| Show oR w oN DEMOCRATIC EMPEROR ONCE Twenty-three Twenty years ago this in Japan got considerable consid consid- writer vis visiting ting hand first-hand information about erable I the emperor from a young Japanese Japanese Japanese Japa Japa- who nese Quaker Renzo Hirohito Hirohito Hiro- Hiro to accompany i had been picked hito hilo then crown prince on a trip to see the western world Why educated in a Quaker Quaker Quaker Qua Qua- was chosen to ker school in Tokyo accompany the young prince on this making history-making trip I do not know I except that the Imperial c council uncil of education wanted a commoner of 01 I Hirohito's age who spoke English I and French to travel with the future future fu future fu- fu ture emperor Never before had a ruler of Japan left its shores In the past scarcely scarce scarce- I ly was the emperor even seen byI by I his subjects Some idea of his isolation isolation isolation isola isola- tion can be gained from the fact that the word mika means awful the word do means place and the name Mikado means awful In the old days priests came to worship at the awful place but they never saw the emperor whose other name even today is Tenno meaning son of Heaven The emperor is synonymous with the sun and from this comes the Japanese flag with 16 spreading rays symbolic symbolic symbolic sym sym- bolic of the rising sun and the em em- In those days the Mikado was the theoretical owner of all the land andall and andall andall all the people and their posses posses- He was their God and pro pro- His lance and shield came from Ama the ancestral region Thus arose the cult of Shintoism which actually means rule of the of the Gods superiors or way uway Gods Even the word for government in Japan means shrine visiting or religion Modernizing the ine Emperor Thus during most of Japanese history in fact up until just after the arrival of Commander Perry in 1852 the Mikado was an ethereal spiritual l being not a ruler and it came as a definite shock to many Japanese that their to emperor-to-be should sail off oft to England and France to absorb western culture In fact some of the more intense patriots actually threw themselves on the railroad tracks in front of the train carrying Hirohito to Yokohama Yokohama Yoko Yoko- hama Kama in protest against the depart depart- ure Naturally Hirohito may have changed a lot during doring the 25 years ears since his trip Naturally also my friend was prejudiced in his favor However However However How How- ever the story of that voyage was one of a young man anxious to mingle with his fellowmen fellowmen fel- fel astound the emperor- emperor worshippers by wrestling on the deck with his aides get a bloody nose and dance democratically lIy with the servants of the Duke of Atholl in the same barbaric barbaric barbaric bar baric Scotland which according according according accord accord- ing to Shinto priests is made from the mud and left over after creation of the heavenly isles Japan Hirohito even managed to deliver deliver de de- liver a public speech to the lord mayor of London and no emperor in all the history of Japan had ever delivered a public speech before In all Japanese history furthermore no emperor had purchased an article article article arti arti- cle of any shape size or form In Paris however Hirohito insisted ongoing on ongoing ongoing going alone anc and buying a necktie and later a pearl for his mother Hirohito Goes Underground His greatest ambition however was to ride the on Paris subway or metro Before leaving Tokyo Hirohito's staff had been strictly forbidden forbidden for for- bidden to let the heir to the throne ride on any subway but despite this the crown prince bolted most of his staff and ventured under under- ground He insisted on buying t tie the 1 t tickets himself and handed the them m my to the fat lad lady y guarding the gate But he handed them to her in a bunch instead of spreading them out fan shape so that she could not punch th them eM quickly All of which brought forth a storm of abuse in metro o French heaped on the head of the future ruler of Japan T CAPITAL CHAFF i. i L The 1946 congressional elections probably will see the bitterest fight Both and the most money spent in years ears sides are gearing fora for a showdown showdown showdown show- show down partly as a result of the ish British British Brit- Brit British elections Conservatives a are re saying saying saying say- say It ing cant can't happen here C Q Truman Umar was kePt informed med regarding regarding re re- re- re off ofT garding that all these incidents ti tip Japan was weakening came after Russia declared and the Japs did not war return declare war warL in Q CI L Congressman John J. J OConnor O'Connor victim o 0 of the Roosevelt purge and who has those never forgotten it is i among n g t the he Christian front 3 n campaign a against g of Gen liam ham 0 William Wil- Wil Dwyer ODwyer Another is Father instigator Edward Curran ODwyer fought the Christian when he was BrooklYn f front i. i The army is due to cutback prosecutor on Several everything except hospitals new ones will be built in- in a army in Puerto hospital Rico by the L. L W. W Robe Robert firm of Atlanta He Hew was as the Democratic Demos vatic secretary ot of national committee |
