Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-22

I'm the hills. There in the course of two
hours, we were able to snare dozen
pigeons These appeared the following
night as ''Fa-\u-Men SQUAD"
Our fish was a contribution from the
head of the medical department who had
sent. the list of July, present of tai
1resh from his home in Uiina. BY this
time the entire camp was enlisted in our
assistance. Every one seemed to desire
that this Fourth of July banquet should
be held properly.
There was no paper except flimsy, and
no printing press in the place. Yet We
desired to have menu cards which would
serve also the purpose of favors After
much consultation We finally decided on
plank from the coffin. and secured a
Chinese carpenter to plane down a dozen
little boards to the size of six by eight
inches and about an eighth of an inch
thick. Then / borrowed the mimeo-
graph of the hospital corps and printed
the menu on the board For decoration
the Russian interpreter. who was some
thing of an artist with water colOrs
draped the japanese. British and Amer
ican hags together in color at the top.
we had now arrived a the considera-
ton of the tOasts. This also was to be
a novelty to- the Japanese, who have no
toasts at their banquets. We called on
Gen. NOgi and explained our desire to
him. Would he oblige by responding to
toast? Certainly, he replied. He wished
to do everything possible to make our
celebration success. Gen Ichinoho also
agreed to deliver speech, and also Gen.
Burnet. Maj. Kuhn was to be the toast
master
On the last day of June the chief in
terpreter. Prof. Yamaguchi sought me-
rather mysteriousdy. II crave your hon
orable assistance" he said
Gen. NoSi has sent for me and eX-
planned that he desires to meet all your
wishes. He desires above all things to
comply strictly with the American spirit
and he has no desire to avoid making a
speech, but he has never done anything
of the kind before, and he fears he will
not succeed. Therefore he has requested
ME to prepare for him a speech. which
he will learn and deliver at Your ban
Guet. But l. alas, am as unfamiliar as
the general with what you require,
though 1 dare not tell him so. Now,
therefore, might / ask You to be SO kind
as to sit down at Your typewriter and
just sketch out for me what you think
it appropriate for the general to say?"
Gladly I wrote out a few hundred words
which it seemed not out of character for
the general to utter on such an occasion.
and Prof. Yamaguchi eloquently thanked
me. He Immediately translated the
speech into Japanese. The general COM
mitted it to memory and the night of the
banquet delivered it, without notes. Then
Prof. Yamaguchi arose and without
notes. translated it back into English.
We all applauded vigorously.
4
The day after Prof. Yamaguchi had
been to see me came Mr.. Goto another
interpreter. He arrived, he said, direct
from Gen. Ichinoho. who had been re-
quested to speak on the subject, "Bush-
lido" Gen. Ichinoho was most anxious
to conform to the spirit of the occasion
but-alas!-he was unfamiliar with the
requirements of American banquets and
would therefore, Mr.. Goto kindly write
down for him an appropriate speech
which he would do his best to learn and
deliver?
But Mr. knew nothing of
American banquets. and he was SO anx-
ious to learn, and therefore would l be
so kind to sit down at my typewriter
and dash off something that would give
him an idea of what Gen. Iehinoho
should say about .'Bushido" on the
Fourth of July? Gladly | complied and