Evening star., 1937-08-22

IHE SUNDAY :
assumed charge OF the distribution OF
Red Cross supplies and of the burying |
of American dead until the proper |
civilian authorities were In a position
to do 50.
Later he had charge Of the erection
Of our new consulate at Yokohama.
Always he has been high In praise
Of the marvellous way In which the
Japanese people and their govern
ment met this crisis and upon the
ruins Of Yokohama forthwith pro-
ceeded to build another city accord
ing to the most modern methods OF
resisting volcanic quakes.
The emergency over in Japan. the
tour OF inspection was continued as
far as Australia. Following it, he re-
turned to Washington in 1885 as chief
of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs
OF the State Department..
His appointment as Assistant Sec
retary Of State in 1927 was especially
significant because he was one of the
promoted to this position. His selec-
ton as Minister to China followed
two years later, and the year 1885
saw him made our first Ambassador
to China with China's elevation to
ambassadorial rank.
Americans generally are unaware
that our Ambassador to China, ac-
cording to the custom prevailing with
most other nations. sits In two Chi
nese capitals. Marking as well as
Peiping for six months of each year
We own our headquarters and En-
bassy in Peiping. Those which I'VE
occupy in Marking we rent from the
Chinese.
Mind Pictures Future.
Ambassador Johnsons associates
say Of him that one of his most valu-
able characteristics as foreign officer
is his ''uncanny faculty for seeing IN
the present the historical significance
for the future of apparently unrelated
and unimportant situations and
events
Proudly, the late Prof Sidwell, long
the revered head Of the Friends
School from which Nelson johnson
was graduated in 1906, used to remark
concerning each upward step in the
| diplomatic career of his former pupil.
Surprised? Not in any way Just
let me show you his school record. In
addition to his acadamic achievement
in the six years that he was with us,
Nelson never lost day through ab-
sence. nor was he ever tardy. Often
on stormy days, or when there was
breakdown in the Brookland street
| car service. which he used in reach
ing Washington from Ridgely. the
johnson family home on the Queens
Chapel road in Prince Georges County
| Md, Nelson would take cross-cut
across the city on foot. So well did
he plan the time necessary for this
procedure when the emergency de-
veloped that he never failed to turn
up smiling before the last bell had
rung for opening exercises. That boy
would have made a name for himself
in any walk Of life. He just happened
to have chosen foreign service
career"
During his term as Minister to
China. this popular State Department
| bachelor married Jane Thornton Beck.
who was the granddaughter of Sen
ator Beck of Kentucky and had often
visited the johnson home as a school,
girl
Marines Attract Son,
The United States Marine Corps
| headquarters in China is our EN-
bassys next-door neighbor in Peiping.
From his earliest babyhood days,
young Nelson Beck johnson found
the greatest fascination in watching
the Marines at their maneuvers. 1t
was only natural, therefore, at the age
Of 10 months that he should be signed
| up as a private In the Marines by
Col. Presley Marion Rixey and there
after successfully promoted to pri-
vate, first class, corporal and then
sergeant with regularly made out
service record and a uniform to ac
cord with his rank. So highly does
the corps esteem their neighbor, Am
j basSador Johnson, that theN new
recreation center has been named
JOHNSON Hall in his honor.
Ambassador Johnson's only sister,
Miss Elizabeth Holmes johnson. a
teacher in the National Cathedral
School for Girls. resides at 22l9 Cali
fornia street. Like her brother, whom
she greatly resembles in appearance
and general coloring, Miss Johnson re-
ceived her early education at the
Friends School. With the rest of
| the world Miss johnson is anxiously
watching and listening for news from
! China's war area.
Like her brother, Miss johnson is
| familiar with the Orient. having Off
ciated as her brothers hostess in
China and in Washington upon nu-
merous occasions before his marriage
| She has also served upon the faculty
of the Marking University. Only last
Summer she visited her brother and
| his family at the Embassy in Peiping
Much interested in amateur photog-
! raphy, she has assembled several fas-
| - 4 nv