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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 1924)
World Fliers Get Their First Peek at Oriental Tokio Japanese Admiral Introduces -Airmen to “Topsy-Turvy Land;” Smith, Harding Adept (ihopstick Pupils. Told By LOWELL THOMAS. I (Copyright. 1924.1 “There Is something exotic and j Alice in Wonderland like about the appearance of Japan from the air * plane," says Lieu tenant Ogden. "The main island along the eastern edge of which we flew from Minato to Tokio is far from monotonous. The coast's line under us was dot ted with dozens of fishing vil lages, and on our right we watched the rice fields, mountains, for ests and towns slip by. "Whenever we passed over a vil lage, and we often did at the rate of two a minute, we could see people scurrying out of their thatched houses to see us. Off to our left were countless thousands of sampans, ! fishing smacks and Junks bobbing up and down on the Pacific. “One of the Americans who had come out with a sampan load of gas for us at Minato told us to be on the look out for Matsushima, one of the ‘three principal sights’ of Japan, on our way south. Matsuslima turned out to be an archipelago of forest covered Islands of Hondo from Min ato to Tokio, and we dove down for a nearer view. There are nearly a thousands of them, all made of soft, porous voleanlo rock. "The waves of the Pacific have worn them Into the weirdest fantas tic shapes, each with a picturesque name such as the ‘Sun’ 'Moon' and ‘Never Growing Old Island.’ From where w# were In the sky they look ed like ‘green cameos set In an opales cent sea.’ Odd Tea Houses. "It was an Ideal afternoon In May. The ghostly shadows of our aerial rrulsera blended In the water below with the shadows of ths whits and yellow junks. Ths waters of t]js shin ing sea under us wers so smooth i that the freakish shaped rocky Islands covered with grotesque dwarf pines looked as though painted on a mirror. Hers and there we saw tiny tile roof tea houses and rustic bridges. These Japanese are so quaint about nearly everything they do that they remind on# of elves. "A few miles south of Matsushima we passed near Sendai, one of the largest cities In northern Japan. Al though larger even than Baton Rouge or Natchez back home. I'll frankly admit that I’d never heard of It until Jack read me something about It In a hook he picked up on the captain's desk aboard the TT. S. S. Pope the other night. It said some thing about Sendai being a city where foreigners were still regarded as strange creatures, with nothing to recommend them hut their money. * " After all the Japanese of Sendai have no monopoly on this Idea, because tourists are regarded as fair game mnst everywhere. "A few minutes after 5 we saw Rake Kasumlga fra ahead of us to ;the right. It Is only about 45 miles north of Toklo, and we had come all - the way south from Hltokappu, a distance of 900 miles. In this one day. There must have been 20,000 or 80.000 people waiting for us. among them various heads of the Imperial govern ment, generals, admirals, representa tives from our own embassy, and dig nitaries from many other countries. First Jap Reception. "Long concrete runway* extended out Into the lake and led up to a stone pier, where the vast throng waited to give us the first big reception that we had had since leaving Seattle. There were three of these runwaya. and motor boats came out to tow one plan# alongside each. As we ap proached the pier at this Japanese naval air base, the people waved flags, thousands of them, and shouted ■bonzl.' They shouted as though they really meant It. There were pbotog raphers In front of us, photograph ers to the left of us, photographers to the right of tie. behind us, on platforms, on poles, and even on the roofs. There also were flocks of news paper correspondents from all parts of the world—French scribes with beards, Englishmen with monocles, snd Americans with straw hats and horn rimmed glasses. As the reception committee led us through the throng the Japanese patted us on the backs and kept on shouting 'bonzl.' "There were thousands of frail looking little Japanese women In their fancy kimonos and sashes, with their hair piled up on their heads so neat ly. For variety and color wo had never seen anything Ilka It. And their smiles—ah, we were going to like Japan! After coming down out of the Arctic It was Indeed a beautiful pic ture. "After the formal reception, at which we were most cordially wel comed by the high officials, snd after we had made our planes fast for the night, we were teken to the Japanese naval air service club nearby, and each assigned a separata