The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-03
MATSUKATA is HERE
DISTINGUISHED JAPANESE s,rArpS
MAN AND PARTY VISIT
ST. PAUL
MUCH INTERESTED IN AMERICA
Expresses Hope That Japan and the
United States will Become Closer
Allied CONNIE rcia1Iy-Japan
Is a Nation of Peace.

Count Matsukata, former premier of
Japan, and one of the most influential
reien Of the Orient, arrived with his suite
in st. Paul early yesterday morning, after
being detained two days at Wlliston, N
d, by the snow blockade. Accompany
ing the count are T. Megata, chief of the
bureau of taxation in the department Of
finance; G. Matsukata, his son, who is
chief of the purchasing and storage de-
partmeht Of the Kawasaki Ship Building
company, Of Kobe, and temporary private
secretary to the count, and E. Fukai, vice
chief OF the information bureau of the
Bank Ct Jap IN, at Tokyo, a so temporarily
private secretary to Count Matsukata.
The count was met at the station yes
terCay morning by another son, o. Matsu-
kata, who has been in this country for
two years, studying Western ideas.
Count Matsukata is a man that would
attract attention anywhere. He is ex-
ceptionally large for a Japanese, being
nearly six feet tall, with broad shoulders,
and striking cast of c0untenance. His
face has all the lines Of a keen thinker
while his mouth, shaded by a white
mustache, denotes the frmness for which
he was noted in his own land. Each
member of the PARTY was dressed like an
up to date American, and to the casual
observer there was nothing to distinguish
the count or his suite from any group of
well-dressed men in the city.
Although Count Matsukata is a highly
educated man, speaking many languages
besides his own, he is unable to talk
English. This is his first visit to the
United States, although he has been in
Europe. All the rest Of the party speak
IT yI-t,f1,
er men.
The count and his part will leave St.
Paul this morning over the Milwaukee
for Chicago, where a banquet will be
rendered them at the Japanese consulate
there. From there they will go to New
York, from New York to Washington,
from Washington to Boston and back to
New Yo-k. They will sail from New York
April p, for London. From London they
go to the continent, where France and
Russia will be visited. The party will re-
turn overland by the transSibeIian rail-
road to Japan.
Impressed With Big Engines.
The Great Northern coast train bearing
the distinguished t1ave,ers arrived in ST.
Paul shortly after clock this morning
The party occupied ]. d. Farrels private
car, which was attached to the train at
Seattle. The count was greatly impress
ed with the lCng passenger trains that
run between this city and the coast The
train on which he arrived consisted Of
twelve cCacneS, while in Japan, five and
| six coaches are considered a heavy LOAD.
The great m0gul and hog engines were
| a EeVer ending source of interest to him.
The two days delay at Williston was
tedious, but there was a novelty to it
for tie Oriental sitOrs that helped them
TO bear with the Inconvenience it Oc-
casloned. Every ehort was made to pro
vide for their comfort and aside from
the delay, the members OF the count s
party said that hey were little the worse
for their experience.
z. E. Stone and Francis B. Clarke. of
the Great Northern, met the party at
Grand Forks and accompanied them to
St. Paul. Mr.. Clarke yesterday showed
the visitors about the city. @
The Japanese statesman and his parfv
were preparing to attend the wedding Of
j. j. Hill S daughter NEST of the forenoon
Yesterday ard as Their arrival In the CITY
was two days late, they barely had time
TO get into the proper attire for the
function so as to arrive at Mr.. Hills res
ldence at the appointed hour After the
wedding the party drove about St. Paul
Tor short time, retiring early, as all
We're rather weary on account of their
long journey.
count Matsukata, through Mr.. Megata
| expressed himself to a Globe repre-
| sentative as being greatly pleased with
| the United States ard deeply IMPRESSED
wien the evident vastnes3 Of its resources
lie is especially Interested in the west
eTh part of the country, with its cana
| p'ltes for raising grain ana stock. with
IN easy hauling distance to the shores or
! MS native and. He thinks the peo-
sFaphlc3l tuaion of the two countries
are bound TIC knit them closely together.
| and he believes that Japan will eynort a
sun greater percentage Of her products
| te TINS country each yea. ana likewise
ne is certain tina. tho Cnltel States win
| De called upon 10 supply a greater share
of the imports
| Japan's Policy Is Peace.
AS spokesman If the party M Mara+,
| said: - =
Japan's greatest wish is for peace. and
| This is the sentiment Of every Statesman
| in our country. If we have to fight we
/ WILL and will fight our best, but every
! one recognizes that peace is an object
most to be desired. The recent Anglo
! japanese treaty was made in the interest
! of peace, and we feel that with England
| and the United States friendly, peace will
| be maintained. With Russia we have no
| trouble, and We do not expect any, IS we
| hope Japan will be one Of the nations
| most greatly benefited by the development
of Eastern Siberia. While We are still en-
| larging our navy, we are doing it to pre-
4 serve peace and because we are ambi-
| tioUs to be factor in the commercial
| world.
| Count Matsukata is travelling for pleas
use and for the purpose of studying other
| countries, particularly in regard to their
/ system of transportation and finance. He
! Is an adn1irer of America and hopes to
/ see the two countries bound closer to-
| gether He wants to see the time when
| Japan viii buy more machinery and steel
products, more flour and raw cotton in
| the United States, and we want to sell
! this country tea, rice, silks and pottery.
| In the United States we see our best Gus
! TONER, and we want to reciprocate
! 'tThe efforts of men like Mr.. James r
Hill are of great interest to Us, as in
! them we see opportunities for increased
/ trade between Japan and the United
! States. Take, for instance cotton With
| lower transportation rates and better IA
4 cilitieS the cotton of the Southern states
] should drive out all the others from
! Japan"
| Mr.. FUkai said that there was no DO
/ litical significance in the visit of the count
/ to the United States. He said he had no
/ intention of negotiating a loan, as it was
not the policy of Japan to borrow money
| in times of peace. In regard to the trip
| he said it was much in the nature Of the
! tour made by Count Ito, who arrived in
Japan few days before Count Mat
/ sukata left. To G l o e representative
Mr. Fukai said:
| "Count MstsLkata considers the United
4 States to be a nation of progress, and he
4 sees many things in it which can be prof
itably initiated by Japan. Your transpor-
| t2tion routes across the continent are d
1 source of inspiration to us, and we are