The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-01-28

10 in tone and sometimes singing AZ
the Maple Club the geisha girls dis
played American and Japanese hagss
We saw the dancing again at an elab-
crate dinner given by Mr.. FukuZawa,
editor of the Fiji Shimpo, Here also
the flags of both nations were used.
In what words can I adequately de-
scribe the hospitality of the Japanese
I have read, and even heard, that
among the more ignorant classes there
is a decided anti-foreign feeling, ana
it is not unnatural that those who re-
fuse to reconcile themselves to Japafs
new attitude should blame the foreign
er for the change, but we did not en-
counter this sentiment anywhere
Never in our own country have we
been the recipients of more constant
kindness or more cOnsiderate atten4
ton From Marquis Ito down through
all the ranks of official life we FOUND
everyone friendly to America, and TO
us as representatives of America Al
/ the dinner given by Minister GriScoTn
/ there were present. besides Marquis
/ Ito. the leader of the liberal party,
/ Count Okuma, the lesder Of the pro-
gressive party (the opposition party
/ and a number of other prominent Jap
anese politicians.
! At the dinner given by Consul Cen
I eraI Miller at Yokohama, Governor
Sufu and Mayor Ichihara were pres
/ emit The state and city officials
/ wherever we have been have done
/ everything possible to make our stay
pleasant. The college and school .au-
/ thorities have opened their institutions
/ to US and many without Official posi-
ton have in unmistakable ways shown
themselves friendly. We will carry
away with US a number of Handsome
presents bestowed by municipalities.
/ colleges. societies and individuals.
We were entertained by Count Oku-
ma soon after our arrival and met
/ there, among others, Mr.. Kato OF the
! state department and President Ha-
toyama of the Waseda. university and
their wives. The counts house is half
European and half japanese, and his
garden is celebrated for its beauty. AT
Viscount Kano's we saw delightfuA
bit of home life. He is one of the few
dairnios, or feudaI lords, who has be-
come conspicuous in the politics OF
japan, and we soon discovered the
secret of his success. He has devoted
himself to the interests of agriculture
and spent his time in an earnest and
: intelligent effort to improve the con
ditiOn Of the rural population. He is
known as The Farmers Friend His
house is at the top Of q beautifully
terraced hill. which was once part
of his feudal estate He and his wife
, and six children met us at the bottom
! of the hill on our arrival and escorted
, us to the bottom on our departure
: The children assisted IN serving the
? dinner and afterward sang for US the
. American national air as well as their
own national hymn. The hospitality
was so genuine and so heartily entered
, into by all the family that we could
hardly realize that we were in a for
n eign land and entertained by hosts to
I whom we had to speak through an
interpreter.
In the country. fifteen miles from
= Kogoshima. I was a guest at the home
of Mr.. Yamashita, the father OF the
. young man who. when a student in
. America, made his home with US for
;. more than five years. Mr.. Yamashita
g was of the sanurai class and since the
: abolition of. feudalism has been en-
= gagged in farming. He had invited his
relatives and also the postmaster and
the principal of the district school to
: the noon meal He could not have
\ been more thoughtful of my comfort OF
: more kindly in his manner. The little
= country school which stood near by
: turned out to bid us welcome. The
: children were massed at a bridge over
which large flags of the two nations
. f1oated from bamboo poles Eact
q child also held a flag. the japanese
). and American flags alternating. As
: young Yamashita and I rode between
the lines they waved their hags anc
= shouted "Banzai," And so It was al
:, the other schools. Older people mag
be diplomatic and feign good will, but
children speak from their hearts
There is no nistaking their meaning
and in my memory the echo Of thu
- voices of the children minglirg viii
:, the assurances of the men and womeI
- cOnvinces me that japan entertain'
- nothing but good will toward our ma
= ton. Steam has narrowed the Pacific
- and made us neighbors. Let justic'
- keep US friends.
he
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e Copyright 1906. by J. B. Bowlss. eePy