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Post card in train between Tokyo and Yokohama
March 15
Just a word before I sail. I’ve had some splendid interviews this week and a
fine time. Shall be in Shanghai on Tuesday .Lovely weather .quite warm. Eryl
and Porthkerry Park will look fine soon with the spring .Looking forward to
airmail letters in Singapore.
Yokohama .Sailing in 1/2 half hour. Cariad Gareth.
American Mail Line
Japan China Philippines approaching Kobe
Round the World
On board Pres. Grant
Sat March 16 1935.
My
dearest All,
This is like a ghost ship; about 10 passengers on board when there should be
500 ,
but it gives me time to work. I
came on board yesterday and did some work before dinner on "Can Japan
Conquer the Air?" for the I.N.S. - a study of the future of Japan’s aviation
future - really a synopsis of the views of various military air attaches in
Tokyo and of the Japanese air transport experts. 1 finished the article this
morning.
Last night after we had dinner the film "Sorrel and Son" for the 10
passengers.
My
interviews were a great success. Think of it - I interviewed the Navy
Minister Mr Osumi, - a fine jolly laughing old boy.
General Araki ,the leading militarist, a courteous dignified man with a long
moustache, Matsuoko who took Japan away from the League. Baron Shidehara who
was Foreign Minister and I had written interview from the War Minister
General Hayashi. The military men in Japan are men of fine simple honest
character.
Mr
Asano’s superb dinner put me into touch with Japan’s leading industrialists.
You’ll have been amused to see young me being asked to talk after dinner to
the great figures of modern Japanese banking and shipping and factory
life.There were 15 there and they were all at least 20-30 years older than I
was .
The contacts will be most
valuable when I return in the summer..
Everybody says that my plan of going to Manila ,Singapore, Java, Siam, China
etc. and then to Japan is a brilliant one. It is the real way of studying
the Far Eastern situation, they all say and will provide me with admirable
material for articles and for a fine post later in London or the M.G. or
Reuters. When I return .there will be more chance of a job in Europe than in
Asia, because there are few correspondents in Asia on account of high cable
rates.
Wasn’t James Stephens postcard funny!
We
are now entering Kobe harbour, but it is raining and I can’t see much. In
Kobe American Y.M.C.A leaders are coming on board. 1 met them in Tokyo.
Wasn’t James Stephens postcard funny!
We
are now entering Kobe harbour, but it is raining and I can’t see much. In
Kobe American Y.M.C.A leaders are coming on board. 1 met them in Tokyo and
the
Wasn’t James Stephens postcard funny!
We
are now entering Kobe harbour, but it is raining and I can’t see much. In
Kobe American Y.M.C.A leaders are coming on board .1 met them in Tokyo and
one of the leaders Mr Hammond wants me to join his table when he comes on
board.
How is lanto? Have you anew photo of him?
Cariad Cynesaf Gareth
In
Kobe I am going to see the British editor s who run the Japan Chronicle
--and now shore.
—~
Received April 8th from Shanghai.
AMERICAN MAIL LINE Just leaving the Inland Sea and entering the Straits of
Tsushima
Sunday March
17 1935 5o’clock
My
dearest All,
We
have just gone through the narrows near Shanghai and I have seen the port
with the grey low lying houses, where George Strong brings light and cheer
to the poor Japanese. We passed the boat President Wilson in the
narrows and saw a lot sailing vessel. It has been a bright sunshiny day and
I have been going through my interviews in Japan ,
reading them out to Mr Hammond, an important American Y.M.C.A leader, whom I
met at Tokyo and who is at my table - next to me.
He learned a lot at Tokyo and has interesting
views. He believes that Shantung Province will be persuaded by the Japanese
to join with Manchukuo, and that Peking will also go to Manchukuo in time.
Things seem to be most peaceful now and this year promises to be
disappointingly calm here.
