Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-04

First Ambassador
To China, Dies al 81
Nelson Trusler johnson, ST.
the first American Ambassador
to China and formerly Assistant
Secretary Of State, died last
night at his home, 1902 Van Ness
street NV, after a heart attack.
He was known as shirt
sleeve diplomat" who had
learned more Eastern lore than
a mandarin and who had rolled
more miles in a rickshaw than
most Chinese during the many
years he was so much a part OF
Far Eastern affairs.
Mr.. Johnson was a diplomat
who mingled with the people.
He snapped stories with coolies.
visited tea houses and while
minister to China made a walk
ing tour through parts Of the
republic. He stopped at huts
of the natives and visited the
homes of the Chinese. talking to
all he met in their own vernac-
ular.
Toured Burma Road.
In 1889, when he was Ambassa-
dor to China, he came home the
long way to report to President
Roosevelt on China's prospects
in the Far Eastern conflict. He
drove 2,100 miles in an auto
mobile on the new road carved
out of rugged foothills of the
Malaga Mountains in Sinkiang
Province. He and his party were
the first civilians to enter Burma
on that new road which was
built as a back door" for war
supplies.
Once, during an official ap-
pearance, his knowledge ,of the
Chinese language caused aston
ishment. The Chinese greeted
him in their own language at a
formal gathering and painstak-
ingly translated it to him in
English via an interpreter. Mr..
Johnson gave the opening reply
of his address in English, which
was translated to the Chinese,
and then spoke the rest of his
remarks in hawless Chinese.
He was one of the few Ameri-
can diplomats who could speak
Chinese. Chinese officials said
he spoke better Chinese than
any other foreigner. His knowl-
edge of the language was so
good that he could make a
Chinese understand an American
joke. And he brought home
Chinese humor to Americans,
often using a Chinese parable to
answer questions.
Native of Washington.
Mr.. johnson was born in
Washington. He was named for
his maternal grandfather, Col.
Nelson Trusler of Indiana who
fought in the Civil War. His
father. jeremiah, was a news
paperman and lawyer.
The veteran diplomat was edu-
Gated at Sidwell Friends School
and George Washington Univer-
sitya
He wanted a profession that
would take him to foreign lands
so he competed with several
hundred college youths for a
Foreign Service job. He was one
of IS chosen and shortly after
ward he was en- route to China as
a 19-year-old language student
with a $1,000-a-year salary.
Became Vice Consul.
From language student he be-
came vice consul and interpreter
in the capital of Manchuria and
then deputy consul general. He
was stationed in Harbin,s Han
koW, Shanghai, Chungking and
Changsha.
He was in Hankow in 1911
during the revolution which set
up the Chinese Republic. Two
years later bullets whizzed by
him when Vat Sen rebelled
against the government of Yuan
Sink Kai.
While still a young man
he was chosen to sit on the
Mixed Court in Shanghai where
he had full authority to adjudi-
cate both civil and criminal cases.
Butt Of Own Act.
Mr.. johnson liked to tell the
story on himself about the time
he freed culprit coolie charged
with stealing four ducks because
he couldn't find the owner of the
birds. That night when he