The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-12-04
Quake makes
Prince POPULAR
People of Japan Applaud Orders
to Feed Hungry Before
Rebuilding Palace"

Tokyo.-The earthquake was pretty
rough to Hirohito, crown prince regent
n future emperor of Japan.
But it made him, if possible, even
more popular with the people than
ever Beforehand he had already been
held in more affection by his subjects
than any of his predecessors ever were
not even excepting Meiiji the Great,
whose reign saw the beginning and
much of the making of modern Japan.
The ji-shin, which is one way Of
describing an earthquake without
using profanity, busted up the crow
princes wedding and his pet palace,
where he had planned to live with
his bride, the Princess Nagako Kuni,
and it caused some of the imperial
counselors to propose that the imperi-
al family remove to Kyoto, the an
cient capital. in South Japan.
Nothing doin'," said Hirohito. OF
course he didn't say it in those words.
But his veto vas fiat. 1t was straight,
direct and to the point.
We're going to rebuild Tokyo, as
l get the big idea," said he-or ap-
proximately that, freely translated.
"We're planning a bigger, more beau
tlful Tokyo. And several million peo-
pie are going to live here. They're
not going to run away from Tokyo.
And I'm not-not by a jugfuli"
Stopped Moving Talk.
SO that vas that. And when the
story leaked out-and you could hard
ly expect such a story to stay bottled
nm x-nr.y Ionn IL ~1,oJohol a,o++r 80
fectiveiy the talk of removing the jap
anese capital from Tokyo to Kyoto,
or anywhere else.
We'll, then," said somebody, per
haps it will be just as well to go ahead
with the imperial w~edding-the prince
regent and the Princess Nagako were
to nave been married in November.
1T wouldn't be right to allow an
earthquake tO-ah-tO-ah-shan we
say, interfere with the happiness of
SO suspicious an occasion"
This ji-shin has jimmied the hap
piness of an awful lot Of people," OBJ
served the regent, land to me it doesn't
seem fair thai my happiness should
be sought when so many are sad
or that the state should spend SO much
money on a wedding when all the
money we can raise Is needed for re- |
lief n reconstruction. There will be
no wedding this fall !"
SO. again, that was that.
"Oh, very well,' came back the
counselors. "At Ieast-surely at the
very least-we may be allowed to or
der immediate commencement of the !
Of rebuilding the Kasumagaseki
p~aIace?"
h Food Comes First.
NO. said Hirohito. 1--WE won't i'm
medfately commence the work OF re-
building the Kasumagaseki palace. AS
l matter OF fact, we won't commence
t any time soon. Indeed, as I think
t over, 1 have a bunch that It Is go
ng to be a long, long time before we
'ebuiId THAT palace-because, first, |
going to feed the people and
,uild temporary homes for them, and
hen rebuild the city permanently.
md after that is done, If there is any |
pare change. left, you might drop
lround soMe afternoon and Let me
ave the lowest quotations on pal
!,
To repeat, th words are a liberal
Y AmericaniEed version OF the rough
nd ready version Of, the story that
he people Of Japan are ~applauding.
'ut che spirit, the Idea behind the J
ctuaI official orders, IL faithfully pre- ]
ented. Earthquake sufferers first; !
hen I can get married and talk about I
new palace" was the word Of the !
egent. vat ~s :
Yes, the earthquake has done a good \
,any impossible things. And among (
IS impossibilitAes was to make crown =
rince regent more popular than he )
,as before among his people. I