Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-18
AMERICAN "EMPERORS"
WHAT THE WORD STANDS FOR IN
OLD JAPAN.
A Process That Begins With the Buy
ing of Tall Hats and New
Carpets.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening star.
When a Japanese of the lower order de-
cides to become highly civilized the first
outward and visible sign Of the praise
worthy aim is the desire to possess for
eign hat. His choice for preference is tall
hat AS to it's vintage he Is not particular,
being still in blissful ignorance of the
changes of fashion from bell, top to stove
pipe. and so on. Neither does he mind much
If the honorable civilized head covering has
been worn more than once previously in the
land of It's manufacture, is very much sec
ond-hand in fact. 1t is sufficient for him to
begin with, If he is the proud owner of
foreign tall hat, as he then feels he has set
his face firmly toward higher plane of
moral and material civilization.
After the hat, his next ambition Is to dis
card his straw sandals for pair of con-
gressional side spring shoes; to be followed
garment by garment, as his means will per-
init, until he owns a complete foreign out
fit
That he really ever feels comfortable In
his civilized costume seems open to doubt
as was impressed upon the mind of an
American recently when travelling on rail-
road in the interior Of Japan.
At one of the way stations Japanese IN
uniform entered the compartment carrying
a small valise. When he had selected his
seat he opened the valise and drew forth a
kimono. Then he calmly proceeded to divest
himself of his coat. vest and-well, he
finally put on the kimono, certainly as if he
had not transgressed a rule of polite Japan
csc or any other society. After this he
carefully folded up his foreign clothes and
laid them on a vacant seat beside him.
Then. as If a troublesome matter had been
removed from his mind and he was now
quite comfortable, he smoked until toward
the end of the journey, when he exchanged
the kimono for the foreign uniform in the
same manner.
After foreign clothes, it Is the aim of the
civilized Japanese to build a foreign house
In his compound, or at least fix up a foreign
room in which to entertain visitors from
occidental lands. Then 1t is that the Ger
man-American dealer lends valuable assist
ance. 1t is by his advice that the beautiful
carpet of a staggeringly vivid pattern IS
selected. To this is cautiously added cur
tains, which. perhaps, happily refuse to
match. A set of stiff backed chairs and a
table for the center of the room. Orna-
ments. of course, come next and an ex-
ceedingly curious trophy OF wax fruit I'M
der a glass shade, or a rare piece of for
eign porcelain bearing the quaint inscrip-
ton around the neck. Plotted Yarmouth
BloaterS," may be obtained. Foreign books
too, for the table are recommended: and
thus a volume of Herbert Spencer may re-
pose beneath the handsomely bound and
illustrated catalogue of an American sew
ing machine.
But the foreign room Is not regarded as
completely furnished now without at least
one portrait Of American emperor
For preference a photographic representa-
ton of General Grant is chosen; price about
81; fine gold frame included. That Cen
eral Grant should be the favorite is not re-
markable. he made himself exceedingly
popular during his tour of the orient; but
why Grover Cleveland and General Harri-
son should come next is perhaps not so
easy to explain. unless there happens to be
large surplus stock of their photographic
portraits in the United States. But thus 1t
comes about that portraits of the American
Presidents aid in the civilization of old ia
pan.