The Washington herald., 1908-04-19
CAPITAL SIDELIGHTS
GOSSIP OF MEN AND THINGS IN AND
ABOUT WASHINGTON

The price Of more than one Easter
bonnet went to fatten the pockets OF the
sleek and welI-fed bookmakers who re-
Gently invaded washington. for betting is
as popular with the smart young society
girls as it is with their fathers and theiI
brothers. and since the edict has gone
forth that this pernicious custom Is to De
abolished there was more than the usual
amount Of plunging al the race track
recently. 'T've lost my spring hat. my
tan shoes. the money saved for a new
wrap, and now here goes the tenner that
1 have had put by since Christmas for a
coaching parasol. one OF those swaggeI
things that every one affected In LoEdon
last spring. All, well, I'm sure to lose, but
that's life, you know, and one is dead d
long time. and this dimpled. dumping
would-be sport promptly gambled away
her parasol, as she had gambled away
the rest of her winter nnery. You're a
eorking loser" said the dapper youth al
her side when she smiled at her horse
that came painting in, the very last OF
the bunch. Il ought to be-" was the
quick response, 1--WE had practice
enough"
Apropos of the racing season here, it
viii be interesting to quote the COM
ments Of a stranger in America" made
IN the early days Of the last century:
IN November in each year there are
horse races IN the. Capital of America !
happened 10 arrive just AZ this time on
horseback. After an early dinner, served
up sooner on the occasion, a great hustle
was created by the preparations for the
sport. Here 1 witnessed a scene perfectly
novel 1 have been at the races Of New
market, Epson. York; in short, I have
seen. FOR aught I know to the contrary,
900 won and lost in a single day in
England. On. coming up to the inclosed
ground. a quarter of a dollar was de-
mauded for my admission. Rather than
turn back, though no sportsman, l sub
mitted. FOuT-wheeled carriages paid a
dollar, and half that sum was exacted
for the most miserable single-hoTse
chaise. Though the day was raw. cold.
and threatening 10 rain or snow, there
were abundance of ladies decorated as
II for a ball. In this year QS03) Congress
was summoned very early by President
jefferson upon the contemplated purchase
Of Louisiana. and 10 PISS a bill in order
70 facilitate his election again as Presi-
dent Many scores of American legisla-
tors. who are ali allowed S6 a day, besides
their travelling expenses, went on foot
from the Capital, about four English miles,
70 attend the sport. . Economy is
Fl, the order OF the day in that country,
and the members pretend to avail them
selves Of 1t, even in their personal ex-
penses. I saw on the race ground people
OF every description. sharpers IN abun-
dance, and gr0g, the joy Of Americans,
in oceans. Wen-mOunted and a stranger.
/ was constantly pestered by these
sharks, and had I been an idiot to have
committed to them, I should soon have
been stripped OF al my travelling cash
According 10 a retired diplomatist. who
passed a number Of years in the Orient,
and who thinks deeply on diplomatic
questions, the delegation Of Japanese
business men, who are making a tour Of
the world, and are at present in Wash
ington. is nothing more or less than
an embassy sent here IN the interest of
peace. 1T may not be officially ac-
credited. and it may have ostensibIy an
other mission 10 perform, bat these lead
ing citizens from the Land Of the Rising
Sun are here for the main purpose of
studying Us and allowing US to study
them, and incidentally to assure us that
the children OF the 1Iikado have the
warmest affection for and sympathy with
the children Of Uncle Sam" affirmed the
diplomat Scratch a Jap and you will
find patriot. IN all my experience I
never saw people so loyal TO their
country, their Emperor their families,
and their ancestors, and it is their de-
votion 10 these latter, in my opinion.
their worship OF their forbears. that
makes them such ardent patriots. There
ere no traitors in Japan, and japanese
patriots one viii find everywhere.
The msouciant young Japs on the
Joulevards IN Paris, with seemingly no
bJect In life but to have a good time.
he digs at the 'Teck in Berlin, the
slmond-eyed sports at the Derby are all
0I them al heart servants of their eouD-
ny, and whether they are on special mis-
sions or are only travelling for Meas
are, they are working for the interests Of
their native land and no son of Nippon
travels abroad that he does net carry
back home something 10 enrich her And
so this delegation Of business men will
act as diplomatists, self-cOnstituted. per
maps, while they are in the United States.
and viii conduct a campaign Of educa-
Jion much the same, II on different lines.
IS that our fleet is conducting as IL sails
around the world
These business men are scattering gold
!aVlshly as they so, am told, and see
ing the country in a sumptuOus manner:
but there will never be another embassy
that cen compare in magnifcence Il. the
first one, under Mr. Itukura. that visited
this country. It's coming. its stay here.
and its going was ike a tale from the
Arabian Nights" 1t is hard TO believe
the story. stripped Of all adornment. and
1 shall always be grateful that I happen
ed 10 be here on leave Of absence from
my post at that time, and that / made
the acquaintance Of some of those clever
Japs and witnessed the real Oriental
5plendOr with which they did things.
The embassy, which was sent around the
world for the purpose Of making treaties
with foreign powers, consisted Of l05
people, and reached here in 1871, when
Gen. Grant was President. It was housed
at the Arlington, a new hotel at that
time, and very magnificent for those days.
Mine host, Mr.. ROessle, who was one OF
the Capitals most celebrated BOnifaces,
and a majestic figure-tall, brOad-shoul-
dered. with an aureole Of exquisite white
hair, which curled N Hyperion ringlets
around his classic face-treated its men,
bers as though they were his personal
guests, and left nothing undone that could
add 10 their comfort; and il was due as
much 10 his agency as anything else that
they made such splendid showing. Dur
ing the six months that it remained in
Washington. the embassy gave eighty
dinners and a banquet 70 some 1900 peo-
pie. a banquet the equal Of which was
never seen here before and viii never
be seen again. for such splendor has gone
out OF date The table for this magnifi-
cent function was 100 feet long. eight
feet wide. and its entire center was dec