The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-04-10
CROWN PRINCE OF
JAPAN IS COMING
Haru-No- Miya, 1t Is Said, Win
Pay a Visit to United
States.
HE is A PuL PRINCE
Something About the Character of tho
Royal Youth-How His Portrait
Was Formally Presented to
Mr.. BrowneIi.

Mr.. 6rownell.
London special: Again 1t is report
ed that Japan's crown prince, Haru-no-
Miya, is going to the United States and
coming thence to Europe.
Until he was 10 years old-which was
twelve years ago aru-no-Miya
hough he was the son of the empress.
Then some chatterer about the palace
at Aogama told him who his mother
Was-a peerless, M of the four super
numerary wives of the mikado. These
extra wives are all descended from
younger sons of mikados OF very an
Client days, however, SO that the crown
princes mother is of imperial blood.
She had her home within the Aoyama
palace grounds, a complete establish
ment IN Its own house and garden, as
had the three other countesses. BY
these the mikado has had some fifteen
children, but Haru-no-Miya Is almost
| tie ole survivor. The empress, whom
he SO long thought to be his mother,
has had no children.
w years ago the prince married
the Princess Setsu Kujo, 16 years of
age, eldest daughter of Prince Kujo Mi
chetaka, a bright young graduate of
the increases school in Toxic, founded
by the empress.
1t is significant of the march Of west
| ern IDEAS in Japan that she will be the
only wife of the next mikado, despite
the fact that the present ruler has four
beside the queen, and his father, Komei
,Tenno, had twelve extras, as has been
the custom with the lnikados for ages.
In response to my request for infor-
mation about the prince. c. L. Brown
eli. author of THE Heart of Japan"
and for a long time a resident Of that
country, said: 'Haru-no-Miya is an ex-
ceedingly popular prince. AS eldest son
of the Son of Heaven" he has a pres
kige in the eyes of the mtkado's subjects
that only gods command. He is the
frst heir to the mikado's throne that
the Japanese have ever een-and they
have seen much of him. With two of
his chamberlains and a military attend
ant, he has been about the capital on
ell occasions of public interest. Like
other youngsters of good birth he went
to h Mobiles school six days in the
week. Here he became the famniar
friend of the best of Japanese youth.
Giving His Photograph.
Il met him at the school one day
through h courtesy of one of the
chamberlains. and afterwards saw him
frequently. Six Of his chamberlains,
including his maternal uncle, formed a
conversation class which met at my
home in Kajimachi three times a week.
Mr.. Coolidge, a Harvard man, with
whom I was living, had great success
in teaching them the English language.
They enjoyed the conversation hugely,
and it came to be part Of their scheme
for entertaining the crown prince to tell
him what they had done the day be-
fore in the house of the two foreigners.
To our delight one day we made an
exchange of photographs. The cham
berlains We're profoundly solemn when
they handed to US the pictures. Kade-
yunakoji, who made the presentation,
was a little in front OF his friends. He
bowed low and laying the photographs
OF his august master on a silken mat
before us begged us, on behalf OF them
selves n of their imperial charge, to
condescend to accept these unworthy
tokens of regard We 'condescended'
as fast as ever we could. The viscount
gave US. Furthermore, a word of eau
ton o the pictures. 1t would not
do in Japan to refer to a gift as being
other than contemptible-yet the pho
tographs were of the son of the Son Of
Heaven There was a divinity that
must be respected, but said the ingeni-
u Kade. OF course If we give pres
ents they must be very unworthy tc
YOU, and we are ashamed for SO small
a thing, but in our own country Haru-
no-Miya is like a god. People cannot
believe he Is the same as an ordinary
man. SO. though it is only an I'M
worthy photograph, please do not let it
be common We followed Instructions
and kept it apart in honorable seclu-
sion, nor did We show it generally when
we brought out our other photographs
for the entertainment of guests.
1T is his keen desire to acquire
knowledge, more particularly the
knowledge that has given western
countries their civilization. Hence, the
mikado's ~counselors advised a foreign
tour SO soon as Haru-no-Miya should
have married and established himself.
With the announcement thai the heir
apparent had a son, plans for a tour OF
the west We're at one set on foot"