Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-23
OUR TOKYO LEGATION
Youngest Minister in Our
Foreign Service There.
HIS ACTIVE CAREER
HOW AND. WHERE HE LIVES IN
THE JAP CAPITAL.
Uncle Sam Owns the Legation Build
ings-Their History-They're
Not Very Imposing.

Written for The Evening Star.
Lloyd Carpenter Griscom, our envoy ex-
traordinary and minister plenipotentiary to
the court of the mikado, has won brilliant
success for a man of his age, and in spite
Of such impedimenta as millionaire father
and ready entree to the ranks of the UNI
employed rich. He is the son Of Clement
A. Griscom of Philadelphia, who has just
resigned the presidency of the International
Mercantile Marine Company His mother
was Philadelphia Biddle, and from his
paternal ancestors he gets some of the
best Quaker blood of Pennsylvania and
New Jersey. One of his forefathers fought
in our early colonial wars; another in the
revolution.
With such lineage to boast of and gen.
erous allowance from his wealthy father,
young Gr1scom might easily have gone into
luxurious retirement after leaving college.
He need have sought no greater anxieties
than entailed by the brew of his next cock
tail or the preparation of his wardrobe for
the next season at Newport. But after being
graduated from the University of Penn
sylvania in 81 he determined to make
man of himself, poured over law books for
three years and then supplemented his
financial equipment for a diplomatic career
with that more substantial qualifica ton, to
he gained only through hard study and hard
work. Two years of his law course had
been spent when, in SO. Ambassador
Bayard called him to London to act as his
secretary. But he returned to America the
next year, and studied for an extra term
at the New York Law School. Immediately
after graduation he was admitted to the
bar of the metropolis, becoming deputy dis
trict attorney a year later.
When he went to war with Spain Mr..
Griscom was neither too rich nor too busy
to volunteer. He served four months in
Cuba as aid-de-camp to Gen. Wade who
recommended him for promotion; but, all
fighting being over, he accepted an offer
from President Mckinley to re-enter the
diplomatic service as secretary of legation
at Constanttnople, where he served as
charge d affaires from 80 to 'O1. The firm
ness with which he pressed our claims for
indemnity during those years Is we'll re-
he was appointed minister to Persia. He
remained at the court of the shah for a
year and half, and upon his retirement
received the Grand Gordon of the Lion
December he was transferred to the Iega-
ton at Tokyo, where he has since re-
manned. This transfer was a promotion.
carrying salary increase of $500 a year
Our Youngest Minister.
Mr.. Griscom Is Jerseyman by birth
He Is only thirty-one years old, being
the youngest man holding the commits
sion of minister from this country. His
hours Of leisure have been spent in writ
Ing and travel rather than at the New
port casino or In attendance at the pink
tea functions of the smart set" While
travelling in Honduras, Nicaragua, PAN
anna and Venezuela he has published
newspaper articles descriptive of those
countries. In Venezuela he was decorated
with the Order of Bolivar
He was married a few years ago to
Miss Elisabeth Duer Bronson, daughter
or Frederick Bronson of New York His
wire has accompanied him on his for
lc CO. r1,0& -
Incidence that during the war in the far
east the wives of both our envoy to Japan
and Japan's minister to this country have
been in their own native lands But Mrs
Gfiscoms departure from Tokyo just be-
fore hostilities was the result of sum-
mons to the bedside of her sick mother.
whom she has been nursing at her for
mer home in New York. Mrs Griscom
has been popular at all of the oriental
courts to which her husband has been
accredited. The Sultan of Turkey deco
rated her with the grand Gordon of the
Order of Chefekat'' During her stay at
Tokyo she has entertained at the lega-
ton a number of her girlhood friends,
among them the daughters of the late
Senator Brfce of Ohio
MI. Grlscom receives $4,000 a year the
nlghest salary paid to our ministers. In
ract, only five of his rank receive this sum,
winch Is equal to the pay of our ambassa-
ton staff of two secretaries military at
tache, naval attache and a junior inter-
prefer.
He is the best paid of our ministers
abroad when it is taken into consideration
that he has no house rent to expend. We
own our legation at Tokyo, as we do all
of our diplomatic posts in the far east,
China excepted. But even in Picking we
have purchased compound in which we
are building modern legation. When this
is finished Minister Conger will fare as
well financially as does Minister Griscom.
We own our legations in Siam and Korea,
but our ministers to those countries receive
but 81, 500 per annum. being provided with
government quarters, shabby In the former
capital and cramped in the latter,
Minister'S House.
Our Tokyo legation was purchased by the
United States in 1895. $4,000 being paid for
1t Congress authorized the purchase sub
ject to ground rent of not exceeding 500