The Washington herald., 1907-11-11
AT THE HOTELS.

/ Philip Mindh OF New York. president
/ Of the FTiars' Club OF the METROPOLIS.
who is in Washington with the great
/ japanese wrestler. T. Hitachiyama.
said last night that the history Of the
great sword given by Japan's most Ia
nous athlete 20 President Roosevelt has
not been told in America.
When Mr.. HitachIyama presented
that sword TO the President, I believe
the latter was in doubt for some time as
to whether or not Il would be proper
for him TO accept il. The sword. YOU
know. is a magnificent gift, standing
about four feet high, the hilt incrusted
with gold and precious stones. and the
seabbard made entirely of gold. The
blade Is more than 800 years old, and Is
as sharp as that OF a razor. Such a
valuable gift as that coming from any
| man. foreigner or American, and repre-
senting large outlay on his part. could
not be accepted By the President OF the
United States.
That sword, however. was given 10
MI Hitachiyama by the people Of Japan
Thousands OF people In the empire con-
/ tributed in small amounts 10 its pur-
/ chase Before the wrestler left Japan
/ he called mass meeting and told the
! assemblage that he desired 20 give #
! TO Mr.. Roosevelt. Of whom he had heard
much. The assent given at that meeting
was unanimous. When the President
! heard how the sword was given 10 the
| original owner, be Immediately accepted
/ II, as a gift not only Of Mr. Hitachiyama.
| but as a token Of good viii from the
/ japanese people.
Mr. A1indn said that there is 10 man
/ held higher IN the popular esteem in
Japan than Mr. Hitachiyama. The cham
piOn wrestler Of the empire is the popu-
l lar idol, he declared. and the bouts be-
/ tween champions take the place Of the
/ opera and the horse show IN New York
! Mr.. Mindil said that in America there Is
/ but little conception Of the sumo system
\ OF wrestling Il requires. be said the VI
/ most agility and Quic1nexs. as well as
{ enormous endurance. The man who
strives 70 attain 10 prominence in Japan
/ as wrestler, or. in fact, iR any athletic
/ game, trains IN a way entirely different
\ from that practiced in America Here the
/ idea Of the athlete, he said. Is 20 reduce
weight as much as possible. while in
Japan the desire IS 10 gain not weight
]
/ prevails there that with good solid weight
! comes that endurance needed I'm wres-
I ding bouts which may last as long as
I twenty-five minutes. during which the
I participants will have worked as no
/ American athlete works
/ Prohibition viii surely sweep over the
South, and the day viii come when your
I 90 almost anywhere in that section with
out being able 10 get a drink Of liquor"
Z said William II. Green. Of Mobile. Ala. at
( the Raleigh last night This temperance
movement has been slow. perhaps. but It
has been so sure that the men who make
l nquor-selIing a business have awakened 10
F. the fact that they are facing the fight OF
their lives and are marshsliHg an the
forces at their disposal TO combat prohi-
bition.
Alabama, you know. has practically
I gone prohibition, and Birmingham in the
! recent elections was declared a dry town
Il has been found in the South that the
/ negro. that eyer-disturbiug element IS 50
Z much better Of without liquor that il can
4 only be a short time until stu more
[ sweeping reforms are made in regard 10
/ the selling OF fntOxicants When the
{
/ lie is good worker. and is not liable
I 20 commit those onenses which result in
/ lynChinEs"
Mr.. Green said that a fight VIII un-
doubteCly be made by the corporations
I which employ large numbers OF laborers
/ in the South 10 permit the liquor traffic,
! since they believe that where there IS
I prohibition labOring men Will not live.
/ This fight. however. he believes viii ulti-
I mately result in the abolishment OF the
/ saloon throughout the South. in spite OF
( the opposition OF corporations or uQu0r
( interests
While I think Gov. Johnson is one OF
the great men OF Minnesota. and possibly
/ entirely able 70 I'll the Presidential chair.
I do not believe that he viii receive the
/ Democratic nomination for President"
said z. r Dustin. Of Duluth. MINI. at
the Metropolitan last night. Gov. John
son is not ready 10 enter A fght OF that
kind unless his friends urge him 70 the
point al which he cannot refuse. His
election 10 the governorship proved his
strength in Minnesota, and I might pre-
dict that he could carry the State for
his party in national election. but Z
doubt very much il be viii be able 70
land the nomination at the national con-
vention
The candidacy Of N1r. Bryan still OBJ
scures that Of any other man. and as
I long as he is a CaEdidate-or al least IN
Ill he has once more been a candidate.
there is little chance for another man
. 10 gain the nomination Mr.. Bryan IS
/ to-day popular man in the West and
( in the South. His mistakes have either
/ been forgotten or have been passed over
/ by the hand of memory.
/ GOV. Johnson IS. next 10 NIr BRYAN.
I the most talked Of candidate in my own
I State, although I do not suppose he has
/ been considered In the East Mr. Chan
/ Ter Of New York. I cannot believe IS
/ seriously a candidate. or viii be a candi-
date next summer. Il IS hardly possible
\ that Mr.. Bryan and Gov. johnson Will
/ figure on the same ticket. although
/ stranger things have happened IN p0-
/ litical affairs before this"
The Southwest is still for President
Roosevelt, and viii be Tor him in spite
Of his recent actions that have displeased
/ many" said J X Keller. Of Phenix,
Ariz.. al the New Willard. last nighc.
THE West the section beyond the Rocky.
Mountains. which is most affected. has
not forgotten Mr.. RoOsevelts attitude on
the japanese question. and is not likely
20 forget Il. While we are not greatly
troubled with japanese in Arizona, We
( know enough Of Orientals to feel that
this attitude Of the President IS not Just
to the American citizen.
! However. it does not make much diff
ference what the President does, he is