Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-06-14
KUROKI WAS ORIGINAL.
He Worked the Circular Letter O
 Thanks Before Going.

Washington, D. O., June 14.-It
 remained for General Baron Kurokl
 the distinguished Japanese soldier
 who has been sojourning in America
 for several weeks, to invent a new
 social form of an international
 character that is creating a lot of 1 amusement here. The amusement. too, is rather at the expense of cer- tain cabinet officers and other high officials, who extended to General kuroki special marks of esteem dur ing his visit.
 General Kuroki's new idea was a circular telegram of thanks and ap- preciation of courtesies rendered him.
 Circular letters frequently are en- ployed by business concerns and ad- vertising agencies to convey their correspondents a particular plan they have outlined. Occasionally, nations employ the circular form in com- municating with one another on some matter of grave import. In diplomatic parlance such a form would be termed an "identic note [" It has been used several times by the American government, the latest be- ing the communication sent by Pre- sident Roosevelt to Russia and Japan suggesting that a copference of plenipotentiaries of the two nations be held to arrange, if possible, for a peaceful eventuation of the war then in progress.
 A circular telegram of thanks, however, is absolutely unique in in ternational exchange. While in this country General Kuroki was enter tained lavishly not only by the g. ernment itselI, JdL also by officials and private individuals. All of the functions given in his honor, how ever, were in a sense. official. Sec- retary Taft, as the head of the war department, gave a brilliant banquet in honor of the distinguished soldier. Assistant Secretary of the Navy Newberry, then acting secretary of the navy, rendered him an elaborate luncheon and showed him other special courtesies; Secretary Strauss. Jf the department of commerce and labor. travelled to New York to deliy- ed highly eulogistie address as the representative of the administration at the banquet rendered Kurokf by the city of New York. Special cour- tesies were also shown him by Pre- sident Roosevelt and members of the cabinet.
 As General Kuroki was about to depart for his home country. he &C., knOwledged the many courtesies shown him by sending to several im- pOrtant officials his circular tele- gram. Perhaps he did not have time to write but one. At any rate, each of the officials received identicalIy the same message. Three of them have been located Secretary Taft, Secretary Strauss and Assistant Sec retary Newberry each was honored with Kuroki's circular.
 When the telegrams were reeefv- ed. the officials accepted the message as a graceful. felieitOus and siKnii- cant acknowledgment of the kindly treatment which had been accorded the general while In this country and without knowing at the moment. of the other telegrams. each official hsstened to wire General Kurokf a suitably happy response. It was not until comparison of notes was made that 1t vas discovered that all of the telsgrams were eouched in precisely the same words. Then fhe oGcisl enthusiasm over the tele- grams died out and the officials be- gan to think things How many more Of the telegTsns Of the Kurokf cir rular form were rr1etved is not dis sloeed- There prob8bly were or recipients. but they are not gsttfnx