The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-24

they were generally inapplicable, circum-
stances having changed and new problems
having arisen Hence our diplomats In
these distant countries had responsibilities
far greater than their successors of to-day:
They had TO use their own discretion ana
were given wide license. even in warlke
moves 1t was our custom to keep small
squadron OF WarShlpS in Japanese waters III
the middle of the last century and TO place
these at the disposal of our minister.
LEGATION BURNED.
One of our ministers to Japan was burned
out. apparently by plot This was Robert
II. Pruyn, who succeeded Mr.. Harris, in
1861 The status of the land of flowers and
pretty tea-house girls was then rather
chaotic. and no one seemed to know wheth-
er the Mikado or the Tycoon was the actual
ruler of Japan. During complications which
ensued we got into a naval brush with
one of the feudal lords of Japan and sank
two of his ships. The British. French and
Dutch took a hand with us and helped us
demolish the fortificatiOns and capture the
guns OF this powerful noble who opposed
our treaty stipulatiOns obtained from the
tycoon whom we had recognized.
In May. 1863. while things were pretty
warm at home. our legation at Toxic was
totally destroyed by fire, which broke out
in the kitchen at a m. Inc persona! loss
to Minister Pruyn was $1,000 in furniture
books and clothing, for there was no fire
insurance cOmDanies in japan i'm those days
A heavy rain fell while the fire ragged and
the archives of the legation were damaged
Japanese houses in those days were finder
boxes built of light wood and partitioned
with paper.
A plot was suspected by Minister Pruyn
During his absence. a few days previous
his secretary had discovered some priests
of the nearby temple in the act of making
measurements of the legation and noting
them upon plans spread out before them
II was then the Japanese custom TO keep
the plans of a house about TO be burned
for political purposes, that it might be re
produced. Mr. Pruyn's suspicious were in
creased by the fact that the British lega-
cumStanceS and that pressure was being
applied to have the foreign diplomats re-
move to Yokohama.
Secretary Seward took the ground that
the burning of the legation was committed
by incendiaries and for political purposes
that Japan could perhaps have foreseen
and prevented it," An indemnity of $4,000
fer this offense, and of twice as much for
atrocities upon three American citizens at
tackled about the same time, was demanded.
PLOT TO KILL OUR ENVOY.
After being burned out, Mr.. Pruyn, with
two assistants. slept for week upon hard
mats on the floor of single room in the
house of a priest, outside the line of guards
which protected foreign diplomats. These
quarters which had been assigned by the
Japanese officials were vacated after noti-
fication by the minister of foreign affairs
Pruyn and his suite. 1t claimed that
800 ''ronins'' or "two-sword men were after
our minister's head. He was escorted TO
the wharf by a full regiment of guards and
packed off to Yokohama. The legation
later moved to kanagawa, and there re-
manned while the Japanese government was
completing new quarters for II at Toxic.
The Mikado later offered to present us
with a valuable tract of land wherein to
build legation. His offer was made in De-
cember 1884. through Count Inouye min
ct foreign affairs. A. Blng-
ham, our minister. The Mikado sent word
that he desired the gift TO be token of
friendship, and that 1t should be in per-
petuity The tract comprised five acres,
and was worth $4,000. England, Germany,
Italy Russia and China had previously
cepted similar grants, and had erected
buildings upon them. President Arthur
recommended that Congress authorize &C
ceptance, which IL never did, and we con-
tinued to pay $3,400 in rental until 1896,
when Congress appropriated the sum stated
for the purchase of the site which we then
occupied JOHN ELFRETH WATKINS.
copyright, 1901