Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 80, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 April 1918 — ENTERTAINING A GUEST [ARTICLE]

ENTERTAINING A GUEST

Shortly before the war a German naval squadron was visiting a Japanese port. The admiral and members of his staff were officially invited to go over the arsenal. Among other things they were allowed to see some of the famous shimose, the Japanese high explosive. The admiral, like a good German, made an opportunity to steal a handful of the powder. He put it in his trousers pocket and found on returning to his ship that his best gala trousers were ruined, as grains of the powder had stained the garments an ugly yellow. The precious pinch of powder was sent by special courier from the German embassy to Berlin, where It was analyzed and found to be a most innocent composition colored with ground mustard! The wily Japanese, know* ing their guests, had Judged it prudent to substitute this harmless compound for the real shimose.—From the Japan Times, Tokyo.