I
arrived in Kobe yesterday afternoon and immediately went to the Japan
Chronicle, where I had a long talk with the editor, Mr Young ,
who hates the Japanese! Then I met Mr Kennard whose wife is the sister of Mr
Barrett on the Echo ,and they were most kind to me. They had been to
Barry. They took me to dinner and afterwards we walked through the amusement
places in the city, and had a talk in their home .
They believe that the Japanese are going to
expand everywhere they can and will be absolutely ruthless about it; that
they are heading for war , ut most observers in Tokyo think that the
Japanese will be peaceful for quite a long time.
Mr
Kennard motored me to the boat at about 13,30 in the morning (or midnight
rather) and the boat sailed about 2 o’clock,when I was fast asleep. I read
the Times of Feb 25th in the Japan Chronicle office and my
last letter from you was Feb 7!
I
am puzzled about views on Japan and I think I had better wait until, I
return in the summer before coming to any conclusions. I shall then know
much more about the Far East.
My
Cabin is most comfortable on the upper deck, quiet ,comfortable bed and
everything .
The weather is perfect; sunny and warm
and the voyage ,through the Inland Sea was fine .1 had breakfast in bed this
morning (grapefruit, wheat cakes, rolls and butter and honey and milk) read
the Japanese Weekly
Chronicle which is wittily written and full of hits against Japan; then
had a bath and went and sat and talked with Mr Harman in the sun.
There was a man rather drunk near and, as we were talking a rain of whisky
descended d on poor Mr Harman! The drunk had tried to threw the rest of his
whisky into the sea had missed the sea and hit Mr Harman instead. The drunk
apologised and Mr Harman said "I do not object so much to your throwing your
whisky at me as I do your profanity.!"
I
think I should have chosen the profanity.
The food on board is good:-for lunch I had sardines, haricot bean soup
(it is called navy bean soup in America and I thought of a joke
(?)
for Bateman or Illingworth - (the League of
Nations enthusiast who refused to eat navy bean soup!) then Belgium jugged
hare; strawberry tart; sliced oranges and bananas and cream and coffee..
Now it is good-bye Japan; the coast is disappearing.
Tuesday morning March 19th 1935
It
was very misty when I woke up this morning and found myself in Shanghai. 1
looked out of the porthole and saw Chinese junks floating lazily past. Then
I descended to breakfast and went to catch the tender into the city, for we
are lying on the other side of the river some distance from the Bund.
On
the tender I watched hundreds of junks with Chinese working hard on board. I
talked with Shanghai reporters who brought me ashore and gave me directions
.Rickshaw drivers were there by the hundred . istrolled into the town
and changed some money ,but I find the Chinese money very puzzling .1 walked
to the French Concession which borders on the International Concessions just
as Barry borders on Barry Dock and I found the address of Mr Cheng ‘s
father-in -law. (Mr Cheng was on the Coolidge) who is a silversmith .They
told me that Mr Cheng was in a bank building near in a skyscrape, went there
and found a Chinese family and the little boy Pax,
but
Mr Cheng had gone to Nanking. 1 looked at Shanghai from the roof of the
building and chatted with one of the family who said that the business in
Shanghai was terrible and that he hated the Japanese and that Chiang Kai
Shek was very powerful.
I
descended and took a rickshaw. It is funny to have a man pulling you along
instead of a horse or a motor car and I was surprised at the speed at which
he went and at the fact that he did not stop for a rest. He carried me to
the Dollar Line Office, where I have been hearing arrangements to convert my
round-the world ticket into one back across America ;i.e. if I get Radio
bookings.
Office of the China Daily News
I
lunched with the editor, Mr Haward at the Cathay Hotel - talked about
how Japan was smashing foreign trade in China in cotton.
I
have just sent the Matsuoka interview to the M.G. Shanghai seems
swarming with poor people thousands of rickshaws. Sailing tonight to Hong
Kong.
Cariad Cynsef Gareth,
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