room and an orderly. Our quarters were Just as Xnodern as a New York hotel, special cooks prepared American dishes for ua, and as for service, It was the last word. It seems that there were quite a number of English aviators hern right after the war, teaching the Japanese how to fly. The club was built at that time. First Mail From Home. "We had been up alnre midnight ~ A l)V F.RT1H KM It N r Getting Up Nights Can Be Stopped #fv". ,n,„V. h,;:r d" U rWl of tbla ftf*n*th nnppln* j.llrrunt. »i*v* morn pep, be fra#i from burning *pb' aatinn, nnlri »n nrolnn. bark»i he "fd w* nk ntfti I’ll p«n4 you Walker'* rroataf* Hp*Mflr fr*p a n<l postpaid undfr I»Jalb wrapper. No obligation. No rent. If It rur*> your prnatat* fland trouble, vou run rapay the favor by telling your friend*- if not. the loan ta min* Simply **"'1 *n« yo"ur name und prova that you «an ftal It y*ara younger and bt rid or proatate troubi* IB WA1-RKR, 28«® Ootrway Station, anana City, Mo. S World Fliers Given Snappy Reception in Tokio After many weeks of battling storms, rold and lee, the United States world filers finally arrived In the land of lotus blossoms and civilization again. Photograph shows a part of the reception crowd which greeted the fliers oi) their arrival In Tokio. and had flown 900 miles in 11 hours. So \ W8 were very tired. But after dining with the Japanese officers, when we retired to our rooms we were handled the first mail from home that we had received. So it was Just like heaven to us. I ean't exactly explain it, but coming down from the Arctic to Japan was like I imagine a cat feels coming out of the cold into a warm room, curling up before a fire place, stretching and going to sleep. ‘Much ns we wanted to see Toklo, we spent all of the next day getting the planes ready so that we could overhaul them, checking over the sup plies. and preparing to take the ships out of the water so we could change from pontoons to wheels. It was lucky, too, that we were going to change to pontoons, because when Smith and Arnold were on the Chica go that morning a boatman came row ing alongside, and when they asked him to move on he put his oar against a pontoon to push himself away and shoved a hole right through it. "Later when ‘Les’ waa on tha Chi cago alone and being towed into the dock the motor in the boat stopped and the plane, while drifting helpless ly, nearly crashed into a small steam er. Tou never heard such frantic yelling. ‘Les’ couldn't speak Japanese and no one around him could speak English, although, they were all dy ing to help. First ‘Lea’ hopped over to the power boat, but, unabla to get it started quickly, ha took a flying leap back to the pontoon, and In do ing so collided with a Jap, who fell overboard, kimono, American atraw hat and all. Then Xea’ crawled out to the edge of the wing that was about to hit the steamer and held them apart with hit own strength until another motor boat was sent out to tow him away. Dives for Screwdriver. "A few minutes later one of the Japs helping him dropped a screw driver overboard. It waa ona that 'Les' used a great deal, and when he looked rather unhappy about It the Jap dove right off the pontoon, swam around at the bottom of the bay like a pearl diver and two or three min utes later came up with It In his mouth. “That evening we had our first In troduction to the teahouses and geisha girls of Japan, when one of the admirals took us to dinner In the town of Tsuchimlra. Having often heard of the geishas, and wondering Just who they really were, we all, looked forward to this party. Nor were we one hit disappointed. When we stepped from our limousines to the veranda of the teahouse, checked our shoes and were welcomed by a crowd of Japanese maids In flowered ki monos, It seemed as though we had stepped right Into the pages of a story book. “We entered a room with a floor covered with straw mats and with walls that were mere screens made of weed and paper. The admiral Invited us to kneel on silk cushions. Then a tiny table of lacquer was placed In front of each of us by very pretty geisha girls assigned to serve and en tertain us. All of them were demure, charming, laughlng-eyed, 16-year-old maidens. Each time on* of them brought In another course she would kneel down on the floor, bow end touch her forehead to the matting. Each geisha devotes herself exclu sively to the gentleman whom she has been assigned to watt upon, re moves the various courses, brings others, lights his clgarets as he re clines on his cushion, fills his little cup with warm sake, and Initiates him Into the mystery of using chop sticks. CbopaHck Difficulties. “The admiral had ordered nothing