Changes

After these incidents, the Ryukyuan government, knowing that the British were watching out for Bettelheim's safety, took action to cut him off from interactions with Okinawan people. He continued to live in Gokoku-ji, was not harmed by the Ryukyuan police, and was in fact supplied with food and other necessities. But the temple was surrounded, and his movements became severely restricted. Hearing that Bettelheim's situation had not improved despite the letter the previous year from Her Royal Majesty, Queen Victoria, the British government (by way of a [[Lord Palmerston]]) sent another letter, this time threatening that future visits by British warships would be less friendly if Bettelheim's circumstances did not improve immediately. Of course, all of this bother from London served to inflate Bettelheim's massive ego further; a new interpreter/translator, [[T.T. Meadows]], was sent to Okinawa to ensure that Bettelheim did not meddle in the content of communications. Meadows warned his superiors that Bettelheim was particularly apt to grab for power, and that their support could result in the distasteful result of Bettelheim gaining considerable power within the small kingdom. Shortly afterward, there was a changeover in the British government; the new officials now handling the Bettelheim situation looked far less favorably on Bettelheim's use of the Royal Navy to articulate his own personal threats.

After these incidents, the Ryukyuan government, knowing that the British were watching out for Bettelheim's safety, took action to cut him off from interactions with Okinawan people. He continued to live in Gokoku-ji, was not harmed by the Ryukyuan police, and was in fact supplied with food and other necessities. But the temple was surrounded, and his movements became severely restricted. Hearing that Bettelheim's situation had not improved despite the letter the previous year from Her Royal Majesty, Queen Victoria, the British government (by way of a [[Lord Palmerston]]) sent another letter, this time threatening that future visits by British warships would be less friendly if Bettelheim's circumstances did not improve immediately. Of course, all of this bother from London served to inflate Bettelheim's massive ego further; a new interpreter/translator, [[T.T. Meadows]], was sent to Okinawa to ensure that Bettelheim did not meddle in the content of communications. Meadows warned his superiors that Bettelheim was particularly apt to grab for power, and that their support could result in the distasteful result of Bettelheim gaining considerable power within the small kingdom. Shortly afterward, there was a changeover in the British government; the new officials now handling the Bettelheim situation looked far less favorably on Bettelheim's use of the Royal Navy to articulate his own personal threats.

When Commodore Perry arrived in Naha in 1853, Bettelheim appointed himself interpreter for the Americans, and pressed upon Perry that he take action against the Ryukyuan government, which had so mistreated him over the years. The Commodore, for the most part, refused, but used Bettelheim as his interpreter in his various meetings with the Ryukyuan regent. He agreed to send a number of things back to Shanghai for Bettelheim, including letters and $800 to be deposited into his bank accounts; Perry also claimed a portion of the Gokoku-ji grounds to use as pasture for sheep he brought with him to Okinawa, while Bettelheim preached to the American crewmen.

When Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Naha in 1853, Bettelheim, seeing the Western ships approaching, ran the Union Jack up a pole at the Gokoku-ji. This was his first sighting of Western ships in roughly a year and a half. After Perry turned away the Ryukyuan officials who came out to meet him, Bettelheim found his way onto the ship, where he spoke to the Americans for several hours.

 

The following day, the Americans sent for Bettelheim to join Perry, the ship's chaplain, and chief interpreter [[S. Wells Williams]], for breakfast. Believing himself sorely mistreated by the Ryukyuan authorities all these years, Bettelheim pressed Perry to take him into his service. He first suggested that Perry take action to promote missionary activities in Japan; though Perry rejected this suggestion flat out, the discussions that day ended with a decision to explore the island, and establish a base on shore, over any potential Ryukyuan objections.

 

After meeting chief interpreter Williams, Bettelheim felt that Williams was insufficiently competent, and decided that he himself should serve as interpreter/translator for the commodore. He pressed upon Perry that he take action against the Ryukyuan government, which had so mistreated him over the years. The Commodore, for the most part, refused, but used Bettelheim as his interpreter in his various meetings with the Ryukyuan regent. Williams criticized Bettelheim's manner of using hand gestures and facial expressions, and in particular the self-assured way he complimented himself on making certain suggestions, even when he had equally self-assuredly suggested the opposite mere hours earlier. Bettelheim is said to have reveled in being seen in association with Perry, and in the powerlessness of the Ryukyuan authorities to stop Perry from doing as he wished.

 

 

He agreed to send a number of things back to Shanghai for Bettelheim, including letters and $800 to be deposited into his bank accounts; Perry also claimed a portion of the Gokoku-ji grounds to use as pasture for sheep he brought with him to Okinawa, while Bettelheim preached to the American crewmen.

Bettelheim was finally taken away, to the great relief of the royal government, by Commodore Perry on his second visit to the islands, in 1854. Despite Bettelheim's horrible behavior, utter and complete lack of respect for Okinawan or Japanese culture and political authority, destruction of sacred objects, etc., a monument was constructed in his memory at the Gokoku-ji in 1926.

Bettelheim was finally taken away, to the great relief of the royal government, by Commodore Perry on his second visit to the islands, in 1854. Despite Bettelheim's horrible behavior, utter and complete lack of respect for Okinawan or Japanese culture and political authority, destruction of sacred objects, etc., a monument was constructed in his memory at the Gokoku-ji in 1926.

==References==

==References==

*Kerr, George. ''Okinawa: The History of an Island People''. pp279-346ff.

*Kerr, George. ''Okinawa: The History of an Island People''. Revised Edition. Tuttle Publishing, 2000. pp279-346ff.

*''Okinawa rekishi jinmei jiten'' 沖縄歴史人名事典. Okinawa bunkasha, 2002. p69.

*''Okinawa rekishi jinmei jiten'' 沖縄歴史人名事典. Okinawa bunkasha, 2002. p69.

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