The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-30
TANAKA ONE OF
 MOST PROMINENT
 FIGURES IN JAPAN
Genius of Armament Dele gate Has Helped to Make Japanese Army What
 It Is Today
By Associated Press


 TolSio, September 22,-(By MaiL)- information. may examine Who's Who in Japan" from cover to cover in valn--hs will find no mention of one of the most prominent figures in the Japanese delegation to the Washington conferenoe--MaJ Gen. kunishiGe Tanaka
 This officer has been picked As JapRn's chief military advisor at Washington and his remarkable per sonality Is a subject of conversation at Tokio in these days when every and character of the Japanese dels- gation.
 Tanaka fulfills a tavorits Japanese conception of a soldier. He is one of the younger military men whose ge- nius has helped to make the Japanese army what 1t is today. The oorre- spondent recently asked q prominent Japanese civilian what he deemed would be the policy of thu Japanese delegation at Washington. The an swer was: q think 1t will be a policy Of silence. as usual" If such be the case, Tanaka will undoubtedly help to further that policy, for he has the local reputation of being R man of silence when it comes to discussing official military matters.
 Socially speaking. however, Tanaka is one of the, most charming mon in the empire. He looks very young to be a major general, but as he said to ths writer perhaps l am older than look. Don't forget that I was captain in the Russo Japanese war when l was chief of staff to Marshal Oyama."
 Knows United states
 Ut will seem like old timss," hs went on, Ito go to Washington, for you know, l spent five years in that beautiful city long before the war. Then again. during the war 1 passed through the United States on a visit to England and to the battle grounds in France, as well as later to the peace conference at Versailles. 1 think l know your country pretty we'll whilst an extensive trip to Mexico and Central America gave me u pretty good idea of conditions ob- taining there. It was while Count Uchids. the present foreign minister, was ambassador to Washington that they sent me down to Mexico City to represent the Japanese army at an official celebration there. l saw great deal of President Diax and be- came a great admirer of that won derful man of iron who was such a great leader. Then I met Frederick Palmer, the American war correspon- don't. and We logged along together to different states in Central Amer ica.' sS
 Friend of Pershinx
 If General PershinB becomes the chief military advisor to the Ameri- can delegation, General Tanaka will be meeting in him an old friend Tanaka met Pershing when the lat ter was American attachs at the American embassy at Tokio, and he renewed his acquaintance with the American officer when PershinR came up from the Philippines to at tend the funeral of the late Emperor Mutsuhito. Thon again. he met him In France during the peace confer ence. T do not need to say" said General Tanaka, that we Japanese officers think General Pershing is a great and gallant soldier"
 When the writer hinted at official matters such. for instance, as the Japanese military policy at Washing ton, General Tanaka said very frank ly, q think I have no statement to make about that"
 The general is rather slight of build and would be called a good looking man. He is very modest about his English, but as a matter of fact, seems to have the language at his entire command and speaks with complete readiness. He has been se- lected by the Japanese army because Of his mastery of military matters and his general intellectual equip ment. He is a keen observer and is probably the type or man who would speak in an official way not too often and then with the fewest pos sible words.
 He has no pastimes except that of riding, which was his daily diversion while In Washington. His one hobby IS apparently the Japanese army, and If need be he will doubtless prove it's stanch defender