but Japanese food, but we were too busy fiddling with our chopsticks to bother about what we were eating. Just try eating rice with two knitting needles and you will know what It Is like. After I had finally coaxed a morsel half way to my mouth, sud denly the sticks would fall apart, the food drop and one stick would fly up and hit me In the eye. Smith and 'Smiling Jack" eeemed to be the two most apt pupils, beoause after a half hour their geishas got them so they could swing s wicked chopstlck. Children Cry for MO THER 1 Fletcher’s Castoria is a pleasant, harmless sub stitute for Castor Oil, Paregoric, Teething Drops and Soothing Syrups, prepared for Infants in arms and Children all ages. It has been in use for more than 30 years to safely relieve Constipation Wind Colic To Sweeten Stomach Flatulence Diarrhea Regulate Bowels Aids in the assimilation of Food,prompting Cheerfulness,Re»t and Natural Sleep without Opiates To avoid imitations always look for the signature of Proven directions on each package. Physicians everywhere recommend it. Rock Springsc^A? Lump Size..SI 2.50 PCt Nut Size. $11.00 'on I UPDIKE lcuoma1ecro& 9WA lnut 0300 "Sake was another thing we knew nothing about until we arrived here. It seems to be served everywhere and flows almost as freely as water. It Is a light white wine made from rice, and Instead of serving It In a pail of Ice they put It on the stove and heat It. “Japan surely Is a topsy-turvy land. Or Is It that we are the funny ones? Not only do the Japanese drink their wine hot Instead of cold, take scald ing hot baths Instead of cold ones, and read and -write from right to left, but we noticed up at JUtok appu that the sailors on their de stroyers would beach their boats stern foremost. At the village of Yanketo we saw men backing horses Into their stalls Instead of leading them. Then they have several other customs that seem peculiar to the western world, such as never using profane language and regarding it as extremely vul gar for women to reveal their arms, shoulders, and ankles as occidentals do. If a Japateae wants to abuse or Insult another he simply omits the usual polite superlatives or spreads them on so thick that they Indicate derision. Maidens of Refinement. "After we had dined, the geishas danced and sang for us. The music was odd and weird and somewhat In harmonious, but the (lancing was most artistic and utterly different from our American Jan or shimmy. The geishas. In bright silks, with dainty fans, merely postured before gold and silver screens. It all esemed In exquisite taste. As they danced the Japanese officers told us a little about them and explained that the most of them are maidens of re finement and by no means the 'Ma dame Bulterflys' that foreigners so often think. "It was an evening In a life time, so novel and altogether charming that It seemed Just like a dream.” In speaking about the rather long stay of eight days that the world fliers made at Kasumlgaura. Erik Nelson explained that It not only was necessary to overhaul the planes and pontoons but the Japanese would have been deeply offended If they had not attended the official receptions and banquets that had been ar ranged. # “Otir uniforms arrived from Toklo Saturday morning. May 24, an we blossomed forth In regular army air service dress for the first time since leaving Seattle. That day also la memorable because It was the day when we caught our first glimpse of Toklo. "The Japanese naval people rode us to the station In automobiles, ac companied by a naval escort. A special train had been arranged for us, with separate coaches for our naval and military escorts and the newspaper correspondents and photog raphers. "The Japanese reporters not only plied us with questions all the way Into Toklo, but they even handed us pencils and pads and asaed us each to compose a poem appropriate to the occasion! We apologized and put them off with the explanation that we had temporarily lost our normal poetical powers while flying through snow squalls and wlllle-waws along the Alaskan coast. But Smith mide them glow With pride when he as sured them that If we remained In flowery, sunny Japan very long we would aoon get back to writing poetry again. "When we alighted from the train It looked as though there were a hun dred thousand people to meet us, In cluding all the movie and still pho tographers who had bombarded us at Kasumlgaura, as well as a hundred others on poles, roofs, and shooting from the windows and platforms of the train. A reception committee made up of high Japanese officials and nearly all of the members of the Royal Japanese Aero society greeted us on the station platform with speeches and flower*. It was a dull day, so the photographers had to use their flash guns, and with a hun dred or more of them going off like bombs It not only waa a picturesque oriental welcome but a noisy one. like an old-fashioned Fourth of July.” Read the next installment of the tlirilllng story of the round-the-world flight in The Omaha Bee tomorrow. Recovering From Operation. Tecumseh, Dec. 20.