abiding to the outcome
of the Chinese trouble and the indemnity
question remarked that he believed 1t
would all end satisfactorily. The China
man never goes Oft half cooked, he said.
He thinks a great deal, and IL takes him
longer TO make up his mind than ii does
Western races The Boxer war has in
creased the friendship of the real Chinese
people for the United States. They realize
that the United States stands in the way
to block the pluclIing process, or the appii-
cation on an international scale OF to the
victor belongs the spOiis.
Consul Harris says his return to the
United States is purely for personal rea-
sons that he may recuperate after four
years hard work. He expects TO continue
in the consular service.