The Washington times., 1901-07-07
JAPANESE TO HONOR PERRY
A Monument to Be Unveiled Where
lie Landed in 1858.

the People of the Mikado's EN-
pire to the Commodore and His
| Men for Their Famous Expedition.
The Bei-yu Kyu-Kai, or American As
sCciation Of Japan, proposes on July II,
| the forty-eighth anniversary of Commo-
dore Matthew Calbraith Perry's memor-
able visit to Japan. to unveiI a monument
to his memory upon the very spot where
his foot first trod Japanese soil. The
| reasons for the memorial given b. the
| associations circular tell in brief how the
! Japanese today regard Perrys work.
! Baron kentaro Kaneko says:
The visit of Perry was. in a word, the
turning of the key which opened the
doors of the japanese Empire to friendly
| intercourse with the United States, and
subsequently to the rest of the nations of
| Europe on similar terms, and may, in
| truth, be regarded as the most memorable
event in our annals-aa event which paved
the way and accelerated the introduction
| of new order of things. an event that
| enabled the country to enter upon the un-
| precedented era OF national ascendency
/ in which we are now living.
|
why this visit of Commodore Perry. no
| less than the spot where those memorable
| conferences took place, should be perpetu-
ated in the memory of the japanese peo-
Pile She owes, in no small degree,
| her present prosperity to the United
| States of America, in that the latter rem
dered her the great and lasting service
| mentioned.
| After the lapse Of these forty-eight
years her people have, however, come to
entertain but an uncertain memory of
| Kurihama. and yet it was there that
| Perry first trod the soil of Japan, and,
for the first time, awoke the country from
| its slumberous seclusfon OF three centu-
ries-there it was that first CLEANED the
| light that has ever since illumined Japan
way in her newborn career of progress
| Bearing in mind the purpose of Column
| bus, the Portuguese first landed in Japan
| as early as 1913, and for nearly century
| enjoyed rare advantages until factional
religious differences led to their expulsion
in 1859 The Dutch reached Japan at the
beginning of the seventeenth century; in
1863 they We're licensed to trade, and TO
curry favor assisted in the persecution of
native Christians in 1853. Two years later
they were relegateG to Dashima, where
they established their factory and trading
station. and their position there, even up
to the arrival of Perry, was tantamount
to Imprisonment and ignominy. Prior to
Perry's expedition both the British and
the Russians had secured temporary ad-
vantages of a local nature, but these had
long been abandoned.
FAILURE OF THE FIRST EXPEDITION.
In 1916 an expedition was sent by this
country to Japan for the purpose of ef-
fecting commercial negotiations with the
Empire The ship-of-the-line Columbus,
of ninety guns and the corvette Vim
cennes, Commodore Biddle commanding.
reached Yeddo in July, and without once
going on shore after a stay of ten days
Commodore Biddle received the EN-
peror's answer to our application, which
curtly said: No trade can be allowed
with any foreign nation except Holland"
Glynn's trip to Nagasaki in 1919. in the
little Preble, to demand the release of
some shipwrecked American seamen,
had saIutary effect, although his sailor
diplomacy of bluntness and a show of
force were not intended 10 effect larger
purposes.
Glynns work made an impression upon
Perry, and was not forgotten when his
toll in the wac with Mexico was over.
The immediate result of that war was
the opening up of the golden territory Of
California and the consequent sugges-
ton of a market and commercial rela-
tion with Japan.
After Eseeting many vexatious delays
Commodore Perry at last was sent on the
expedition he had planned and early on
July 2, 1853, sailed from the Loo Choo
Islands with sloops-of-war Saratoga and
Plymouth in tow, respectively, of the Sus-
quehanna and the Mississippi. and headed
directly for the Bay of Yeddo and the
memorable landing place at Kurihama,
then called Gorihama. On the morning
Of July the precipitous outlines stole
out of the enveloping haze as though
timorous al the sight of the barbarians'
'lireships''
The anchors had hardly gripped bottom
ere the Vice Governor of Uraga-the
town Immediately abreast the ships-set
out for the squadron followed by fleet
Of guardboats to surround the vessels.
Great was his surprise to see his police
craft ordered from the ships sides at
the point of bayonets and open-mouthed
guns, and even he was not admitted to
the flagship until his purpose was fully
stated. When permitted to board finally
he was met only by delegates of the un-
seen Commodore-for the sake OF added
impression created n name admiral
and he was informed that the great ad-
miral would hold no intercourse person
ally with anyone short of the Emperor
or one of his councillors, and that he
came bearing a message of peace from
the President of the United States, who
should be spoken of in the same exalted
terms only applicable TO the Emperor
himself.
The Gordon of guard boats was COM
manded to be ordered away under peril
of being dispersed by force, ana the Vice
Governor was given to understand that no
one short of the Governor Of traga would
be recognized in the beginning, and he
was plainly told that the vessels would
not go to Nagasaki-previously the only
port open in any way to foreigners. Max
asthma. for such was the deputy-s name
went home to ponder over his snubbing
polite as it was-and the first card
trump, had been played by Perry in the
great game OF Japanese ceremonial, while
he, in all the mysteriousness Of seclusion
became clothed in an atmosphere not
characteristic of his charmingly approach
able personality under customary condi-
tons
RECEIVED BY THE GOVERNOR.
Whether the portent of a peculiarly i'm
pressive meteoric display of the following
night weighed upon the Japanese minds
as they gazed upon the "barbarians' fire