The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-04-08

was the courteous greetings as I
was ushered into a reception room,
some details of which did not
escape my notice while l waited for
the farewell call of the Swedish
minister to wear itself out
The large square apartment was
papered in bamboo design OF goid
and brown. gas logs burned bright
ly on either side of the room, anu
there was foreign style furniture OF
carved oak. A few worries of mar
BILE on shelves, picture of Full on
one side of big door and marine
on the other.
Chess Boards in AnterOOln.
Three goto boards were stacked on
a table, The presence of several OF
these games for the favoriateN gam
bling pastime of the Japanese was
suggestive of leisurely waiting in the
anteroom of Nippon's great man.
whose time is -parcelled out on five
minute schedule.
Although Japan huns and tolls ear
ly and late only peace and repose
were noticeable in this official resi-
dence Messengers went about ST.
lently-a strange contrast to the
pages of the capitol at Washington,
who forever scurry. Perhaps even
the premier may get through d1plo-
matte half hour over the goto board.
which is the Japanese substitute for
chess and for the Chinese nah jong
this last being the game, which has
been so persistently played by the
Chinese representatives recently.
while baking a vote for a new gov
eminent leader.
There were further indications of
the premier's naval career in the
room: a smoking set with gold
steering wheel for a fire lighter, and
in a glass case was a miniature model
in silver and gold of a naval gun.
Aged BY Hi. Duties.
A gentleman in a black silk XII
mono walked quietly into the room
and stood silently before me. For
an instant his manner was so I'M
assuming as he stood with eyes half
questioning that 1 did not recognize
him as the strong man of Japan
whom I had come to see. His ad-
mirars uniform had changed him
and the cares of state had aged him.
After suitable greetings I said al
luding to the silver gun model This
seems to be up to date" but the ad
miral was not asleep at the wheel.
All, no. not the latest" was the
reply Improvements are being
made SO fast that N is hard to keep
up with them" And l remembered
| that In a shipyard in southern Japan
| now may be found the machinery for
casting the biggest bored gun that is
made.
I did not come to talk about the
making of guns. however, so much
as the elimination of them. and the
premier's opinion of 1t. i chose the
indirect method.
Have you any message to the peo-
pie Of the United States" was the
opening.
His Message to U. s.
The premier replied: 1T is more
than year since the Washington
| conference, and I can hardly realize
that SO muchNtime has slipped away.
However, I sent a message ofngood-
will to the American people to Sec
rotary of State Hughes on Armistice
Day INovember ID. stating that
.nucn nad oeen done during the year
to bring into reality the aims of that
conference and much moro would be
done when the nations fully ratify."
What would be your attitude to-
wards another Washington confer
once this time for International eco
nom1c Adjustment"
If Japan is invited to confer
ence to- consider economic. adjust
ments, she will be glad to partici
pate Japan has started on her re-
constructive economic program, but
there mas not yet been time to see
results"
Although there are ISL newspapers
published in Japan-3O9 in Tokyo
alcne-curiously enough there is no
newspaper organ Tor the government.
but 1T Is evident that Premier Kato
Is keeping the five-power treaty in
spirit as we'll as in the letter. and II
would seem as though he had pro-
ceeded on the basis of ultimate rati-
fication by France and Italy in addi-
ton to England, Japan, and the
United States.
o o o
Japan Stands Ready
ASKED the premier if Japan had
decided 70 join with the United States
and Great Britain in carrying out the
treaty provisions even should France
and Italy continue to hold off. He
said:
'I think that the other powers will
certainly ratify. but in the event of
their falling to do so, feel sure that
the matter could be negotiated be-
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