SECRET ARMIES
66
hand,
sits
beside the Japanese Consul at the head of the room.
Umimoto remains standing until Sonada is seated. When an
other barber, T. Takano, who runs a little hole-in-the-wall shdp
and lives at 10 Avenida B, shows up, both Sonada and the Con
bow very low and remain standing until he motions
be seated. Maybe it s just an old Japanese custom, but
the Consul does not extend the same courtesy to the other
sul rise,
them
to
barbers.
In attendance at these guarded meetings of the barbers union
visiting fishermen, is Katarino Kubayama, a gentle-faced,
and
soft-spoken, middle-aged businessman with no visible business.
He is fifty-five years old now and lives at Calle Colon, Casa
No.
11.
Way back in 1917 Kubayama was a barefoot Japanese fisher
man like the others now on the west coast. One morning two
Japanese battleships appeared and anchored in the harbor. From
the reed- and vegetation covered jungle shore, a sun-dried, brown
panga was rowed out by the barefooted fisherman using the short
quick strokes of the native. His brown, soiled dungarees were
rolled up to his calves; his shirt, open at the throat, was torn
and his head was covered by a ragged straw hat.
The
lined
silvery notes of a bugle sounded. The crew of the flagship
at attention. The officers, including the Commander, also
up
waited
stiffly
the ship
s
ficers saluted.
to the
at attention while the fisherman tied his
panga to
As Kubayama clambered on board, the of
With a great show of formality they escorted him
ladder.
Commander s
quarters, the junior officer following behind
hours later Kubayama was escorted
at a respectful distance.
Two
sounded its salute, and the
conducted with a courtesy ex
to the ladder again, the trumpet
ragged fisherman rowed away
tended only to a high ranking
Today Kubayama works
all
officer of the
closely
Japanese navy.
with the Japanese Consul.