"Vastly Improved"

His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor Yoshihito Haru-no-miya of Japan, 47, father of four of the world's most athletically potent princes (see above), was reported last week to have suffered two more fainting spells at the imperial seaside villa near Hayama.

His Majesty, pale and quivering, regained consciousness almost at once. His physicians, recalling the Emperor's several prolonged fainting spells earlier in the summer issued an official bulletin declaring his health "vastly improved."

No living monarch, it is certain, has fought a harder fight for health or been more cruelly defeated. As a child Yoshihito was as delicate as was the late U. S. President Roosevelt in his infancy. For a time it seemed that the great care taken of his health and his determination to gain strength by exercise and prudent dieting would succeed. He was given his own palace and a staff of medical experts who devoted their entire time to his care. At eight years of age he had grown strong enough to attend the Japanese School of Peers, where the faculty were enjoined not to favor him. Though he proved a good student and acquired a fluent knowledge of classical Chinese, English, French and German, his health constantly caused anxiety. None the less he underwent training in the Japanese Army and Navy, "rising through the ranks" to a Lieutenant Generalship and a Vice Admiralship.

Meanwhile a wife had been found for him, carefully chosen for her robust health and the proliferous reputation of her ancestors. She, Princess Sakado, espoused the present Emperor on May 10, 1900, and gave birth to the present Crown Prince on April 29, 1901.

The present Emperor and Empress continued their studies with energy during the entire period when they were Crown Prince and Princess. He dutifully attended the Imperial Diet. She busied herself with the Japanese Red Cross,

Then, in 1912, his father, the Emperor Mutsuhito, died, and he became Tenno (Heavenly King) or Tenshl (Son of Heaven).*

The Emperor's coronation was, however, delayed for three years while Japan mourned the death of his father. 'Not until Nov. 10, 1915 did he don the lacquered wooden crown of Japan and proclaim himself Tenno to his ancestors. At that time it was vigorously denied that he suffered from tuberculosis.

His subsequent reign was marked by a broad humanity. He revived the gorgeous costumes and extensive retinue of his ancestors, yet lived both frugally and simply. His taste for jam and for bean sauces is still said to be marked, but he has seldom indulged in these edibles to excess. His people grew to know and love him as a dignified personage with dark, luminous eyes, and possessed of very remarkable powers of oratory. For nine years he reigned. Then his health broke down utterly.

Crown Prince Hirohito was hastily appointed Regent in 1921 and the Emperor has since lived in retirement. The exact nature of his indisposition has never been officially admitted, but journalists have repeatedly cabled that he "has lost his mind," "is hopelessly incapacitated," etc.

* Japanese ordinarily refer to the Emperor as Tenno or Tenshi and speak of him as Kotei (a Chinese title meaning "Emperor) in discussing his relation to non-Japanese affairs. Only foreigners employ in conversation the poetic title Mikado.