The Washington herald., 1908-02-02
Rr EX-ATrACHE.

BY EA-ATEACHE.
Although the retirement of Henry W.
Dennison from the service of Japan just
at this particular juncture may be mere
coincidence. yet il is most unfortunate that
It should occur at a moment when SO
many persons in different parts OF the
world are endeavorins to purposely en-
venom the relations between the United
States and the Land of the Rising Sun,
OF else are thOughtlessly augmenting the
difficulties of the situation by eXagger-
atins every incident. and by dishing it
up for public consumption with a sauce
so highly favored as 20 conceal the true
state Of affairs.
For Dennison. in spite of his residence
Of nearly thirty years at Tokyo as the
principal legal adviser of the Gai-AIu-Sho,
Or department Of foreign affairs, has al
ways retained his American citizenship,
along with a patriotic devotion TO the land
of his birth which prolonged absence
from its shores has merely served 10 de-
velop. and To render more intense.
His presence m the foreign office at
Tokyo constituted an assurance. both TO
the United States and the world at large.
that no mfriendly move against this
country was contemplated by Japan. As
long as he remained at his post those
aware of the character and reputation of
this sinsuIarly able lawyer and former
member OF the American consular seTv-
ice. felt safe i'm their belief i'm the profess
sions Of close friendship between the
United States and Japan; "a friendship
which proved OF such inestmable value 10
the latter, morally and materially, during
her var with Russia.
That precisely this time of all others
should have been selected to dispense with
Dennisou. or il he himself had been rem
dered anxious TO resign. that he should
have been permitted 60 DO so now instead
OF waiting for later date, is not only
unfortunate, but most impolitic, since IT
Is calculated TO give rise 20 all sorts of
speculation ana misconsJruCtion.
For my own part and as one who was
connected for a time with this self-same
Japanese foreign office previous to the
advent of Henry Dennisou; that is 20 say.
away back in the '70's. / DO not believe
that the departure Of Deuuison from
Tokyo and his return home UErtends war
between Japan and the United States, as
some wiseacres would have the world be
Heve To any one who has served the
japanese or any other Oriental govern
ment as Dannis0a has done, il must be p
matter for profound surprise that he
should have remained with them SO long.
r. rF...H rr-
tanning his office until now speaks vol
unes for his tact. and for his willingness
10 eface himself.
Aside from the innate aversion, and
even disgust which the Oriental invaria-
bly, antartaius for the white races. the
Japanese have always been extremely
sensitive with regard to the idea that
they were dependent upon foreign in
structi0n and foreign experience.
This has been marked .u every phase Of
life. and as soon as ever tae natives have
satisfied themselves that they had mas
tered the intricaci-s of the foreign craft.
they at once proceeded to dispense with
their alien instructors, gliding the dismis-
sal by means of flowery compliments.
and in many cases by extremely generous
gifts. Especially hes this native ieal-
ousy Cf the foreigner been acute i'm the
various government departments. and its
officers resented the notion that they were
in any way indebted TO foreign counsel
even in their dealings with the Western
powers, Of whose views. aspirations.
methods. and principles they might nat
uIal,y De supposed 10 know less than men
who. like Dennisou, had previously been
servants of the State in the land OF their
birth.
The Mikad0 has had many hundreds Of
more or less distinguished Americans and
Europeans ia his employ at one time OF
another during the last forty years; that
is to say. since 1865 when the inaugura-
Jiou of the present era took place All
of them have been dismissed aS soon as
thcre was nothing more 10 be learned
from them Dauuis0u and Durham W.
Stevens, long counsellor Of the AUkado' s
Embassy ut Washington, and more Te-
Gently attached TO the staff of the Mar
uuis Ito iH Korea were me last 90 re-
main, owing their retention largely 90
the quiet and uu0bTu5iye manner In
which they were content to work I'm the
background for their employers. instead
of exploiting their own glory and prestige.
Now they too have left. and their de-
pGrtura constitutes "a striking demonstra-
tjo1 of the fact that uo man should ever
endeayor to give up his life's work 10
any other government than thar of his
own country Fer no matter how loyal
honest, and conscientious his services. no
matter how valuable the lattor-Denni-
sons services 10 Japan during the peace
conference at Portsmouth were of ines
timable Importance TO the 3Ikado's gov
eTnment-he viii always be regarded as
II foreieuer, with UndeseTyed distrust and
jealousy, and as soon as the opportunity
occurs of disposing with him, he is dis
missed or else compelled to resign
Let me add that according 10 an ac-
counts the Japanese since their victory
over the Russians i'm the recent war, and
their acquisition of the status of "a great
power have become more intolerable than
ever of foreign advice Their defeat of the
Russians, and the marked increase in the
respect accorded TO them by the Western
nations. has convinced them that far
srOm needing any counsel from foreign
eTs they are qualified TO Impart il 20 their
vhilOm instructors. This i'm itself goes
far 10 explain the increased difficulties of
,ne situation with which Henry Dennison
had 10 contend since he returned to Tokyo
on the conclusion of. the peace confer
ence at Portsmouth.
China. like Japan is jealous Of the
foreigner; bat not having as yet van
quished any one of the Sreat military
Western powers in war is stiI content
90 accept reluctantly and grudginEly. in
struction from the white man. Sir Robert
Hart the famous Irishman who aban-
doned the British consular service in 1863
10 organize the foreign customs service
of the Celestial Empire and who has
been in the employ of the Chinese gov
emment ever since. is now quitting his
post and returning 10 England, after half
Ce--lry spent in the Orient, thoroughly
embittered and broken by the treatment
which be has received. In spite of his
WhOIe-s0uIed devotion 10 the interests of