Evening star., 1937-08-22

in China, America is par
" " ticularly fortunate at this
time to have an Ambas-
sador there who knows the country
from one end to the other; who knows
Its peoples and traditions; its weakness
and its power. its hopes and am
billions: and who speaks the language,
besides being familiar with many of
the dialects throughout the vast re-
public A man of sober Judgment and
unlimited experience in the field of
Far Eastern affairs.
Ambassador Nelson Trusler john
sons first acquaintance with China
began about 80 years ago in 1907.
when at the age of 20 he was sent
there as a student interpreter by this
Government. He rose rapidly in the
service and in l9C9-l0 was vice and
deputy consul and Interpreter at
Mukden. Then he seemed to become
the Man Friday in the Far East for
the Taft and Wilson administrations,
for in April and July of 1910 he was
sent to Harbin. to HankoW in l9lO-l1
and to Shanghai in 1911, where he
remained until l9l5-and was later
returned there. He was then designat-
ed to exercise judicial authority in
civil and criminal cases. He came
back to this country and was assigned
to the Department of State, division
OF Far Eastern affairs, in December
of 1918. and in 1921 was made expert
assistant on Far Eastern affairs to the
American Commissioners at the Con-
terence on Limitation of Armament
Later, after serving as consul general
at large assigned to inspection in the
district of Eastern Asia, he was made
chief of division in Far Eastern affairs
IN the State Department.: then
Assistant Secretary of State, after
which he received his first ministerial
post in China in 1929 to be crowned
by his appointment as first United
States Ambassador to that country in
1885. when the legation was raised to
an embassy There are few career
men in the diplomatic service Of this
country who have been given as
difficult tasks and had their ambitions
realized.
Mrs. johnson a Charming
And Very Helpful Hostess.
His eXcelencv devoted his entire
time to the work in hand and was
given over as a confirmed bachelor
when, in 1881. he married Miss Jane
Thornton Back of Cody, Wyo. who
had spent much time in Washington
From what young Army and Navy Of
ficers say and Americans generally
who come back from China. Mr.. John
son made a delightful choice. and the
younger diplomats, to whom she is al
ways helpful and who often enjoy her
rare hospitality, say she was certainly
worth waiting for. She enters into the
life of the corps. taking a real interest
in tourists from her own country. who
say she is not a bit snobbiSh and re-
CeiVes them like she enjoyed it-and
not as a duty. 1t is said that there is
just enough Eastern atmosphere about
the Embassy to give a unique charm
to her entertainments. She seems to
have the gift of combining Chinese
viands and good United States cooking
in the most delectable way. Nelson
Beck and Jetty Jane, the two young
sters of the family. are winning chill
dren, and frequently appear when the
family entertains.
1t was during the time that Mr..
johnson was Minister to China that
he made his famous walking tour
through parts of the republic He min
Fled freely with the people, stopping
at the houses and huts of the natives,
where he saw the panorama of Pearl
Bucks novel, The Good Earth" un-
fold before him in all its pristine set
ting. In some places he saw the abiect
squalor with its background of some
OF natures grandest scenery He found
that the lngrained sentimental worship
of the land which amounts to a fetish
was not exaggerated in Miss Bucks
novel. Being able to talk in their own
Nernacular with the people whom he
met as he went through the country
he learned at first hand of their CEN
turies-old industries. arts. crafts, agri-
culture, which had come down to them
through the ages.
Mr.. johnson Present
At Awakening of China.
1t must have been while the Am
bassador was at Shanghai in 1911. tha.
he realized that the vast empire, after
5000 years, was in the throes of a
new birth-the change of despotic
government to a twentieth century
republic. During these years in China
he has witnessed the spectacle of an
effort to educate over 100000 people
CT diverse religion and blood into a
new regime condition of living in
direct contrast to the old A popula-
ton composed of many different races
who speak various dialects being
nodded into human amalgamation-
Chinese. Tartars, Tibetans and Mo-
hammedans. The progress in trans
porta ton from the time when he first
landed there to the other day when
he few down to Shanghai from Peip-
ing in a few hours the queer little
railway trains and trans; the "Peking
cara two-wheeled vehicle resem-
bling small covered wagon and
drawn by solemn looking water
buffalo or trotting along to a dinner
party in man-powered ricksha or
sedan chair are now things of the past
80 far as necessity is concerned.
An official of the Department of
State Of many years said the other
day in reminiscing about the Am
bassador, that he was most inde-
fatigable worker, never leaving ques-
ton or problem until it was rounded
out to his satisfaction-in so far as
it rested with him. That he is simply
q handy compendium as well as
history of Chinese affairs, with de-
lighttul sense of humor that even the