New Envoy

Sitting in solemn conclave, the Imperial Japanese Government decided to appoint Tsuneo Matsudaira, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, to be the Emperor's Ambassador to the U. S. in succession to Masanao Hanihara, who resigned following the passage of the U. S. Immigration Act last spring.

After having received confirmation of his important appointment, Ambas- sador-designate Matsudaira said:

"I wish to convey my respects to your President and your countrymen, for with their friendship and sympathy I shall labor for the furtherance of good understanding between our countries.

"In this, I fully expect the support of my countrymen, because every Japanese knows that the prosperity of the Empire depends upon the peace of the Pacific, which, in turn, depends upon maintenance of friendly relations between Japan and America.

"This is a matter of patriotism for us. So, like every patriotic Japanese, I shall work for it. I sincerely hope that your people will believe me when I say that I mean what I say and say what I feel."

It was understood that he and Mrs. Matsudaira, lady-in-waiting to the Empress, would arrive in Washington in time for the inauguration ceremonies of President Coolidge on Mar. 4.

The Ambassador-designate is the third Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs to be appointed to the Washington Embassy-- his two predecessors being Baron Shidehara and Masanao Hanihara. Both Mr. Matsudaira and his wife speak English perfectly, the latter better than any lady in the far-flung lands of the Rising Sun.

Tsuneo Matsudaira is 48 years old and is known as one of the ablest diplomats in Japan. In 1918-19, he acted as High Commissioner to Siberia when the U. S. and Japanese occupied Vladivos- tock. Two years later, he acted as Chief Secretary of the Japanese delegation to the Washington Conference.

Having appointed its Ambassador to the U. S., the Imperial Government, as is customary, instructed Japanese Charge d'Affaires Yoshida at Washington to inquire of the U. S. Government if M. Matsudaira were persona grata to it. The result of this inquiry was to break all diplomatic precedent. Usually a Government makes an affirmative or negative reply; and that answer is transmitted to the Government concerned, often without the public being any the wiser. U. S. Secretary of State Charles E. Hughes did not wait until the Imperial Japanese Government had received the information that he was persona grata. He told the world, last week, that the U. S. welcomed both Mr. and Mrs. Matsudaira and expressed his unbounded faith that the mission of the Japanese Ambassador would strengthen Japanese-American relations (see Page 2).