The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-13

hospitals are admittedly cit is written
by experts in blue books the best
equipped in the world, and probably
the most efficient One way and an
other, it is hardly surprising that Wis
count Tadasu Hayashi's writing table
is just at present showed up in COR
reSpondence.
It may be doubted whether he now
has much time to spend in the hand
some suite of drawing rooms on the
floor above which the yiscountess and
he have furnished with the art treas
ures of the East. They are relieved
from baroness by hangings of exquisite
japanese embroideries, and furnished
with cabinets of rare workmanship
and screens inlaid with mother-of-
pearl and tortoise SHE'LL In the recep-
ton room hang handsome portraits OF
the emperor and empress and of the
heir apparent. The Hayashi colec-
ton of cloisonne vases is, I believe,
unique, in this country at any rate.
But it is not only as a collector of
objects of Eastern art that the Jap
aneSe minister has deserved we'll of
his country He has the true artistic
instinct of his countrymen, and Mr..
Diosy who should know, confesses
that there is no art critic to whose
any subject than that of Viscount
Tadasu Hayashi. Nor is he only a
critic and collector; in his time he was
president of the Amateur Carving as
ISOLATION of his country, and has
good deal of statuary to his credit,
His services as president Of the Japan
society (not the Japanese society, as
1T is sometimes miScalled, which is
club for Japanese residents in London.
sol, e. as<o,l 1y,,i fSof1N
are well known, and it is somewhat
unprecedented that an accredited rep
resentative of foreign power should
hold Office in British association. In
any case, it is an institution that has
done much to prepare the way for the
entente which has, in due course,
ripened into a political alliance. Nor
is the president content to be figure
head only. He attends most of the
councils meetings, and often receives
the guests at the society's gatherings.
The Japanese minister's social activity
has alwas been a very remarkable
factor in his diplomatic career. In an
other respect, too, he has broken
record, or, at any rate, upset a prece-
dent. He is, I believe, the only envoy
TO the court of st. James who has been
Initiated during his tenure of Office
into the mysteries of Free Masonry.
Not long ago he was installed in the
presence of royalty as grand master
of the Empire lodge. The personal
popularity of the Japanese minister in
London society is undoubted. The re-
taxation he seems to enjoy most is an
intimate conversation with anyone who
mas knowledge of or definite informa-
ton on any scientific subject to I'M
part His excellency rarely fails to
contribute his fair share to the inter
change of ideas. He is an honorary
Del. of Oxford and LID. of Cam
bridge, and there are very few sub
jects Of human interest in which he is
not we'll informed. Mr.. Diosy once
told me that the Japanese minister
always struck him as one of the few
men endowed with, as 1T were, double
BRAIN In one is stored wealth of
Eastern lore which the rising genera
ton of Japan, educated in an entirely
European atmosphere, often lacked.
The other is wholly Western. equipped
with all that modern science and phil
osophy have to teach. Socially no
doubt, the viscountess has played her
part in contributing to her husbands
popularity. She is the beau ideal of
the Japanese lady of high degree in
whose person grace and dignity are
very happily blended.
Unless the Japanese convention
holds that everyone dates his birth
from the first of January, on Monday
next this country will have the oppor-
tunity of offering Viscount Tadasu
Hayashi (the name is not uncommon
in Japan, and peerage is held by
family of the same name so that the
distinctive prenomen is not vain for
mality) it's congratulations on his
birthday 1t is, indeed, matter for con-
!. graduation that we have SO distin-
guished a representative of an allied
nation accredited to the court of st.
James.
|. His excellency,,' said one who had
known him intimately for many years.
sis the finest type of the Japanese gen.