used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
amplifyverbUS /ˈæmpləfaɪ/
increase in size, volume or significance
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Kent drifted into his daily routine quickly and easily.
plural of “article” — nonfictional prose forming an independent part of a publication
From this reading His Japanese clerk watched the papers for him, read over the headlines, and translated into queer, but fairly understandable English the articles which Kent called for.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The highest officials, Ministers, for instance, might as a rule be interviewed only by submission of written questions.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The highest officials, Ministers, for instance, might as a rule be interviewed only by submission of written questions.
blanknessnoun
the state of being blank; void; emptiness
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading His Japanese clerk watched the papers for him, read over the headlines, and translated into queer, but fairly understandable English the articles which Kent called for.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The highest officials, Ministers, for instance, might as a rule be interviewed only by submission of written questions.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading His Japanese clerk watched the papers for him, read over the headlines, and translated into queer, but fairly understandable English the articles which Kent called for.
an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
From this reading His Japanese clerk watched the papers for him, read over the headlines, and translated into queer, but fairly understandable English the articles which Kent called for.
commentnounUS /ˈkɑːment/
a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
courtesynounUS /ˈkɜːrtəsi/
a courteous or respectful or considerate act
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
every day; without missing a day
From this reading Kent drifted into his daily routine quickly and easily.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
departmentsnounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtmənts/
plural of “department” — a specialized division of a large organization
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
driftverbUS /drɪft/
be in motion due to some air or water current
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
driftedverbUS /ˈdrɪftəd/
past form of “drift” — be in motion due to some air or water current
From this reading Kent drifted into his daily routine quickly and easily.
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading Kent drifted into his daily routine quickly and easily.
elderlyadjectiveUS /ˈeldərli/
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading His Japanese clerk watched the papers for him, read over the headlines, and translated into queer, but fairly understandable English the articles which Kent called for.
extractingverbUS /ekˈstræktɪŋ/
-ing form of “extract” — remove, usually with some force or effort; also used in an abstract sense
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading His Japanese clerk watched the papers for him, read over the headlines, and translated into queer, but fairly understandable English the articles which Kent called for.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading His Japanese clerk watched the papers for him, read over the headlines, and translated into queer, but fairly understandable English the articles which Kent called for.
of concern to or concerning the affairs of other nations (other than your own)
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
formaladjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrməl/
being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress)
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
hardestadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdəst/
superlative of “hard” — with effort or force or vigor
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
headlinesnounUS /ˈhedlaɪnz/
plural of “headline” — the heading or caption of a newspaper article
From this reading His Japanese clerk watched the papers for him, read over the headlines, and translated into queer, but fairly understandable English the articles which Kent called for.
superlative of “high” — greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The highest officials, Ministers, for instance, might as a rule be interviewed only by submission of written questions.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading His Japanese clerk watched the papers for him, read over the headlines, and translated into queer, but fairly understandable English the articles which Kent called for.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Kent drifted into his daily routine quickly and easily.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
a message received and understood
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
having much knowledge or education
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
an occurrence of something
From this reading The highest officials, Ministers, for instance, might as a rule be interviewed only by submission of written questions.
conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
interviewedverbUS /ˈɪntərvjuːd/
past form of “interview” — conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting
From this reading The highest officials, Ministers, for instance, might as a rule be interviewed only by submission of written questions.
interviewingverbUS /ˈɪntərvjuːɪŋ/
-ing form of “interview” — conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Kent drifted into his daily routine quickly and easily.
JapanesenounUS /ˌdʒæpəˈniːz/
a native or inhabitant of Japan
From this reading His Japanese clerk watched the papers for him, read over the headlines, and translated into queer, but fairly understandable English the articles which Kent called for.
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
KentnounUS /kent/
a county in southeastern England on the English Channel; formerly an Anglo-Saxon kingdom, it was the first to be colonized by the Romans
From this reading Kent drifted into his daily routine quickly and easily.
laboriouslyadverbUS /ləˈbɔːriəsli/
in a laborious manner
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
the force of workers available
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading The highest officials, Ministers, for instance, might as a rule be interviewed only by submission of written questions.
