Smithsonian Institution Transcription Center, Archives Center - NMAH Smithsonian Institution Archives Center - NMAH Leo Baekeland Diary Volume 16, 1914 Extracted on May-14-2015 04:06:17 The Smithsonian Institution continues to research information on its collections and is thankful to the digital volunteers who helped to transcribe this material. We look forward to using the work they created to further enrich our collections. - Before you incorporate this material into a for-profit publication or online project, please contact the Archives Center - NMAH; - Please leave source and copyright information as is and avoid obscuring these details in the material; - Do not post this document as a whole to a social media site, such as a blog, Facebook page, Twitter feed, etc; - Researchers: if you deposit this material, please let Archives Center - NMAH know where the material is deposited so that we can guide the community members to it. Contact the Smithsonian Institution for the current status of this project and related material. To see this project online - or other transcription projects - please visit here. Smithsonian Institution Transcription Center, Archives Center - NMAH Smithsonian Institution Transcription Center, Archives Center - NMAH [[Front cover - blank]] Leo Baekeland Diary Volume 16, 1914 Transcribed and Reviewed by Digital Volunteers Extracted May-14-2015 04:06:17 Smithsonian Institution Transcription Center, Archives Center - NMAH Smithsonian Institution Transcription Center, Archives Center - NMAH [[inside cover]] AC0005 Diary 16 [[end page]] [[start page]] [[underline]] XVI [[/underline]] Journal of Dr. L. H. Baekeland of Yonkers, N.Y. U.S.A. "Snug Rock", Harmony PArk. Beginning: August 17 - 1914 to December 31, 1914 Leo Baekeland Diary Volume 16, 1914 Transcribed and Reviewed by Digital Volunteers Extracted May-14-2015 04:06:17 Smithsonian Institution Transcription Center, Archives Center - NMAH Smithsonian Institution Transcription Center, Archives Center - NMAH [[blank page]] [[end page]] [[start page]] 1 [[1914?]] Aug 17. Excellent night's sleep Pain in tooth entirely relieved. Up early. Cooler weather. Furuta came here this morning to arrange program. After tiffin Shiohara's automobile took me to Sankyo & Co's office. [[red underline]] Japanese style [[/red underline]] in a side street. Explained to him and Furuta all my samples and whole history of [[red underline]] Bakelite business [[/red underline]] impressing upon them to avoid same mistakes as those we committed and specially refraining from manufacturing and starting several articles at the same time without knowing which is important. I told them that later when we shall have learned what class of goods find easiest market it will be easy to decide what to manufacture in Japan and in this way we will prepare the way for a [[red underline]] partnership as soon as conditions warant it. [[/red underline]] My arguments seem to be accepted Leo Baekeland Diary Volume 16, 1914 Transcribed and Reviewed by Digital Volunteers Extracted May-14-2015 04:06:17 Smithsonian Institution Transcription Center, Archives Center - NMAH Smithsonian Institution Transcription Center, Archives Center - NMAH 2 During this conversation we received telephone call from [[red underline]] Kondo [[/red underline]] that he is securing a cabin for me paying 1 1/2 price for a 2 person cabin on [[red underline]] SS. Manchuria [[/red underline]] of the Pacific Mail Co. which sails [[red underlined]] Aug 29. [[/red underlined]] This is very advantageous because it is an american ship. Very crowded undoubtedly. [[red underline]] By that time war between Japan and Germany [[/red underline]] will probably be declared and Japanese, british or German ships will be impossible for passengers. This afternoon visited Curio shop Jap. antiquities [[strikethrough]] of [[/strikethrough]] near hotel and bought a little [[red underline]] portable Budha shrine, supposed to [[/red underline]] be antique for [[red underline]] 3 Yen [[/red underline]]. At 8:30 Hotel Guide accompanied me in motor to [[strikethrough]] [[Yoshiwana?]] [[Yohokawa?]] [[/strikethrough]] [[red underline]] Yoshiwara. [[/red underline]] Great throngs all around neighborhood [[end page]] [[start page]] 3 Processions of Budhist sects bearing lanterns, beating drums going to particular shrines. Guide says each sect beats a special instrument or makes special noise so as to attract its followers. Big bunches of artificial lotus flowers borne in procession At Yoshiwara. everything much and widely illuminated, policemen in white duck. just stationed like fire-men. All houses new. old burnt down in 1911. All modern and substantial brick or enameled brick. Guilded bars like bird cages. Callers in restricted to ticket box. are