The Washington times., 1901-07-15
JAPANESE REVERE PERRY.
A Monument Dedicated to Gem
memOrate His First Landing.
kurihnma Celebrates Forty-eighth
Anniversary of American Naval
officers Achievement i'm Opening
the Island kingdom to Our Trade.

In memory of the first visit of Commo
dore Matthew Galbraith Perry to Japar
and OF his action in opening the door:
of the Island Kingdom to commerce, {
monument was dedicated in far-off kuri
hama, in that country, Saturday, th'
forty-eighth anniversary Of his first land
iEg Ii is the Bei-yu Kyu-kai. or Ameri
can Association of Japan, which carried
to a successful completion the plans fol
perpetuating the mG.nosy of the expedi
ton in 1853, which paved the way fol
the birth of the new era of japanese his
tory twelve months later
A circular Issued by the association
expresses the feelings of progressive Jap.
anese toward the United States and theil
appreciation of the work of the victor
of the great battle of Lake Erie. Baron
Kentaro kaneko says, eouchnc on the
matter: The visit of Perry was. in a
word, the turning of the key which
opened the doors of the japanese EN-
pre to friendly intercourse with the Unit
ed States, and, subsequently, to the res,
of the natives of Europe, or similar
terms, and may. in truth. be regarded as
the most memorable event in our annals
an event which paved the way and accel-
Grated the introduction of a new order of
things, an event that enabled the country
TO enter upon the unprecedented era of
national ascendency in which we are now
living.
There is a reason then, a strong rea-
son, why this visit of Commodore Perry,
no less than the spot where those memo
rable conferences took place, should be
peIpetuated in the memory of the Japan
ese people. She owes, in no small
degree, her present prosperity to the
United States of America in that the
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 here that Perry
first trod the soil of Japan, and for the
first time awoke the country from its
slumberous seciusion of three centuries
there it was that first CLEANED the light
that has ever since illumined Japans way
in her newborn career of progress
1t is generally thought that the United
States was the first country TO have any
commercial or political intercourse with
Japan. Such. however, is hardly the
case, although the original open door"
as established by Perry was the only
really successful invasion and overthrow
of the traditional spirit of exclusiveness.
In 1913 the Portuguese landed in Japan
and were soon on terms of friendship
with the subjects of the Kingdom and
enjoyed a monopoly of trade. fractional
religious differences led to their expulsion
in 1899.
The phlegmatic but aggressive Dutch
traders pushed the noses of their trading
vessels into japanese harbors. They
were granted some special favors. To
gain greater favor with the Kingdom
they assisted in the persecution of
Christians by the natives in 1853. They
We're relegated to the province of Deshi-
ma two years later, and at the time when
Perry arrived their position was practi-
cally that of imprisonment and their
commercial dealings insignifican The
British and Russians had both gained a
slight foothold. which did not. however,
last long in the face of the almost
opposition TO foreigners.
When Commander Biddle with several
ships went TO Japan in 1916 TO secure
negotiations he was given
curt answer: mo trade can be allowed
with any foreign nation except Holland"
The show of force and firmness made
by Giynn when he went to Nagasah to
demand the release of some shipwrecked
American sailors had its effect upon the
Japanese mind, which, cloistered in the
island shut out from the world, was
susceptible of impressions of new things.
After the Mexican war Commodore
Perry at once set about to have an expe-
dition sent to Japan to carry out the
work for which Glynns blunt methods
had in part been preparation. Vexatious
delays one after another ensued, but dn-
ally Perry sailed from the Loo Choo Isl
ands on July 2, bound for the Bay of
YeGo. The fleet consisted of the sloops
Of war Plymouth and Saratoga, and the |
and the Mississippi. on the |
morning of July S, the precipitous out |
lines of the shore at Kurihama, then call |
ed Gorihama, were sighted in the dim |
light few hours later the anchors were |
lowered and the vessels swung to the |
chains. Out from Uraga, the town i'm |
mediately abreast the ships, came a |
feet of guard-boats and a barge bearing |
the vice governor of the city.
The worthy official was astounded when |
pointed bayonets and the muzzles of the |
ships guns emphasized an order for the |
guard-boats to keep away from the YES |
sells. The vice governor was then allow |
ed to go aboard the flagship. but met only !
emissaries Of the commodore, who in |
'ormed him that Perry. termed admiral" |
Ior dignity's sake, would treat with no
less person than the Emperor himself |
1r one Of his counselors. and that he had ,
come with a message of peace from the |
President of the great United States /
The vice governor, NakashimS by /
name. left the flagship askance at the at |
titude of the foreigners. He had finally |
been informed that the vessels would re.
main in the harbor, and that as point OF |
concescension the admiral
would receive the Governor OF Uraga in !
he beginning All that day the appear |
,nce of ponderous responsibility and i'm
oortance was maintained by the little feet |
lying the Stars and Stripes.
Confidently the next morning the gov |
.rnor of the province himself set out for 1
he Susduehanna in all the splendor of |
pride took a fan. Curt treatment was |
accorded him. He was merely permitted |
/ glance of the precious box containing |
he document signed by the President of |
he United States. To the governor was I
,iven a copy of the original letter with !
to present IL to the Emperor, ,
md to have fixed date for the formal
presentation of the real document
II was on Wednesday, July l3, that the |
governor returned. now obsequious and |
poiogetic. with letter from the Emper-
,r, who appointed his first counselor of |
he Empire, Toda. Prince of Idzu, TO re-
eiye the Presidents missive. That the
bore large part in the arrsng-
ng Of the details is evident from the fact |
hat two hours time was consumed in
the details Of the ceremonial.
The oiiiciaI account of the ceremonies (
n shore says:
Two boys dressed for the ceremony |
receded the commodore. bearing in an
nvelope Of scarlet cloth the boxes which
obtained his credentials and the Presi-
ent's letter. These documents. of folio
ize. were beautifully written on yellum
nd not folded. but bound in blue silk |
elNat. Each seal attached by cords Of |