MinistersnounUS /ˈmɪnəstərz/
plural of “minister” — a person authorized to conduct religious worship
From this reading The highest officials, Ministers, for instance, might as a rule be interviewed only by submission of written questions.
NavynounUS /ˈneɪvi/
an organization of military vessels belonging to a country and available for sea warfare
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
information about recent and important events
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
newspapermennounUS /ˈnuːzpæpərmən/
plural of “newspaperman” — a journalist employed to provide news stories for newspapers or broadcast media
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
officialsnounUS /əˈfɪʃəlz/
plural of “official” — a worker who holds or is invested with an office
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
many times at short intervals
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
and nothing more
From this reading The highest officials, Ministers, for instance, might as a rule be interviewed only by submission of written questions.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading His Japanese clerk watched the papers for him, read over the headlines, and translated into queer, but fairly understandable English the articles which Kent called for.
painsnounUS /peɪnz/
an effortful attempt to attain a goal
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading His Japanese clerk watched the papers for him, read over the headlines, and translated into queer, but fairly understandable English the articles which Kent called for.
pleasantlyadverbUS /ˈplezəntli/
in a cheerful manner
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
politeadjectiveUS /pəˈlaɪt/
showing regard for others in manners, speech, behavior, etc.
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
procedurenounUS /prəˈsiːdʒər/
a particular course of action intended to achieve a result
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading His Japanese clerk watched the papers for him, read over the headlines, and translated into queer, but fairly understandable English the articles which Kent called for.
plural of “question” — an instance of questioning
From this reading The highest officials, Ministers, for instance, might as a rule be interviewed only by submission of written questions.
with speed
From this reading Kent drifted into his daily routine quickly and easily.
on the contrary
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading His Japanese clerk watched the papers for him, read over the headlines, and translated into queer, but fairly understandable English the articles which Kent called for.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
remunerativeadjectiveUS /riˈmjuːnərətɪv/
for which money is paid
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
routinenounUS /ruːˈtiːn/
an unvarying or habitual method or procedure
From this reading Kent drifted into his daily routine quickly and easily.
a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior
From this reading The highest officials, Ministers, for instance, might as a rule be interviewed only by submission of written questions.
second-rank
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
submissionnounUS /səbˈmɪʃən/
something (manuscripts or architectural plans and models or estimates or works of art of all genres etc.) submitted for the judgment of others (as in a competition)
From this reading The highest officials, Ministers, for instance, might as a rule be interviewed only by submission of written questions.
tediousadjectiveUS /ˈtiːdiəs/
so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
tendenciesnounUS /ˈtendənsiz/
plural of “tendency” — an attitude of mind especially one that favors one alternative over others
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading His Japanese clerk watched the papers for him, read over the headlines, and translated into queer, but fairly understandable English the articles which Kent called for.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
translatedverbUS /trænzˈleɪtɪd/
past form of “translate” — restate (words) from one language into another language
From this reading His Japanese clerk watched the papers for him, read over the headlines, and translated into queer, but fairly understandable English the articles which Kent called for.
understandableadjectiveUS /ˌʌndərˈstændəbəl/
capable of being apprehended or understood
From this reading His Japanese clerk watched the papers for him, read over the headlines, and translated into queer, but fairly understandable English the articles which Kent called for.
unfailingadjectiveUS /ənˈfeɪlɪŋ/
not liable to failure
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
precisely as stated
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
past form of “visit” — go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading His Japanese clerk watched the papers for him, read over the headlines, and translated into queer, but fairly understandable English the articles which Kent called for.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading His Japanese clerk watched the papers for him, read over the headlines, and translated into queer, but fairly understandable English the articles which Kent called for.
which person or people
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He had made friends with several Japanese newspapermen, keen, elderly men, always pleasantly ready to comment on and to amplify the news of the day, popular tendencies and drift of thought, and who often took pains to keep him informed of the spot news.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Then he visited the departments, Foreign Office, Home Office, War and Navy departments, a rather tedious and not very remunerative procedure, interviewing second-rank officials, laboriously extracting formal information, always meeting the unfailing courtesy and polite blankness which makes the Japanese the hardest men to interview in the world.
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading The highest officials, Ministers, for instance, might as a rule be interviewed only by submission of written questions.