—Sanford B. Rice, veteran Burlington roadmaster, with headquarters here, returned from a Rochester (Minn.) hospital Thursday. He underwent a serious operation for kidney trouble, and Is reported to be recovering now. T. L. COMBS £ Aviated Qualities t and |*t Submarined Prices j\ f! on Jewelry | (| Sait* Thousand# of Folic jt ' l You Should Cad -K ■; 308 8. 16th St. At Farnam | * So Nifty! So Giftyl ^ Handkerchiefs la Pretty Christmas Boxes 19c 39c 59c F. W. Thome Co. 1812 Farnam St. V» ^ OSTEOPATHY Is an Efficient Curative System FID PIMPLES FI _ All Over Face. Itched and Burned. Cutlcura Heals. " 1 wu troubled with pimples foe many years They wete scat tered all over my face and were large and red. The pimples itched ana burned and often caused loss of sleep. My face was disfigured and the eruptions often caused em ' barraesment, “ I tried many remedies without success. 1 sent for a free sample of Cutlcura Soap and Ointment and after using found relisf so pur jCha.ied more, and after using three cakes of Soap artd three boxes of Ointment I was healed.” (Signed' |Miss Catherine llsughney, 4140 firmer Ave., Cleveland, Ohio. Use Cutlcura Soap, Ointment and Talcum for dally toilet purposes. liiaitM Tr** M tltll A<Mr#aa "C*Ut»f» UM »t-rW« Oaf-t ff. Mal4«R «l MUI • 34# < hn*n»*nf W 1 •' atlta 4* Omahans May See Larpe Air Meet; Gould Dietz Back From Meet-! ing of Aeronautic Society. Omahans during the American I,eglon convention In. 1925 may sea one of the large air meet* planned by the government and the National Aeronautic society. If the air meet should come to Omaha It will he under the auspices of the War department, and army airplanes will take part. The government and the aeronautic society are planning two air meets for 1925, according to Gould Diets, who returned Friday from Washing ton, where he attended a meeting of the aeronautic society, of which he la a governor. He said the other air meet would be under the auspices of the navy and would be at some seaport point. A balloon race is also being consid ered for the I.eglon convention, Mr. Dietz said. While In Washington Dietz visited Major General Hart, In charge of the quartermaster depots. General Hart said the quartermaster depot asked for by Omahans would be taken up at the end of the fiscal year. General Hart said he would cooperate with Omaha business men In trying to se cure the depot for Omaha. Omaha wholesalers say that, If the depot were again established here, several millions of dollars worth of products would be purchased annu ally. — SHENANDOAH BANK CLOSES ITS DOORS Shenandoah, la,, Dec. 20.—Ham burg's tangled bank affairs were further complicated this morning when the Farmer* Savings bank failed to open. Withdrawal of funds and depletion of cash were given by the board as reasons for turning it over to the state department. C. W. Davy is president. The First Na tional bank in Hamburg, of which John Lingo is president, closed sev eral month* ago to readjust it* af fairs. It plans to open again Monday. FARMERS TURN TO RAISING SHEEP Columbus, Neb., Dec. 20.—More than 50 farmers in Platte county have started to raise sheep In com parison to less than 20 farmers keep ing sheep last year. Increasing prices fur- wool and fair prices for mutton are said to have caused the Increase, and the ease with which the animals can be kept snd the cheapness with which they can be cared for Is arlven as the reason for ths Increase by wool buyers making this territory for eastern firms, who declare sheep raising In Nebraska la Increasing bj leaps and bounds. k » A CHRISTMAS PIANO # II We have a few from JP A the following factories Md Cl Steinway Jfc n Kurtzmann » SI (inch (f 1^ cl S170 Buys a Good Used Upright ml Baby Grand as low as $425 A , Send a Piano Home |L Ir , Sixteenth end fWKFOjJD 419 So. 16th jW A ' Howard W-r/cC*. Omaha H ^ Sunday Evening Lecture ‘THE HOLY LAND” To which Omaha people of all denominations are invited ^ TRINITY CATHEDRAL, 18th and Capitol By BISHOP SHAYLER Recently Returned from Palestine December 21 at, “Bethlehem” Christmas Carols Will Be Sung Com* Early—No Char**. Trinity Cathadral Choir Will Sin* 1809 Brandt s oPPo*ite Dougin* St. Hotel FontcnelU Good. 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