Evening star., 1937-09-12
Washington Teachers Return
From Orient With Var Tales
Drapers Tell Of Extra
Quota OF Excitement
on Conference Trip.

A party of Washington school
teachers which left this country in
June with the pleasant outlook of
ference preceded by a peaceful tour
of China and Japan, returned Thurs
day after more exciting experiences
than had been anticipated
Although hostilities had not vet
broken out in Shanghai, the delega-
tion's first port Of call in China in
mid-July conditions were so critical
that part of the trip was Cancelled.
The party disembarked instead at
Yokohama and spent the two weeks
originally allotted to China 10 sight
seeing in the Japanese Alps"
The group left Washington on June
28 under the leadership of DR.. Henry
w. Draper, supervising principal in
the Washington public schools. to at
tend the Seventh World Conference
of the World Federation of Education
Associations at Toxic, from August
to z. Although the avowed ideal OF
the conference is to promote under
SNoN'hiS hiid bOOQ Will dillOilk lidIlOilS
through their teachers, the Chinese
delegation withdrew upon the out
break of fighting in Peiping.
Refugees on Ship.
Although the party witnessed none
OF the actual warfare, DR.. Draper
and his wife, tea acher at the Gordon
Junior High School. said their behind
the-lines experiences were enough to
convince them Of the grim nature of
the struggle. From refugees crowding
the steamer President Taft. on which
the party returned to this country,
they heard stories of the horrors in
the f1ghting in Shanghai and they
themselves were witnesses of some of
the mobilization of Japanese forces.
In Japan. according to the Diapers.
the visiting teachers were royalty en-
tertalned with garden parties, plays
and excursions into the country about
the cities they visited. At each sta
ton on their trip the group found.
day or night. lines Of japanese school
children waving flags of welcome and
cheering them as they anghted from
their train
The cordiality of their welcome was
epitomized. DR.. Draper relates. bv an
incident at Shiga Heights in the
japanese Alps" Here their arrival
was greeted by delega ton OF Japa-
nese bearing huge sign. Welcome
DR.. Draper's Party" Then. when the
Americans entered the hotel. they
found sign urging them to try the
Draper" cocktail.
Demonstrations for Troops.
During their week in Toxic. the
Drapers said, troops were on the
march. accompanied by noisy dem
onstrations by the civilian populat alton
by day but moving quietly out at
night. Rumors abounded that the
japanese authorities were experiment.
ing difficulty in their recruiting. the
Diapers said.
When the Americans boarded the
President Taft for the return VOYAGE.
they found themselves in the midst of
the utmost confusion. Panic-stricken
refugees, many without money and
possessing only the clothes they were
wearing, slept in the lounges. card
rooms and wherever there was a chair
or table on which to drop.
Although a number of them had
been promised passage only to Yoko-
mama, some refused to disembark.
pleading with the ships officers to
take them still farther from the scenes
OF horror they had witnessed.
The Diapers found their stateroom.
which they had booked in advance.
occupied by an hysterical woman who
announced her intention of remaining
IN it day and night until the ship
reached home.
Waiter Enlivens Mealtimes.
One man. who had been stranded
in China without money, wheedled
walters job in return for homeward
passage on the liner. He enliVered
mealtimes with his brusque style of