, 1894-06-16
JAPAN IN LONDON.
(DaiIq TELEGRAPH, % Mhv.)

daily Telegraph, % Mhy.)
That interest i'll this far-of point of the
Orient is wides pread was amply indicated
by the ~oosmopol itan cha acter of the attend.
ance at the thir d annual banquet of the Japan
Society, held | ast night at the Hotel Metro
pole under the presidency Of his Excellency
Viscount Aoki' Among those present were the
Lord Mayor and Mayoress, the Duke of New
castle, Lady Hill, Lady La VIZ ence, Sir Edwin
Arnold, Sir f. j. Reed, Colonel Sir Edward
Hill, Baron Won Siebold, Sir Trevor Lawrence,
and Mr.. A. Diosy Qhon sec.l
Proposing the toast Of the Queen, His Ex-
cellency the Chairman called for the ~aoclama-
ton used in saluting HE japanese Sovereign
"Bansai, " which means 'ten thousand bless
in S."
The Lord Mayor next submitted the senti-
ment, The Emperor If IA pan,'' and
Sir Edwin Arnold, who was received withap.
plause, next offered he toast of the evening,
Success to the Jap an Society," He expressed
pleasure at an opport unity enabling him to bear
testimOn y to the good and enlightened work
that had been performed by the society and re-
marked that in surveying the dist nguished
assembly he was reminded by the friendly
presence of his Excellency, as chat rman, of
many agreeable days in Japan and the debt
of gratitude which he owed TO that fair land.
e. rOceedlng, he said; 1t is very natural that
from healthy roots stro ne trees are developed
and L think the rapid growth Of the Japan
Society proves that a noble idea inspired your
founder, Mr.. Arthur Diosy, when he planted
the seeds of this society. Its objects, as de-
hned Ill It's constitution, are encouragement
OF the study Of the japanese language, litera-
ture, history, and folk lore; the japanese arts,
sciences, industry, and the social life and
economic conditions Of the Japanese people,
past and present and of allJapanese Matters
That definition has received free interpreta-
ton in the proceedings of the society, as may
plainly be seen on study Of the admirable
first volume of Transactions published in the
past year-a volume which, by variety, bril-
lance, and Solidity, would do credit to any
old-established learned association. You will
there see the interest of the sOciety. lightly and
agreeably ranging, as some one has remarked,
'trom athletic t~Oartistis Signatures, from arch@-
ology to chronology and chyrsanthemum salad,
from d~emonology to dwarfed trees, from war
fans to wedding ceremonies" daughter
But neither your large hearted founder, Mr..
DiOsy, nor the distin guished members of the
Council surrounding him, nor your Excellen-
cy who represents so illustriously tonight
the goodwill towards us of his Imperial Ma
Jesty the Emperor of Japan, nor you gentle
men OF Japan present among us, nor We who
love Japan almost as we'll as yourselves
none of us would rest satisfied if the society
were merely an institution for the encourage
ment dissemination and stimulation of research.
1t has, beyond all these a wider and a deeper
purpose, which | have found nowhere better
alluded to than in the words of Mr.. Diosy
himself: ut helps to bind closely in bonds
Of amity the millions who inhabit the islands
on which the sun rises with the millions who
dwell in the Empire on which the sun never
sets" (Cheers.) That, indeed, is why | am
a faithful friend to the Japan Society and a
firm believer in it's true progress and useful
ness. ! Am full of hope that year by year it
will increase the mutual knowledge between
Japan and England, and will foster the fame
of friendship which has already grown bright
between them, and will provide, here in Lon
don, a gateway by which Japanese visitors
and residents can enter into our home life as