A CELEBRATED DIPLOMATIST

Feilding Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 38, 7 September 1905, Page 4

A CELEBRATED DIPLOMATIST

Araon^tbe most important members of the Jupanese peace commission (says the New York Tribuno) is a threwd aud able Ni>w Enghind law)er of the name of Dennisou, an ixpert in international law, who for a number of years past -indeed, ever9incebe quitted the service of the American Government, a quarter of a century ago has been the legal adviser to the " Gaimusho," or Department of Foreign Affairs, at Tokio. He first weni out to Japan as an American vice consul and as deputy to the turbulent General Van Bureu, whose term of office as consul general at Yokohama is still remembered at the State department at Washington in connection with the inoidinato number of disputes in which he became involved, especially with bis chief, Judge Bingham, the genial and pop ular old envoy of the United States at Tokio. Where Mr Dennison especially shows his ability is by his modesty and tho altogether unobtrusive manner in which he is content to work, instead of exploiting for his own glory and prestige the influence which he wields wilh the Japanese Government — greater, in fact, than enjoyed by any foreigner at Tokio siuca the days of the gallant old General Legendre, whom everybody liked at Tokio, was trusted almost blindly by tbe Mika do's Government, and whose name is still held in kindly memory by Japanese .and foreign friends as sociated with him in the Land of the Rising Bun 80 years ago. Mr Danmson'fi activity is by no means restricted to the mere affairs of the Foreign Depaitment. His counsel is sought by the Japaueso Minister of Foraign Affairs and his subordinates, &s well as by all othnr members of the Cabinet, about all sorts of matters, and he is, in one word, the principal foreign adviser of the Japanese Government. It speaks volumes for bis honesty, for his tact and for bis shrewdness tbat he should have succeeded in wholly winning the confidence of tbe Japan£ ese, that he should have been able to dispel that altogether innate distrust which tbo Orientals invariably entertain for the European or American and that ho should have exercised his delicate functions with so much care as to avoid exciting the jealousy which so highly sensitivo a people as the Japanese might naturally be expeoted to feol with regard to the idea that they were dependan upon foreign judgment and experience for their statesmanship. Mr Dennison's name, which has escaped until now the attention of the publio, is familiar to every foreign diplomat who has been stationed during the last quarter of a century in Japan.