The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-12-25
JAPAN Travel
EASY WITHOUT
KNOWING LINGO
ny CLARENCE AMMAN

Editor OF the Eastern UNIDENTIFIED
NEW YORK, Dec. 25.-"kort
<orl" means Ice. and that's all the
Japanese an American travelling In
the Orient need know. The rest
Will take care OF Itself because
English Is the commercial Ian.
puaae there. and any Oriental busl'
ness man or hotel clerk, who has
not a sma,terlna OF our tongue, can
have no dealings with the Ameri-
can tourist
on hot day. which 10 every day,
we looked for the Japanese short.
hand sign. translated; Drinks sold
here" Appearing over the door OF
nearly one-thlrd OF the stores In
any little town this sign can be
cen two blocks away. Drinks on
sale Include mineral water. Tan
San: beer. poor variety; and
what would correspond 10 Amert
can pop, all luks~arm.
Al our cry OF "kori.kori." the
young lady in the kimono dived
into a strong box and emerged with
a piece OF ice. slightly larger than
the loaf OF sanitary sugar found
here on restaurant tables. carefully
unwrapped and washed Il. and then
put the ice under u shaving ma
chine. II was quito ceremony.
and curious children gathered To
witness the performance.
All railroad tickets are printed
one side In japanese and the other
In English. Signs In Japanese and
English announce the name OF the
station. and there Is even a sign.
board reading The principal
points OF interest hero are"
II Is said that the lack OF lin.
guistic facility OF the average Eng.
llshman is the reason he refuses TO
learn tho tongues Of other people.
and hence all nations have 10
learn his. On our way 10 Yoka.
homa there were 26 nationallties
on the ship. each person practicing
English on the other. II was the
only way they could converse In
common. At Kobe fat. uncom.
Portable Russian was trying hts
best TO explain to a Japanese Sc
cret service man Just why he left
the army. The conversation had
our own language sounding like
Sam Bernard and Weber and
Fields discussing the high cost OF
living.
There Is quite bit OF taking
about Japanese proficiency In Eng.
lish. Everybody In hotels and
shops says no understands. but
frequently hts solo acquaintance
with the language Is Yes" and
NO" We did run across a waiter
who knew two more words: Never
mind" Giyen quite an explanation
from six persons al our table AZ to
how they wanted their eggs. he lis.
tened gravely TO each: then said
blandly: Never mind" and
brought them In soft boiled all
around.
Reaching Yoshida at 4 one after.
noon. II being necessary TO travel
on to Lake Shojl Immediately In
order 10 catch a steamer train, We
told the proprietor OF the inn that
We wanted two carriages.
Yes" lie answered. An hour
passed and two coolies showed up
with our baggage on their shoul.
ders.
Are the carriages comingT' we
asked. as II had begun TO rain. and
No thought OF Lake shoji. IL miles
away.
Yes" he answered. After an.
other half hours walt the host
started bowling us out. Just then
a young Japanese. home from Dart.
mouth college. appeared. We ex.
plained our predlcament After n
short talk with the hotel proprietor.
he said:
He hasn't any carriages; no ex.
poets you 20 walk"
But We didn't: We rode the IL
miles In chairs.