Evening star., 1941-11-19

Henry McLemore. intim m a tt a c.
quaintance with American customs
and slang. OF all the japanese dip
lomats available he best knew how
to talk to Americans in their own
idiom.
Kurusu wasted little time in dis
playing this gift. Discriminating from
the Clipper on the West Coast ne
made play for the sympathy OF the
football-minded by remarking, L
wish I could break through the line
and make a touchdown y
Arriving in Washington he talked
the language Of the millions Of horse
players in the country. Asked what
odds he would give on his mission
being a success he laughed and an
svered, You'll have to be the book
maker on that one"
The boxing fans Of the Nation
weren't overlooked by Kurusu either.
He used the expression fighting
chance" and, given time, might well
have encompassed all of the sports.
What bothers me is the possibility
that Kurusu may be too familiar
With our language and botch up his
conferences by talking Americanese
that our State officials don't under
stand. Mr.. Cordell Hull doesn't 60
in for breezy, light chatter and
neither does Sumner Welles. an old
Groton boy who is said to wash his
own mouth out with soap even when
some one else uses amt
Suppose the japanese envoy, n
his effort 10 speak Americanese,
goes all out along these lines? On"
chaos could come from a conference
that went something like this:
Kuyusu Cto Mr.. HulN-Pard, I'm
vorried-but worried. I hope your
Prexv won't put the o. niXeroo on
this conference or give NE the Of
brush-Of.
( Mr.. Hull In an aside to Mr..
WelIes) What did the honorable
gentleman from Japan say? Is that
the double-talk I have heard about?
Kurusu-Did you say double-talk?
I CONTAIN that the situation en-
gropes dismatic need for axilatlc
redondos.
Mr. Hull-Cal the interpreter,
Sumner.
Kurusu-Be sure to call one that
knows Pig Latin. That's my avor-
itefqy anguagelay. Ooday ooyay
eakspav itay istermay Ullhay?
Welles-Let's get down to business
Kurusu-Okeydoke. Thatll be the
cats vhiskers.
Hull-Call two interpreters, Sum-
ner.
! Welles-Mr Kurusu. would you
be so kind as to refrain from speak
ing japanese? We don't under
stand il.
Kurusu-Japanese? You're killing
me. Positively killing me. What l
mean is you're Staying me See?
Muss my hair and call me Willkie, if
you haven't got me vowed.
/ Welles-But we would like to dis
cuss the oil situation. Nj. Kurusu.
Kurusu-You're telling me! That
the chief reason I scrammed over
here to make a little parley-voo
with you brass hats.
Hull-But TO get down 10 business.
Kurusu-That right down my
alley even if my country is little
behind the eight ball. I am over
here 10 see TO it that my country
doesn't -uh-uh-what is 1t you
call it?-mugg, puss, map, kisser.
MI Hull-Does your country in
sist on staying in the Axis?
{ KuruSu-Until the COWS come
home. sweetheart. We've been
pitching WOO with them for a long
time now and we can't Reno-vate
at this late date.
Welles-Now, about China, Mr.
KuruSu.
+ kurusu-WoWie Do they get in
our hair, those Cinnamon. They've
got US singing the blues-and I don't
mean maybe.
Hull-What is your countryS
stand in regard to Russia?
Kurusu-The bigger they are the
harder they fall is what the boys
in the back yard keep saying.
Welles-You mean by that your
country does not hold Russia in
high regard?
Kurusu-You tell 'em sister while
I hang out the ice to dry.
Mr.. Hull-Sumner, where are
those interpreters I called for?
KuruSu-Maybe they're waiting
for a streetcar.
Mr.. Hull-Shmner, let's go chop
down those cherry trees and I don't
mean maybe.
Welles-That's oke by me, boss.
KWusu-What's going on around
here? You men taking powder on
me?
Mr.. Hull and Mr. Welles Gin
chorus)-We're taking nothing else
but.
Distributed by McNauFht Syndicate. Ine)