The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-12
II, y. ,tNIIEEE-OwEN

- maintenance ~ amicablc rcla-
l. TONS between the United states
ana Japan and anxious To avert
that war with Ddi Nippon which
ro many ~ this country and
abroad consider as inevitable has rea-
son TO grirlo over the sudden death
of Henry W. Dcuispu, who WIS stricken
the other day while seated al the desk
in the Foreign OfHcc ~ Toxic where
he had laborcd in behalf " his en-
ployer. the Mikado's Government, and
also of his native land ever since 1850.
As long ~ he remained at his post
there as the trusted adviser of the
only remaining Emperor ~ the Far
Orient any complete break between the
United S;atos and Japan was incon-
ccivahl,. mo- matter how pronounced
the diffprtur. w. WrCu tltn two nations
nor how bitter tli" conditions of popu-
lar sentiment uu either side of the Pa
Cllic Ocean The disappearance of his
wise and powerful influence and of his
restraining hand at this juncture is an
irreparah,e loss to the Island Empire
and to this great republic. as well as
10 the cause of the peace OF tho world.
II has been my privilege to know
and TO be associated with many Ameri-
cans serving under foreign flags. With
very few exceptions they were all of
them men to whom their native land
owes a debt OF gratitude which has
no; received sufficient recognition here.
largely because they have been men
Of TOO sterling "A character to be will
ing to extol their own merits and to
blow their own trumpets. Tho result
IS that their fellow countrymen have to
great extent remained In ignorance
" the importance OF their work and
Of the extent to which they have in
creased the respect and esteem for
America in foreign lands.
cannot claim to have been associated
with Henry W. Denison. But was
among his predecessors in the Japanese
Government service and at the Gai-Mu-
Sho, or the Department OF Foreign
Affairs thirty-seven and thirty-eight
years ago. when he was still V!ce-Con-
sui Of the United States at Yokohama
and busily engaged in averting any SEN
sational outbreak between his bellicose
chief. Consul Van Buren,. and
the United States Minister Plenipoten-
tiary at Toxic, old Judge Bingham. also
a very peppery diplomat, the two being
engaged in almost constant warfare
with each other. Tn tact which he
displayed in that connection was a
source Of admiration to all OF US who
were acquainted with the conditions
under which he was obliged TO work,
and doubtless contributed to the action
Of the japanese Government in invitin g
him 10 become the legal adviser OF the
Foreign Office IN 1850.
But while he was Nice-Consul and
was at the Gai-Mu-Sho I saw a great
deal Of him, and on one occasion we
spent four weeks in the interior Of
Japan together and thus got TO know
each other pretty intimately. Still
while approaching his many charming
qualities, I never dreamt that he pos
sessed the patience, the extraordinary
self-control. the exceptional discretion
and above all the wonderful tact. which
enabled him to retain his hold on the
confidence. on the affection and on the
gratitude OF the japanese long after
they had dispensed with the services OF
every other foreigner in their employ.
Aside from the innate aversion which
the Oriental invariably enterta!ns for
the white race the Japanese have al
ways been extremely sensitive to the
insinuat!on that they have ever been
dependent on foreign instruction and
foreign experience. This has been
marked in every page OF their life. and
as soon as ever they satisfied them
selves that they had mastered the in
tricacies Of any foreign craft they al
once proceeded 20 dispense with their
alien mentors. gliding the dismissal
with flowcry compliments and In many
cases with extremely generous gifts
Especially has this native Jealousy OF
the foreigner been acute in the variou:
Government departments, whose officers
have resented the notion that they were
in any way indebted TO foreign counsel
even in their dealings with the foreign
Powers, Of whose views, aspirations
methods and principles they might
naturally be supposed TO know less thar
men who, Ike Denison, had formerly
been servants of the State in the lane
of their birth.
Japan has had many hundreds Of more
or less distinguished Americans and Flu
ropeans in her employ At one time or an
other during the last half century, o.
rather since 1865 when the inauguration