The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-10-23

: And 1t Is peculiarly gratifying tina
j, his Excellency has visited and givei
US an opportunity to welcome him no
for once alone a most pleasant duty
} falls on me, therefore, to say wore
, OF thanks to Mr.. Taft and through
him TO the entire United States.
| / think 1t goes without saying that
: Japan owes it TO the showing of the
way by the senior nations that she has
, attained her present position, in spite
Of the comparative shortness Of the
period that has elapsed since the open
ing of the country. Especially to the
United states of America we owe an
unforgettable debt of gratitude. 1t
was more than fifty years ago; in
1853 that Commodore Perry came to
Uraga in command of two warships.
The event proved a rude awakening
to our country, that had lain slumber-
ing from the quietness of long cessa-
ton of foreign Intercourse. The ces-
sation was the result of the advent
of Jesuit missionaries, 800 years be-
fore and the country had remained
sealed to the outside world since then.
The only exceptions were made of the
Dutch and Chinese, but even here to
very limited extent. OF diplomacy,
what little learned before had become
buried in total neglect and remained
so for $50 or $50 years. It was only
natural, therefore, that Commodore
Perry's visit threw the country into
a panic. AS the circumstances were,
one may well imagine the greatness
of difficulty TO the commodore felt In
carrying out his mission.
MAKES CONFESSION.
To make the Situation worse, the
country was largely under the influ-
ence of what we then called the "Ex-
clusion Party and ashamed as I now
feel to confess, /, Shibusawa, was one
Of the party. What with frictions
within and pressure from without,
those were turbulent days. They were
memorable days too. Somehow things
were arranged and a treaty of friend
ly intercourse was concluded in 1853.
thanks to the well-disposed efforts of
America. Two years later in 1856 Min
lister Townsend Harris arrived at
Shimoda and after protracted negotfa-
tons regular treaty of commerce |
was finally signed In 1859. Fifteen ses-
sions had to be held before agreement |
could be arrived at on all points; the |
patience ne ndQ TO exercise ana worry |
of mind Mr.. Harris had to endure |
must have been tremendous. In 1860 |
his secretary Mr.. Hueskin fell vic
tim to the anti-alien spirit of the day. |
The regrettable incident brought no |
change, however, in the attitude OF |
Mr.. Harris, but to remain a firmer
friend and render greater help to this
country. When next year in 1861, an
hn r
Cured, all the ministers of the for
eign countries in Yedo, the present
Toxic, sought safety in Yokohama,
with the solitary exception of Mr..
Harris. He alone remained behind in
Yedo; because, he said, events Of the
kind were liable to happen in all newly
opened countries and there was no
sense in getting ratified over them. The
stand he took induced the others of
the diplomatic corps to gradually come
back again to Yedo. It shows what
sort of man he was and how friendly
that man was to Japan.
ERA OF PROGRESS.
Years rolled on and happily the
state of things improved as they went
and came, until Japan's progress in
civil and military administration has
come to attract more or less the a..
.ention of the world. The same was
rue also of our economic development. I
To give an instance. about the time
IF the restoration our foreign trade
vas too insignificant to be noted. Even
n 1873 our trade with America
amounted to only five million yen. Fiji ]
cen years later in 1888 the amount
'ose to twenty-three millions. 1t went
IN swelling and last year the figure
cached 200 millions. When we think {
If the course of events that gave be-
ginning to this advance onward we
'annot but recall fondly the names of :
Perry, Townsend Harris
md other bile Americans as those of | {
men who opened for US the doors that
lad shut US from thu light of eiviliZa- '
ion. Thus it is from the potion of {
heir heart that the people of Japan E
Ire ever aware of the gratitude they
we and always cherish the feeling of |
Utmost cordiality toward the people of y
he United States. Our people look to 5
americans as they would to their own {
nationals. Tt is our fervent hope that | I
when Mr.. Taft goes home he viii tell
lis countrymen that such is the sem S
iment we entertain toward America E
nd Americans. We always hope that |
americans will look on Japanese as t
hey would on their own nationals. 1 '
low ask you all to honor the toast of s
secretary and Mrs. Taft. '
IN ELOQUENT REPLY BY SECRE-
TARY TAFT
Baron Shibusawa, Mr.. Mayor, Gen. e
lemen of the Municipality and Cham Il
er of Commerce of Toxic and other |
istinguished citizens of Toxic:
I beg to extend to you my heartfelt II
hanks and acknowledgment for this l
magnificent evidence of your hospital n
" and good will. 1t is a little more Y
han two years ago since a large par
Y, of whom I was one, was the recf-
lent of similar courtesy and atten-
ion in this very hotel at the hands c
{ the then Prime Minister Count Kat j
lra. So many were we then that l >
entured to compare our coming to n
he descent of a cloud of locusts upon I
lis devoted land. But you stood the Ie
nObly and your treatment OF
s is a bright memory, never to be q
az