The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-30
RAR0W R05W

II was - useless a. the attempts to got
tho young man in to tho swim Of Boston
society. whore Kaneko himself was . favor
IF they want mo they viii come for me
or send for mo. Then win 60, was Ko-
mura's invariable reply.
So he kept on year after year at the
drudgery Of q translator In the Foreign
Affairs Department, but kept up his law
studies and his general reading diligently.
It Is not to be Inferred, though. that Komura
was either sulker or stick In those early.
disoouragin days. At bottom he was ever
Of . cordial. social temperament.
That Is why those who have the privilege
Of being among his rather small circle OF
intimates are 30 fond Of him. The knowl-
edge Of that fact, his strict sense Of justice,
tho democratic manners natural to his
tastes and REINFORCED by his long resi-
dence in America, his utter freedom from
affectation and pompousness, are at the
bottom Of the devoted attach ment which
all his subordinates have for him.
There Is Harvard Club In Toxic. Baron
Komura Is nov It's president. He sue
oeeded Baron Kaneko In that Office. Tho
club has two dinners every year and there
Is Just ono thing that prevents Baron
Komura from attending these dinners, and
that 10 physical imposAibility to get there.
They are quite in the American style Of
college reunions, these Toxic Harvard Club
dinners. No language but Englhh Is spoken
speeches In English. table talk In English,
With American college songs likewise In
English - . matter of course.
Baron Komurs u the life Of these occa-
sions, none entering moro heartily than he
into the merrimsnt or into the spirit Of
devotion to the old Now England alma
mater. Harvard made q deep impress
upon tho mind Of the man who now holds
90 Great a power in his slender but very
firm little Japanese hand. It has not q
little to do with his fondness for America
and for so many things American.
Baron Kopuras rise In tho world Of
craftsmanship was no gradual process,
unless the years OF hard study In obscurity
DO counted q part Of the process. All he
wanted was the opportunity to show what
was In him, and tho opportunity came.
When he was first Secretary OF Legation
to China the Minister was called away.
leaving Komura In charge, and he had hardly
eone before the complications that led to
tho war with China came on swiftly.
Through all these complications Konura
conducted the Japanese interests with the
skill Of . past master in diplomacy. 1t was
said Of him that from the time the troubles
began until he closed the legation and went
hack TO japan not single error WAS made,
not a single thing loft undone that ought
to have been done, not single thing done
that ought not to have been done.
Il was a record without . flaw. He
Who 40 short a time before had been moro
translator suddenly shot. into tho front
rank among Japan's statesmen. He had
not ront e. sock the men high IN Ahairs IN
japan. he had bided his time. and they
had come to seek him.
From China he was sent to Corea. from
Corea to Washington as MiniEter, from
Washington to st.. Petersburg. from st.
Petersburg to China during the Boxer
troubles, and then finally to the highest seat
In tina. Department OF Foreign Affairs
where ne had 10 long pIodded 81 rendering
unimportant foreign documents into
Japanese. - 80,
For years Baron ,Komura had made
a study Of the Chinese Eastern question.
with the rare patience Of his race and his
own indefatigable persistence OF research
he had explored every ramiAcation OF 1t
until he had an ell but prophstic vision OF
problems far ahead which wore bound
To come up and on the solution OF which
grave Issues hung. "A
At a dinner Of Japanese Harvard stu.
dents In Foston many years ago he predicted
some Of tho things that since have oene