Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-25

and severe earthquakes and the Imperial
residence. erected on piers Of reinforced
utmost imaginable skill In anti-seismic
architecture.
During the progress. Of the funeral
services in the palace a procession will
be formed. which will be to some extend
military in character. but interspersed
with many features wholly strange and
even extraordinary from our point of
view. 1t will escort the emperors coffin
to the imperial burying ground at
Aoyama-the district Of the green
hills" on the skirts of Toxic. There. on
the summit of a steep wooded hill. spa
ciouS cemetery was set apart Tor the
emperor's family when the court was re-
moved from the old capital, Kyoto. forty
years ago.
The procession will be headed by the
imperial bodyguards-picked troops cor
responding to the household regiments
of Great Britain. They will be followed
many colors, arranged in cones ten feet
high, with stems of bamboo, in order
that they may be stood up In the ground
at the cemetery later. Each cone will
be carried by a man In ancient MOURN
er's dress-a long kimono of white linen
and tall black cap with high peak.
Next will come the mounted police. in
modern dress. superbly drilled, and these
will be followed by what looks like
moving forest-thousands of "sakakr'
trees with roots intact. which, carried
by men. are to be planted later about
the tomb. The dark green boughs of
these sacred trees will be relief to the
eye by streamers of red and white paper
bearing pious Inscriptions and prayers
for the repose of the emperors soul.
After them will come many tall stand
ards red and white. each Of them held
aloft by a dozen bearers. The names and
inscriptions on them will show them to be
the insignia Of noble families, whose his
tory is the history of Japan. These are
the old feudal nobility, which in former
days held its castles and fiefs almost in
dependently of any recognized overload,
each powerful "daimio" maintaining mis-
own army of two-sworded retainers and
other fighting men.
And after these will come the yet loftier
standard Of the princes of the blood. Of
ing no name or inscription. 1t will be fol-
lowed by rank on rank of spearmen in
ancient costume, carrying the old-time
spears, from the heads of which will flut-
ter white silk bannerets. Then will come
other bodies of troops, attired and armed
as in feLdal days. In fact, the procession
will owe it's spectacular effect largely to
the introduction of such living remind
ers Of antiquity interspersed with bands OF
musicians playing on native instruments.
officials carrying mortuary and other en-
blems. and priests.
Next will appear large Golfer Of white
wood, carried by priests in flowing robes
of pure white. II will contain offerings of
food. to be presented at the grave, and il
will be accompanied by a stand with silk
en- coverings. which will serve to sup
port and adorn 1t when the cemetery is
reached. Behind 1t will walk q solitary
mourner attired as q pilgrim. with a STAFF
and bearing q pair OF high wooden shoes
for the weary feet Of the emperor on his
last long journey. These, later, will be
placed on the coffin.
Then will come the imperial princes
on foot. dressed in the old mourning
garb of Japan. They will wear wide
trousers of black linen, with an over
dress Of white Each will carry n tall