Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-30

| others and cannot compare With tho Elisa.
| bethan palace that shelters Sir LANG
| Cheng and his ChiHese suite. 1t Is oapacious
enough for refned entertainins. It Is q
| parlors high ceilings and a spacious dining
| room on the first Aoor.1 The furniture ana
decorations Of the,legahon are a mixture
Of American ana oriental japanese cur.
the parlors are covered with a warm crtm-
son American carpet. tTeakwood cabinets.
oriental stands and tables mingle with up
holstered chairs and sofas that probably
came from a Michigan factory. An I'm
mense tiger skin ornaments the floor OF the
front parlor. In the living rooms upstairs
the same conglomerate furniture is found.
There are Office desks Of American manu-
facture mixed with Japanese tables and
spindly. frail-looking oriental chairs.
Minister Takahira Is great reader and
has a choice selection of the books Of his
own country and also of China, being
equally familiar with the latter In these
busy times, however. he gets little oppor-
tunity to wander in the enchanting fields Of
oriental literature
whats the news this morning?" Is his
first inquiry as he reaches the breakfast
table.
At his plate he finds the Washington
and Baltimore morning papers. and an
Philadelphia and New York He is an
omniverous newspaper reader. He skins
through dozens every day. Every lex
ira" cried on the streets must be bought
glance the most important items and he
runs through the papers with the in
stinct and trained sight of a veteran ex-
change editor. He studies them with es-
pecially that on the eastern situation. He
believes in the newspaper as the popular
educator of the day and as diplomatist
he recognizes its value in disseminating
respondents are welcomed at his legation.
Oriental Customs.
Minister Takahira and his staff have
not abandoned all their oriental customs,
but retain with great reverence some of
the ceremonies so popular in their father
land. On the emperors birthday pic
lures of the Emperor and Empress of
Japan are placed in a conspicuous man.
ner in the parlor and the minister his
household and suite pass before them.
bowling low and according them the same
courtesy and reverence they would were
custom having been observed, a legation
dinner follows, in which Japanese dishes
predominant. and the emperor and en-
press are toasted and patriotic speeches
and sentiments are INDUCED
The Japanese minister Is a diplomat nv
profession, having entered the imperial
service in 1876. He was trained In the
| iiS0relgn ONCE at home and his career
illustrates the success of his teaching.
During the twenty-eight years he has
been In the diplomatic service he has held
posts Of high honor in China. Korea
asoiiand' Italy, Austria and the United
states He is graduate of the best
japanese colleges at Tokyo, and is man
OF intellectually and culture. He ia
learned In Chinese philosophy and Ian
suase, as wen as In that of his own
country. he speaks and writes fuently in
several European languages and ia an
able English scholar.
An Active Career
This Is not his first service in Washing
ton. as he was appointed attache to the
japanese legation in this country In 1879
ana became its secretary in 1881 brief
review OF his career illustrates the success
that ne has met with in the diplomatic
service. He became secretary of the for
elgr office in 1883; was made charge daft
lalIes IN Korea In 1888; acting consul gem
erai OF Shanghai in 1887; chief of the DO
htlcal bureau of the foreign office in 1880:
consul general at New York in 1891: minis
ter resident to Holland in 1892; envoy ex-
IIaordinary and minister plentpotentiary to
Italy In 1894: envoy extraordinary and
minister plenipotentiary to Austria In 1895:
vice minister for foreign affairs in 1899.
and appointed envoy extraordinary and
minister plinipotentiary to the United Statas
in 1900.
Minister Takahra. soon after his appear
ance in Washington as representative of
Japan, frankly stated the great object of
Japanese diplomacy, for the ACCOMPLISH
ment Of which he was to work industri-
ously. % is-.t- a. ss9G - '-S|-
We want the power that flows from a
great trade and q great prosperity at home
The efforts now making by Japan to in
crease the commerce between herself and
the United States and the rest Of the world
are. In themselves. guarantee of long
peace. The two countries are seeking the
same object, but each can obtain 1t best
and quickest through the peaceful COMPETE
ton of trade, which will bring about closer
relations of friendship and commercial in
terest between the two people.
Friendly Feeling.
Japan feels very near to the United
States. This feeling of friendliness began
with the visit of Commodore Perry to our
shores. which let in great flood of new
life from the west, and 1t has increased as
American ingenuity has shortened the dis
tance measured in hours of travel. between
the two countries.
ut has also been very greatly increased
and deepened am sure by the association
of the armies of the empire and Of the re-
public in the movement to safeguard the
highest interests of civilization In the east.
This association revealed In striking way
the fact that the United States is now an
eastern power. and that the interests OF
America are very closely related to those of
Japan. 1t was the beginning. 1 believe OF
new impulse In the development of far
greater trade in the Pacific and of warmer
feelings of friendship
"The Japanese minister has been abso-
lutely truthful and straightforward in all
this controversy" the unusual com
ment of high State Department official
few days before hostilites broke out be-
tween Russia and Japan.
In such delicate situation where the IA
yor of the United States was so sincerely
desired by both parties. this compliment Is
unusually significant and represents the
Japanese diplomat In an unusually favor
able light. All negotiations that have taken
place at the State Department In which
oriental questions were involved have hlth-
erto been characterized by ambiguity and
in some cases by downright duplicity. 1t
was refreshing to the department ofhclals
to do business with a diplomat and with
government whose representations were
found to be true and accurate.