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Bunka Apartments, Ochanoniza,
Tokyo,
Wednesday February 20,1935
My Dearest All,
Last night I was a wakened by an earthquake I
felt the bed shaking back and forwards and the room was trembling. I could
not quite understand what it was. It lasted three minutes, I asked Mr
Pickering(a liberal M.P. from Leicester who is staying here) and he said
that it was a quite a fair-sized quake.
I wonder if you saw my articles in the M.G. I
had a letter from the editor on Monday (the letter was dated Jan 27 and was
marked "via Siberia") to say that he had published two the preceding week. .
I hope you will send them to me (the whole page),because I am delighted that
my first articles in the Manchester
Guardian have appeared. Would you
please ook out for others? They are: on California Coast
Outlook.Beginning "Scares of War "and describing why there should be no war
between U.S. and Japan. Also an interview with Upton Sinclair and an
interview with La Follette in the Middle West.
Also an article on the Japanese
in Hawaii.
Aren't you glad that I am doing work for the
Guardian. I hear .however that the paper is not well off financially and
that they have not so many foreign correspondents now.
I am writing now in my room in the Bunka
Apartments. It is very quiet and I overlook a number of Japanese houses. It
is a beautiful crisp day - just the kind of day for a walk with Ianto down
the Vale of Glamorgan. The sun is setting I have been all day working .there
was no press conference at the Foreign Office this morning .because as Mr
Amau told (the spokesman) told me yesterday "I am going to the Imperial Duck
Hunt.".
My plans may change. Everybody tells me that to
be in South China and the Philippines in late summer
as I had intended is madness; that one is cooked, that it is impossible to
work and that all the people with whom one can talk are away. Hong Kong,
Canton and Manila are dead in July and August they say and no one can
collect material. The letters from Miss Gause and the Radio Editor are
encouraging one to think of some broadcasts and lectures in California
before home returning for Christmas .I expect a cable from the radio editor
about a series of broadcasts.
If I go home through America ,1 shall leave at
the end of March for the Philippines- via Shanghai and
Hong Kong and then spend roughly:
May in Canton area or Hong Kong.
June in Central China, ie. Shanghai Nanking and
Hankow
July in Peking and then Manchuria.
August in the mountains near Tokyo where all
the diplomats and jounalists go.
If I do this I shall be passing through Hong
Kong in the beginning of April and also about a fortnight
later (I shall not stay more than a fortnight
in the Phillipines.
THERE FORE WRIT E TO ME IN MARCH TO;
C/O Dollar Line .Hong Kong .
If I do this route it will be possible for me
to return via Suez if I do not return via America. When I decide I shall
write to the Consulate Peking asking to send my mail to Hong Kong .
I have just had a letter from George Strong "I
shall be most disappointed if we fail to meet Mine is a bachelor
establishment and I should be delighted to give you a bed"
Everybody is so amazingly hospitable here and I
have been so busy that I haven't told you a word about Japan yet. I
have had heaps of invitations and I shall try and remember what has
happened.
My first few days were spent at the Imperial
Hotel built by Frank Lloyd Wright, said to be the most talked of Hotel in
the world. I spent a lot of time with the American boys who were on the
boat, because having arrived on Saturdayit was difficult to get in touch
with people.
I told you how I dined with Cooper of the
American Embassy; we had half -geisha girls to look after us. I do not think
they were fully trained .because they only looked about 15 years of age and
the training takes a
long time. They have to learn to sing and dance and to converse very wittily
and know about poetry and flowers.
On Sunday (Feb 10) we all went to the
Jorgensen's. Mr. Jorgensen is a big man with the Y.M.C.A.here and his son
Gordon who was at Harvard teaches English. Gordon is very clever and a good
talker. We are going for a walking tour in the mountains over Saturday and
Sunday. We were to be guests at the Jorgensens's and they asked us back to
supper! We visited a shrine and military museum.
On Monday anniversary of the 2559th (I believe)
year of the Japanese Empire. 1 went with the American boys to Nikko
and saw the magnificent temples .The countryside is fine here; millions of
children in coloured picturesque garments everywhere ; the trees and the
mountains are most beautiful.
On Tuesday my work began. I went to the Press
Conference in the morning (see enclosed photo).
By the way, all think that it is going to be a
terribly quiet summer in the Far East. Japan is making friends with China
and Russia. So war is unthinkable I'm afraid I'm in for a calm time .It
looks as though Japan and China will be out of the news.
At my first Press Conference when about 50
journalists were assembling to go and talk with Mr.Amau,
a man of about 45 came up to me and introduced himself as the Reuter
correspondent (Mr Cox ) and asked if he could help me. It was exceedingly
kind of him and he introduced me all round to the men who create world
opinion about Japan. Then he took me to his office and introduced me to a
number of people , including Mr Iwanaga, head of Rengo (the very powerful
Japanese news agency .equivalent of Reuters).
Mr. Young the International News Service
Correspondent .has also been exceedingly good . He asked me to Rotary lunch
on Wednesday Feb 14 and to a party at his house on Thursday 15 .
Mr Cox has proposed me as a temporary member of
the American Club.
It is time to
go off now. I am dining with Dr Mar of the Chinese Legation.
Last Sunday night I dined with the British
Ambassador; Monday lunched with Kirkwood of the Canadian Legation and dined
with Cox of Reuters; yesterday lunched with Mr Cunningham at the British
Embassy and dined with Mr Iwanaga, head of Rengo, Mr Matsuoka who brought
Japan out of the League of Nations at Geneva. The famous Matsuoka was
invited and I had a long chat with him .
Yesterday I met Kushida who is called "Prime
Minister of Mitsibushi" the mighty industrial, bankingand commercial
concern..
Thursdayevening. American Club,
Again I won't be able to describe my Japanese
experiences .1 am exceedingly busy and I am dining with Kirkwood of the
Canadian .Tomorrow I lunch with Kurosawa (of Trinity) and dine with Mr Aman
(Spokesman at the P.O.)
I am enjoying myself exceedingly .All is going
well.
Cariad Cynesaf
Gareth
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