Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-21
RECoLLECTIoNs OF TOGO.
English Schoolmate Remembers Him
as Quiet Chap.
From the London Times.

From the London Times
l have some memories OF the early seven
ties which have been much in my mind dur
ing the last year and u half. They linger
around the figure of Hehatchi Togo, and
they are now put on record In that they
have their own historic value.
/ go back IN memory to 1873 and 7 AZ, a
boy again. reading for the varsity with n
private tutor. 1t is dark January morn
ing. and I, but fresh come after the Christ
mastide, get a hearty New Years greeting
coupled with confidential Il want to tell
you something-we've got young Jap
here The world was smaller in those days
Japan had been almost as secluded as
LhaSa. To me "a young Jap" suggested
nothing so much some new domestic pet
from somewhere-probably Africa. So my
only response was: "A young what?" "A
young Japanese. my dear boy; come in and
see him." And in another instant heard:
Here he fs-let me introduce Mr.. Togo"
l see now before he a man, short in stat
ure and slight in build. who might have
five Che was, in fact 1920, who, with q
charming smile that remains an abiding
memory, was bowling profoundly. and who.
taking my offered hand bade me Good
morning '-nightfan though 1t were
He had been in England only a couple of
days. Good morning and Thank you"
were the limits of his English vocabulary
In less than another couple of days We were
we were constant companions and allies
We We're in the same house Chat Of an or
binary English family, shared the same
study, and generally led a common Ifs
The only other lad there of our own stand
Ing was Canadian. Our coach put
Togo specially into my care, vita the
charge:
I've got to teach him mathematics bu.
you might try to teach him English"
No doubt my efforts were clumsy enough
but Togo had capacity for taking pains
by which said quality genius is apt to tri-
umph over early obstacles In month bf
wrote to me during an absence of a day or
tWo) letter of which the first sentence
ran:
When we shall to meet next week shall
be conversation to understand with YOU
fairly good result that, methnks. for five
weeks effort. That he was a born lighting
man We none of us had the ghost Of sas-
piclon 1t is easy enough post eventum to
recall small points the significance Of which
was lost upon us then. Then We saw only
his perfect courtesy which charmed every
body Qhe parlormaid declared, Mr.. Togo
quite annoys himself with politeness'): his
punctuality-no one ever knew him TO be 4
moment late for the simplest engagement:
his kindly good nature-"temper he may
have had, but there was never a flicker to
pc seen; his instant readiness to adopt Eng
ilsh modes or life and his power of dong
exactly what did without giving US any
ground for thinking him to be a mere copy
ist
Inc InlnuteSt detail dlQ not escape him. i
could load my record with surprisin, IT,
stances of his ability in this regard. Full
OF fun, with a keen sense of humor he was
glutton for work-intent with logged
Intensity which is altogether lackiEe, in the
English character. Above all other quail
ties he had the gift of silence-not the
silence of taciturnity, but the silence OF
economical speech, which never wastes q
word. There was no need to ask do YOU
understand this or that" There was in It's
eye and his gesture the unspoke1 assurance
that he had the grip thereof and was reaoy
Tor more. On one subject only 1io he seem
to have his tongue loosened-on dear japan
he was willing to talk; his lone was his
hearts DEVOTION.
Is 1t possible that the courteous little gen
tieman whom we knew has grown to ne
the man with nerves of resilient steel who
has thrilled the world in the way that all
the world remembers? We failed to see it i
then. but we call to mind, after he has made
history, that there were never any difficult
ties" for him-that there was bone in his
jaw-tbat his teeth were large and square
and firm and that we never saw him change
his purpose in any matter. 1t is easy to
recognize the signs now, but we did cot
recognize them then. What western ever
does pierce the mind of an eastern? We
certainly had no suspicion Of the terrible
powers which lay hidden under that quiet
exterior. but / think-indeed, I am sure
that he knew us thoroughly and weighed
us In his balance.