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RS. TETSUKO TOGO, wife of the admiral,
who smashed Runsla'a powerful armadas at
Port Arthur and In the Corean straits, is
commander In chief of their household at
Toklo; commander In chief and keeper of the
purse, ruler of the four children, and " boss."
If Admiral Toko decides to celebrate his
great victory over the Russian Baltic fleet he
Will be forced to appeal to Mrs. Toro for funds vnless he
Jhas saved enough out of his annual allowance of $300 a
year to furnish the banquet for himself and friends.
Mrs. Togo has full charge of the exchequer. She re
ceives her husband's pay, which now amounts to about
V) a year, with an occasional gift as a reward of brav
ery and merit so that his total Income as hero and the
central figure of the world Is less than 3,ono, and every
cent of this Income Is turned over to his wife, who supplies
him with spending money. Out of this income she makes
him an allowance approximating f.oo a year, and on the
remainder she must educate her four children, maintain
her quaint little home, pay servants, and dress herself and
her children in a manner worthy the wife and children of
the national hero.
J J
Wife Acts as Business Manager.
The fact that Togo's pay is turned over to his wife has
revealed to the world the fact that in the best households
of Japan the wife Is the treasurer and controller the busi
ness manager of the household.
The Japanese household Is conducted on an ideal co
operative plan, and 8a tori Kato, one of the beBt known
Japanrse who writes In English, has told the story of the
'domcBtlo arrangements among the social leaders of Toklo
j revealing a glimpse Into the home lives of the Samurai.
" The Japanese household of the better class," he
writes, " is conducted on the cooperative plan. From
'ihe day of their wedding the wife Is the treasurer and has
absolute charge of the disbursement of funds. The hus
band turns over the entire Income to his wife, who man
ages It with a skill and with results that would astound
the average woman of Europe or America. '
' " Admiral Togo, as I happen to know, turns ovr his
entire income, which Is less than $:1.0M', to his wife, who
has shown herself as able in the management of the house
hold finances and the control of the children as her now
famous husband has been In warfare.
" She makes htm a regular allowance of pocket money
a sum which would seem paltry to an American or Euro
pean army or naval officer of much lower rank and with
the rest she accomplishes wonders.
" She has educated her four children well, her home is
one of the most picturesque, sweet, and tasteful in tail
ToWo, although extremely unpretentious.
. -J
Life Led by ihe Children.
" Miss Chiyo Togo, the admiral's 14 year old daughter,
Is little beauty of the strictest Japanese type and one of
the central figures In the Peeresses school, which she at
tends. The sons, Hyo and Mloru, are manly boys one of
them being a cadet in the naval school at Toklo, and Arl
timra, a foster son. Is their companion and adviser, belni
a little their senior.
" The Togo family lives In a small, rambling tiled
house, Inclosed with its big garden by a Jtlgh board fence
an open gate with two big wooden posts affording an
opening.
" MrSj Togo was the daughter it Viscount Kaieda and
;when she married the young oillcer she assumed charge of
'the salary then less than $!.?ik a year and her manage
ment has enabled them to Improve their little home and
furnish It In exquisite taste, although with extreme sim
plicity and with little cost.
" There is no trace of luxury in the whole establishment
beyond two little American brass beds and one dainty
little white bed for Miss Chlyo's room, which are Innova
tions in a Japanese household. The Admiral's room Is of
severe simplicity, his books and Vharts bei.ig arranged on
a severely plain table. The only other sign of luxury con
sists of the flowers, which are arranged with beautiful
taste through the living rooms.
" 1 saw the Inside of the house on one of Admiral
Togo's returns to his home, and then the gifts of flowers
simple bunches, mostly of white blossoms were more
lavish than usual.
Incandescent Light on Door Plate.
" The house Is not noticeable among those of thousands
of middle class people In Toklo, and the only outward sign
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of pretense Is a plate set against the gatepost with the
word "Togo" on it and above it a .small Incandescent,
electric light which Mrs. Togo caused to be pluced there
for the convenience of processions that came along the
street to shout banzals in front of the house. She consid
ered this necessary.
" Mrs Togo does most of her own housework, and em
ploys but one servant to help her in her household duties,
and whin Admiral Togo Is away she calls upon one of his
relatives as a protector of the family and general care
taker. ' The family keeps no carriage or ricksha, but after the
war comnnnced Mrs. Toso purchased a bicycle for Mloru
bo that he might ride downtown Ao get the news from the
front, as no correspondence passed between her and her
husband except brief greetings sent by messengers during
the weary days In front of Port Arthur and the soul trying
wait for the arrival of Rojestvensky."
The Togo household like those of the majority of mid
dle and high class Japanese is extremely clean painfully
clean almost, being of unpainted wood scoured to white
ness at every spot, from kitchen sleeping rooms, and
covered with new ami scented matting, tastefully colored
at the borders. The cleanliness of these homes ac
centuates the dirtiness of the poorer houses and the Inns.
Togo Family Sleep on the Floor.
The cooking arrangements and washing arrangements
are simple but effective the stoves small and the little
lacquered tables low, for as yet few have accepted the
European table. Beds, too, are a rarity, sleeping mats
and the hard head rests being placed upon the floors In
most cases.
While American "spenders" may pity Admiral Togo
because his wife holds the purse strings tight, It Is only
fair to say that Ills allowance is equivalent to five times
that much, perhaps. In the I'nited Slates. And those wom
en who think Mrs. Togo must suffer because she is forced
to do so much on Jl'.Ooo a year should remember that the
value of money Is geographical. She probably could have
got along splendidly If her husband had not suddenly be
come so famous. Now It will be hard work unless he gets
his pay raised.
One can buy land in Toklo for $-'0 a front foot In the
section where the Togos live and erect a house like his
for $750, and furnish It beautifully for I'J.V) more so. for
$1,'J0 a nice home could be built and furnished. And, be
sides, the cost of living (for a native) In Japan is extremely
low, and It Is probable that if Mrs. Togo spent $1.01)0 a
year on the support, clothing, and education of her chil
dren the neighbors would have brar.dcd her as ex
travagant. Rarely Entertain Their Friends.
Besides, Japanese women seldom entertain. They have
lew women friends and receive only a few visits, and those
usually from close relatives. The woman Is a chattel In
Japa,n, and her husband does not uppiove of her having
women friends or men friends either.
Besides, the Japanese woman Is never thrown Into a
flurry and forced to hurry the girl off to the corner grocery
for canned soups wh n her husband brings home an unex
pected guest for dinner, because he never brings any guests
except on the rarest of occasions. Usually no Japanese
man will take his own friends into his home. He invites
them to dine with him, but stipulates, either openly or by
innuendo, that they are to dine at a club or hotel. If a
close friend is invited, he may request to be taken to the
home, and on rare occasions may be taken. In those
cases the woman of the household remains to extend greet
ing and then disappears never expecting or being expected
to sit at the board wit a her husband anil friends.
The dishes that are served are inexpensive and their
preparation requires little time the rice being balled (or
steam boiled) already, and the other dishes usually pre
pared in advance.
Neither has washday many terrors for the Jap house
wife, for the garments worn are easily washed, and In the
majority of cases few In number.
So, while Mrs. Togo certainly is having a hard time
now to finance the Household of a famous husband, she
probably has a little money laid by, saved during the years
tiiat her household expenses were far below even the
f.'.Uio allotted to her.
The admiral is probably having a harder time getting'
along on his $.V), but then he is at sea. with expenses paid
most of the time, and can retrench after giving big ban
quets In return for honors showered upon hint by going to
sea again until his allowance accumulate.
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