not allowed to go outside. [[red underline]] Rows of girls all sad and [[/red underline]] stupid looking, some smile make signs but everything looks very quiet. Many smoke. Each house, and there are many, has all girls dressed alike, same Leo Baekeland Diary Volume 16, 1914 Transcribed and Reviewed by Digital Volunteers Extracted May-14-2015 04:06:17 Smithsonian Institution Transcription Center, Archives Center - NMAH Smithsonian Institution Transcription Center, Archives Center - NMAH 4 style kimono. Rows of photographs, then the Gallery behind. Other house no girls displayed only photos. Saw no one enter. but saw many efforts of ticket seller of inducing gaping men, who simply seemed to make fun of them. They urged them just as if they were selling wares. Girls got as much as 500 ¥ which they can send to their parents and for which they have to serve several years. The whole thing a rather [[red underline]] awkward and sad exhibition [[/red underline]]. Saw no really pretty faces. Non as pretty as the daughter of Sakuray or wife of Ishwani's son. See [[red underline]] Yoshiwara's [[/red underline]] description in Terry's Japanese Empire) Home at about 9:45 P.M then to bed. Aug 18. Up at 6 A.M. Went to [[red underline]] dentist [[/red underline]] [[end page]] [[start page]] 5 at 9. bought some socks etc then [[strikethrough]] home [[/strikethrough]] Tiffin. Afternoon about 2 P.M came Furuta brought me letters and newspapers from [[red underline]] Celine [[/red underline]] dated July 31. [[red underline]] Celine announces war rumors [[/red underline]] pities Albert whose family is in the zone of action. [[red underline]] Little did she imagine that a few [[strikethrough]] years [[/strikethrough]] days later Belgium would be in same plight. [[/red underline]] On July 31 the [[red underline]] German liners [[/red underline]] in New York [[red underline]] cancelled their sailings so at that date [[strikethrough]] 5 days [[/strikethrough]] 4 days or 5 days prior to formal declaration of war, they were already warned. This seems to indicate to me that at that date Austria and Germany had already secretly planned to strike, and undoubtedly had not notified Italy. [[/red underline]] Perhaps they did not expect that Italy was going to withdraw from the Triple Alliance, or perhaps they [[strikeout]] ex [[strikeout]] ^[[sus]]pected this attitude of Italy and therefore left her out of the secret. Leo Baekeland Diary Volume 16, 1914 Transcribed and Reviewed by Digital Volunteers Extracted May-14-2015 04:06:17 Smithsonian Institution Transcription Center, Archives Center - NMAH Smithsonian Institution Transcription Center, Archives Center - NMAH 6 [[red underline]] Celine [[/red underline]]writes me orders ^[[red underline]] for Bakelite [[/red underline]] are coming in satisfactorily. We drove to Government laboratory where Dr [[strikethrough]] Mio [[/strikethrough]] Miyama showed me the important points of the [[red underline]] Japanese lacquer industry. [[/red underline]] (See special report for General Bakelite Co. Two other Doctors there all speaking english so badly that it was [[strikethrough]] half [[/strikethrough]] mostly guesswork to understand them. Saw also some samples of solidified hydrogenated [[red underline]] soya oil. [[/red underline]] Busy all evening reading New York papers. Was the first in the hotel to receive them. To bed early Nice cool weather. Aug 19. Up at 6 AM. to [[red underline]]dentist [[/red underline]] at 8 A.M. Kondo comes and tells me that he can get room on [[red underline]] Manchuria [[/red underline]] but will have to [[strikethrough]] pa [[/strikethrough]] pay double fare. Told him to go and buy it and make sure of it. Discussed agreement between [[red underline]] Kwanto Co. [[/red underline]] Told [[end page]] [[start page]] 7 him it would be preferable if we were stockholders [[red underline]] for 25% [[/red underline]] of the new enterprise, our stock to be [[red underline]] common [[/red underline]] and having no claims on assetts in case of liquidation except for any amount [[strikethrough]] exce [[/strikethrough]] of assetts exceeding stock capital purchased for cash. He seems [[strikethrough]] to [[/strikethrough]] agree [[strikethrough]] about [[/strikethrough]] this. Went to the [[red underline]] Bank for another $250. [[/red underline]] Then Kondo came to announce that I can have a good cabin to myself on S.S. [[red underline]] Manchuria [[/red underline]] but it will cost [[red underline]] $350. [[/red underline]] Aug. 20. At 7:30 A.M to [[red underline]] dentist who put in gold filling in my tooth. Good job. [[/red underline]] His bill is only 15 yen! Finished packing paid bills and tips. My bill is about 284[[black underline]] yen. [[/black underline]] at [strikethrough]]