Personable Prince

Prince Yasuhito Chichibu-no-miya of Japan, heir presumptive* of a dynasty over 2,000 years older than that of Edward of Wales, arrived in Manhattan last week from his studies at Oxford, en route to the funeral/- of his imperial father in Japan. Although Prince Chichi-bu is the sole member of the Japanese Imperial House ever to visit the U. S., and although his is the oldest reigning dynasty in the world, he went all but unnoticed.

Well limbed. His Imperial Highness stands 5 ft. 7 in. in his stockings. His complexion is a light olive tan. His features are regular, his eyes dark, level and un-slanting. He has climbed more mountain peaks than any other Alpinist of royal or imperial blood. He is an all 'round sportsman with a keen interest in baseball. His attire, when he landed from the Majestic, was faultless to the point of being inconspicuous: a derby hat, black coat, black suit, black tie and a correct white mourning shirt with narrow black stripes. Yet neither shopgirls nor stenographers yearned at him from high windows, or stood upon sidewalks to ogle up at "The Prince."

Ambassador Tsuneo Matsudaira and other prominent Japanese who went to meet the Prince shut their eyes to avoid witnessing the undignified spectacle of a descendant of the Sun Goddess slithering down a steep, icy gangplank. Assistant Secretary of State J. Butler Wright kept his eyes open, greeted Prince Chichibu, and saw that the revenue cutter on which he was taken off the Majestic borrowed a Japanese flag from the liner and ran it up while a salute of 21 guns boomed from the shore.

En Route to Washington Prince Chichibu's special halted at Baltimore and His Imperial Highness stepped upon the platform as another special rolled in bound for Trenton, N. J. Therein a lean-faced gentleman sat reading a handful of clippings about Nicaragua (see p. 8). The lean, thoughtful gentleman went on reading, and the tall prince waited. Then, since loutish railwaymen failed to tell the President of the U. S. that Prince Chichibu waited, the presidential special coasted through Baltimore, gathered speed and vanished, while the President read on, oblivious.

By no means vexed, Prince Chichibu continued equably to Washington and was welcomed by Secretary Kellogg. Next day the President returned and received His Royal Highness for ten minutes at the White House. Soon Prince Chichibu departed for Chicago, where he rode about the city for two hours between trains. Then, dutiful, he sped on to San Francisco to take ship for Japan.

Newsgatherers who incessantly harassed Prince Chichibu with questions--heedless of the fact that he was a son hastening to the bier of his father--drew for their pains only one bit of "copy" from his cool smiling lips: "I am interested in your ten-cent stores; not because of the articles for sale in them, but because of the fact that they can be sold so cheaply."

Questioned about Oxford, he said: "I hope I can return. I am eager to finish my education."

*Because he is the brother next in line to the present Emperor, whose only child is a baby daughter (TIME, Dec. 14, 1925), Princess Teru-no-miya Shigeko.

/-To be held in February (see above).