The New York herald., 1921-11-27
SHI JAPAN'S PREMIER SEEN CLOSE AT HAND
Broadmindness, Perfect Poise, Jollity and Love
of Literature characteristics Remembered
by His American Professor

of Ia or II years obtain in return board.
clothes and schooling. Such was the promise
which baited the trigger of the trap.
So Takahashi and some other lads, whom
also knew in Toxic, went on board under
that supercargo of human fesh--a certain
who shall be anonymous here. Yet
give him his due, as we should to the Sa-
tanic master whom in this act he was
serving. He got up, far as known, the
first phrase book in Japan for the use alike
of foreigners and natives, helping them to
understand each others speech. He posed
as guardian" of the Japanese lads, as "edu
Gator" as benevolent patron and then dis
tributed them in California and got his pay.
But in the American Potiphars house
Takahashi found that he was virtually a
bond servant with no freedom as to hours,
either of service or recreation Instead of
books and teachers he was assigned only to
drudgery night and day.
Laughed at His Hard Times
When Working in America
OF course there were shocks of comicai
experiences against his preconceived no.
tons When he told me some of his adven-
lures he laughed heartily, for nothing could
discourage this merry lad One of Taxa
hashi's companions in misery and disap-
pointment seemed to me to have become
morose and anti-foregn in sentiment be-
cause of his transpacific experience, but the
future Premier saw the humorous side of
things and enjoyed telling of them.
For example, having been taught by the
missionaries the evils of tobacco, with ex-
hortations to taboo pipe and cigar, it was
startling for these lads, out of their island
hermitage and in the streets of San Fran
cisco, to see five men out of seven with
briar root pipes or cigars in their mouths.
Then, too, some things seemed dislocated,
while others were grotesque. OF John"
name and man. he had heard only in rev.
erent tones and amid the atmosphere and
surroundings of a teachers study. When,
however, in San Francisco he heard a carter
shout to his horse, Get up, john" he could
hardly believe his own ears. When blows
fell on he beasts back he was forced to
compare Christianity with Buddhism, which
,noulcates Kindness to animals. Henry
Bergh had then hardly more than begun his
work.
This Pacific coast colony of Japanese was
not the only one kept in involuntary SER
vitude. Who did not. in these mid Victorian
times, read THE Tender Recollections of
Irene MacGillcuddy," by Lawrence Oil
phant? 1t was his friend Harris who
Cooked for city" which proved founda-
tionless. In his initial scheme to regenerate
the world this Harris located a colony on
the shores of Lake Erie and persuaded the
first party of Japanese-not from treaty
port but from their own province shores
and all Samurai. or gentlemen's sons--on
the same promise Of free education" to be
his ploughmen and vine dressers
One Of these lads after his release from
a hateful thraldom told me how fearful his
fond mother was that in such a strange
land as "A-may- -kah" he would not get
enough to eat. He might even starve, for
did not all foreigners look pale as ghosts?
do take little rice in your trunk with
you," she urged. Her dear boy Kozo found
no lack of food but surplus of hard labor.
1t was the cooperation of American mis-
sionaries with the efforts Of a Japanese
nobleman travelling from Europe through
America that secured the freedom of botli
sets of Japanese lads-when their hands
were well calloused by unaccustomed toll.
From members of both parties heard the
story of fraud and oppression which gave
this early American philanthropy" and
American motives so sinister a reputation.
even when young student He could Sit
with ministers. plenipotentiaries and secre-
taries at the legation banquets or in the
palace. Yet ever, even when riding along
the highest peaks of etiquette he was sure
footed in all the proprietes. l have seen
Japanese tremble and their faces break out
in perspiration when in the Emperor's