Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-02

many little features which went to make
the visit especial Allusion has been made
to the emperor's apparent desire to give q
turn OF informally to the greeting accord
ed these American guests: this was the gov
ernment's cue to its people for the entire
affair. Some recognition seems to have
been made OF the ideas Of Americans in
the presence Of women In the crowd that
greeted the party at Yokohama and Tokyo
and all along the railroad from Tokyo to
Kyoto, and Kyoto to Kobe.
The informal meetings OF Japanese wom-
en-. as wen as men. with American men
and women, at various places and in many
little ways. was in various respects unusual
One found Marquis Ito chatting informally
about the causes OF the recent war with a
group OF young Harvard and Yale gradu-
ates in the Imperial Hotel as the men gath
cred about the tables with coffee and cigars
after Count katsura's dinner. Many and
many time the foreign diplomats opened
their eyes wide at the unusual concessions
from deep-rooted social customs in q coun-
try where forms count for so much.
Greeting by the Masses.
It was interesting to note the nature OF
the greeting to this party by the japanese
crowds. the masses themselves. Even the
busy photographers snapshots, when they
reach the American illustrated papers, will
convey but hint here and there of what 1t
has all been like. and how extraordinary it
has been.
even after the fall Of Port Arthur or for
Togo's homecoming. say residents of To-
kyo. has any such popular demonstration
been witnessed as that which greeted the
arrival OF the party at the railroad station
In Tokyo on July Is. the mob being packed
densely on either side of the street leading
away from the station for nearly mile.
The city was prOfusely decorated. American
and japanese flags crossed being the favor
lite decoration for trolley cars. street signs.
store fronts etc. And the turnout of the
populace on the evening Of July %, when
the party took special train for Kyoto,
exceeded II anything that of the day of ar
rival.
real impression of it could not be con-
veyed by photographs alone, If they could
have been taken. but would have required
also an immense recording photograph. All
the members of the party caught the conta-
gion of enthusiasm, and were shouting
Banzai' until they were hoarse. and found
themselves almost without voice, for the
greetings We're repeated q lesser but no
less enthusiastic scale all the way across
the country to Kyoto, during the five hours
OF daylight run of the special train which
mad been provided by the Japanese govern
ment. Indeed there were thousand people
with twinklng Japanese lanterns lined up
on the platforms at Shidzouka at 3 o'clock
IN the morning. when the SPECIAL went
through there, and they shouted themselves
black In the face with "banzais'' to a train
that was dark and asleep
Here the first presents from the interior
towns came on, Miss Roosevelt dividing
honors equally with Secretary Taft at the
naiI ooZen stops made from this point on
ward before reaching Tokyo Delegations
or offlclals Were presented everywhere and
aeiesatlonS of women came to bring Miss
roosevelt flowers and gifts. The accumula-
,ioil OF the latter filled nearly half a car
before kyoto was reached. They ranged
from 1acquered bird cage to a pair of the
handsomest vases of silver cloisonne put on
a. Nagoya, the chief center of that line
OF arr manufacture in Japan. Japanese
and American flags were everywhere and
all the provincial bands which cannot al
ways play western music as well as the
musical organizations of Tokyo. PLAYED
me Star Spangled Banner Sousa s
marches. and sometimes Marching
Through Georgia." and Dixie one after
the other at times. though it is doubtful II
they meant anything by that.
Meaning Of the Demonstrations.
In all this matter Of the peoples Demon
STATIONS there, of course, enters the aues-
ton of how far these outpourinps those
professions of men with banners, and these
delegations of Japanese women. the gov
ernment's hand may be traced. What
Japan sets out to do she does thoroughly:
ana 1t Is plain that the government had
lald great stress on making this reception
memorable one In the minds of those who
were guests, and SO far as possible in the
tlohably the organizations gathered in
TOKYO In ranks as professions with ban
ners, We're turned out by some word from
above, as were the greetings along the way
But the mob, too, was there on all these
occasions. 1t was there in such numbers n t
TOKYO that the police. usually so efficient
with merely an uplifted hand were criti-
clsed by the japanese press for their m
elhclency on this occasion. Above all, 1t
seemed plain that the cordiality on the part
or the populace toward the American Wis
ltors was unmistakable. They cheered ara
yelled like demons when the "banzats" Were
being given; but they smiled with unmis-
taxable goodwill toward the American
faces In carriages, rickishas or from the
train windows.
The warmth and extent of the reception
1alrIy took the congressional guests off
their feet. and 1t is impossible not to think
that 1t must in future have its natural po-
ntical Importance, which Is probably in
part what the Japanese politicians have
counted on. 1t is plain that Japan wants
the friendship of the United States. not
necessarily in an active but always In a
sympathetic way, to such degree that her
diplomats can count upon it.
AS for the Philippines, the possession or
those islands enters not into Japanese
plans, nor will 1t SO long as the United
States desires to direct the course of af-
fairs therein. This have the authority to
say.