Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-11

lay with respect 10 the snip.
A piano had been brought forth and
the Filipino musicians were gathered
and were engaged in tuning their
instruments while the crew assembled
and the second and third cabin pas
sengers came up from the lower decks
When all was ready there were FULLY
400 people. men, women and children,
in the assemblage. mostly japanese. AS
the ships bell struck the hour OF ~
Capt Arakida stepped to the front ano
spoke few words in explanation OF the
fact that the Emperor's birthday was
at hand and then he called upon all to
face toward Japan. word to the
musicians and the band struck UP the
air of "Kimagayo," the national anthem.
Voices Raisedein Song.
Just before the service began officers
had passed small. neatly printed fold
ers among the non-Japanese members
of the ships company comprising the
words and music of the anthem, the
words being in both japanese and Eng.
lish text. AS the prelude was ended
every voice was raised In song. THESE
are the words that f1oated out across
the sea: "Kimigayowa chi no niya, Chi
yo nisa zare isfi noiwatona rite kokeno
musumade." may have syllabized TINS
wrongly. If so. any person reading ~
will instantly detect my error, II yerseo
In Japanese.
senaers of bilingual competence trans
lation of this anthem, and have found
the following to be the most satisfactory
rendering: May our Emperor live q
thousand years-nay. ten thousand, I'LL
pebbles great rocks become, with moss
all overgrown."
These words were sung twice. This Is
the invariable ritual Of such service.
THE voices swelled in surprising volume.
There was no harmonizing on the part
of the singers-just the simple, minor
melody. ending with abrupt departure
from the expected interval. And as they
sang. the japanese, whom 1 found my
self. despite the desire TO accord strictly
TO the precept of the occasion, watching
out of the corner of nv eye, were raps
in a devotion that bespoke the ages OF
fealty which make the background OF
Japanese history.
The song ended. There was mo-
ment of silence. Then the captain
spoke a single word: "Banzai" In
SANITY there were three great shouts,
in cadence. the full-throated cheer OF
the Japanese. with uplifted arm at each
cry of the word that become Worlo
known during the Russo-Japanese war,
when the soldiers OF the rluer az TOXIC
i
nents as they charged to Victory.
Then it was all over. AS the last
"banzai" swept over the rail in the
direction of Japan the assemblage broke
ranks. The Emperor's birthday mao
once more been observed and honoreo
by his faithful subjects.
Wrestling Match Staged.
That constituted the formal portion
Turing the AFTER
noon the sailors. members of the deck
crew. staged a wrestling contest on one
of the forward lower decks. A Tenn
porary grandstand was improvised upon
one Of the matches and a tarpaulin mad
been stretched overhead to give snelter
from the sun. Mats were spread. tnlcK
straw mats covered with canvas, 10
afford some protection to the Wrestlers
| in their tumbles. Over this canvas an
other was spread. with a l2-foot ring
formed by padding. Then the men
hung gay colored strips of cloth around
! this arena and festooned them UP with
| silk tassels. until the wrestling place
was transformed into an attractive
| stage.
/ never more keenly regretted that
nv early education did not include the
Japanese language, for, enjoyable though
the spectacle of the wrestling bouts was,
it lacked, for the fullest benefit OF
| understanding. an interpreter. After
| all the deck-fixing had been finished
| the sailors disappeared, to return IN a
few minutes 'clad" as wrestlers which
| is to say stripped to the breech-elout
! ana wrestling wrapping which marks
this sport, the national game Of the
Japanese. This wrapping Of stout cloth,
blue for one side In this contest and
white for the other, Is an important
factor of the wrestler's rig. for one OF
| the "holds" of the contestant is the
grasping Of the bandit he car--of his
opponent, to use 1t for leverage Tor
throwing his man.
Somehow or other the wrestling
started, it would appear, before all was
ready: for after bout or two had taken
place in stalked two personages OF great
Importance. whose appearance was
hailed with loud cheers and much
laughter by the assemblage. They were
the umpire and the announcer, garbeo
in what struck the Occidental as bur-
lesque fancy-dress costumes. The an
nouncer, for instance, had on papier-
mache headdresS which simulated the
shaven poll of the Samurai OF earlier
times, with a wisp Of curled hair stick
ing UP behind.