SOYESHIMA, Tarteomi, Japanese states man: b. Saga, Province of Hizen. At Nagasaki in 1866 he studied under Guido F. Verbeck, an American missionary, giving especial attention to the United States Constitution and the New Testament. In 1868 he became a commissioner for formulating laws and subsequently an im perial councillor. In 167l tie was sent to Siberia to adjust opundary questions relating to the island of Sakhalin. Returning to Japan he resigned his place in the Cabinet, but was later asked to return to it. On a visit to China in 1876 he was received with high honors by the mandarins by reason of his scholarship and he became private adviser of the emperor.
SPA, spa or spa, Belgium, in the province of Liege, 20 miles southeast of the town of that name, a fashionable watering place, pictur esquely situated, in an undulating country covered by woods and containing wonderful medicinal springs. There are delightful prom enades in the environs. The casino, bath-house,
public squares and hotels are interesting fea tures, besides a new parish church and the Gallery Leopold II, with its museum, music halls, reading-rooms, etc. Gambling was pro hibited in 1902. The town is renowned for its lacquer ware. There are tanneries, forges and foundries. Spa was early famous as a resort and frequented by Russian and Swedish poten tates and all the fashionable world. The generic term for mineral baths was thus de rived. The waters are exported to the most distant countries and are efficacious in nervous diseases, anazinic troubles, dyspepsia and general debility. In 1918 the German general head quarters was located at Spa. Here took place the consultations of the general staff preceding the signature of the armistice and from here went forth the delegates appointed to meet Marshal Foch to sue for peace. Pop. 8,357. See