The New York herald., 1921-11-27


~ Japan's new Premier, Baron
Takahashi, is presented in
the accompanying sketch. Much has
been written of the recent years of
his life, little of his earlier career.
The writer knew Baron Takahashi
as a youth and brings out in his
sketch the strong literary bent and
broadmindedness that finds little
mention in the usual history of the
new Premier. The latter quality is
stressed particularly and is illumi-
mating as to the character of the
man.
By WILLIAM ELLIOT CRIFFIS,
Formerly of the Imperial University.
A (Y best knowledge of Baron Taxa
Nj hashi, the new Premier of Japan,
comes from our mutual love Of
japanese literature. Happily. classmate
in Rutgers College, son of the American en-
voy who followed Townsend Harris, opened
first for me the jewelled gates of Japanese
folk lore and fairy tales. Then further en-
trance into the enchanted land in the Orient
aided by the Japanese students who, in
1885, focked to the college at New Bruins
wick; but best of all. on the soil of Japan.
was Takahashi. the present Premier of ''The
Land Between Heaven and Earth"-as the
ancient poets call Everlasting Great Japan.
The merry boy was II years old when I
first met him in Toxic in January 1871.
had come to teach science. chemistry and
physics; but the native books and their
makers charmed me most 1t was both de-
light and surprise to meet we'll favored
Japanese lad with a mental apparatus that
seemed ever alert and with a patient dis
position ard a temper of perpetual sweet
ness He had a wonderful grasp of he Eng
{ lish Language in both te irsular ard its
American forms This made offhand trans
lation from his own vernacular into our
tongue prompt, fluent and accurate. 1t
made listening easy.
Within two days after reaching the cap
ital l went to the book shops and bought
what knew the literature worth know
ing about and then began with Takahashi
to learn what was inside the covers
Could Talk Live English,
Not the Phrase Book Kind
1t was such a delight to find young
student full of life, with grit, charm and
decided literary appreciation, who could read
and talk live English and not the canned
stuff of Onendorf or the dry bones in the
phrase books. Soon / got so that could
tell even when Takahashi was transating
literally. When he rendered a passage into
the English of 1871 and belonging to our
world Of ideas which I suspected was not
in Japanese moulds of thought I called q
halt. Then / had Takahashi read me the
exact, original, literal Japanese and 1 copied
down the sentence or phrase in Roman
script or, better, with the kdtd Kama. I then
made a literal translation for myself, with
his help, of the passage before turning it
into idiomatic English, thus making the
version suited to our thought and accept
able. at least in verbal form, to our tastes.
After few weeks of mutually pleasant
entertainment he became for me a vertable
dictionary of authors, of standard literature
and of literary alusion and quotation
Though but lad, he knew with creditable
degree of familiarity most of his country's
standard authors, for he had been reared in
a Samurai household, where culture as well
utility was family law.
Takahash told me the story of the fraud
practised upon him. When to the Thornrose
of the Pacific Commodore Perry played
the part of the Prince who sailed out from
the West and with wooing kiss woke the
Princess to life and action, her young fol-
lowers were men who awakened to a
new life with a hunger intensified by CEN
turies of fasting
The reference to the fairy tale is pat.
One Of the poetic names for Japan In her
own vernacular is THE Princess Country"
All the lads wanted to learn the secrets of
the foreigners science and his power over
material forces. In the famine of competent
instructors they were like Joseph's brethren,
willing TO go to far land to buy what would
satisfy their appetites.
Now. in the very early sixties the uni
versal American conscience was but slightly
troubled on the subject of slavery whether
black or brown. For centuries also it had
been the orthodox European doctrine that
these Asiatic peoples existed only to be
conquered, despoiled and, If the white man
desired or willed It, to be sold as Slaves"
THE ratcatching cat hides its claws"
This Is Japanese proverb. Let us mention
no names, but l knew the American of
scared conscience who played the game of
dropping Japanese Josephs into the pit and
by the score TO sell them to the transpacific
Mdiantes for pieces of silver. The bait was
free education In America" For some
slight industry as domestic assistants in
households in California would these boys