Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-28
JAPANESE BUSINESS MEN DIRECT
FEAST
PEACE AND GOOD WILL IS KEY
NOTE
War Talk Idle, Declares Governments
OFFICER Of Nippon-speeches
Are Made by
Many

dena rtrnent of commerce Oh the eihpno "
Janan was the guest of honor at BAN
met given by the prominent mercnan.s
ana bankers of the Japanese colony Oh
los Angeles at the Hotel Alexandra last
night. ,,.r +ob,e
,,,era gathered. besides seventy represent
tative Japanese business men, 1uiiy
score of prominent Americans, neaoeu ny
President W. c. Stephens OF the LOS An
geles chamber of commerce. Sympolicai
of the most cordial relations Wni|n ple
vailed throughout the entire evening were
the decorations, two great bronze eagles,
holding in their beaks the colors OF tne
two nations, and a floral design, repre-
senting the flags of the representative
nations of the east and west
As the guests assembled myriad minia-
ture incandescent electric lights were
turned on, illuminating the table Deco,
rations. The Royal Hungarian panu
played the national Japanese ana Ainerf-
can airs amid applause
,,,enu the Hawaiian quintet and two vocal
solos entertained the guests. On smaii
stage erected at the end of the banquet
hall two little Japanese girls performed
q native dance to the music OF the koto
and were heartily applauded.
Hopes for Peace
After the last course had been cleared
away M. Takakawi, master of ceremo-
nies welcomed the guests with snor.
speech before introducing the orator Oh
the evening He said in part:
1--WE are here tonight to become better
aco,ainted with our Los Angeles friends
and to further the interests OF the Jap
anese residents of Southern Canfornia.
We came to your country as stransers,
to become part of the greatest country
on the face of the globe. :,
eve trust the peace and good will Will
continue, and 1 am sure that notnlhe
could be more desirable
Rev. T. Komai a local clergyman,
whom he introduced, delivered passion
ate appeal for a continuance of the happy
relations that had always existed between
the two countries.
ssThe friendly relations of this mighty
republic and our own. country, ne salu'
.,are too apparent to need emphasis.
.sOf the nonsensical war talk for which
there is absolutely no foundation, there Is
little need of mention. We Japanese mere
IN Los Angeles, the peerless city OF the
twentieth century, appreciate the prlgnt
progress of our great future here. Our
children are accorded the same rights
here that they would have at home, and.
on every hand there is ample evidence OF
good feeling.
..To our illustrious guest I would say
If YOU study the progress of Los Angeles
and Southern California you will agree
with us that the friendship of the two
countries should be forever cherished.
Practice Better
1--WE Japanese are apt to be too sensi-
tive to the remarks of a certain class,
hut we are learning that practice is mucn
better than a hundred theories. Do not
understand us as unsociable and unas-
sirnilative. We are as courteous ana
amicable as yourselves, and when you
know us better we shall firmly cement
the destiny of these two great nations.
1T is a fact that some OF our people
have settled in your fair city and estab-
lished homes, and we want to become
part of your great country.
President Stephens of the chamber OF
was called home on account OF
the illness of his wife, and w. ID. Wasn-
burn replied to the Rev. Komai he was
by President Scott of the board
of education, who said;
.sFirst of all, 1 wish to assure his ex-
cellency of the great climate of Southern
California. In no other country would 1t
he possible to partake of such feast as
we have had here tonight, and when you
go back to your country l want you TO
tell your people that our climate is our
most valuable asset.
speaking seriously, and officially, as
am at the head of the city school system,
l want to assure you that in Los Angeles
schools we know neither color, race nor
nationality. We have not only Americans
and Japanese but also few Russians,
and we try to teach them something, too.
MARQUIS Ishii was next introduced by
X. Matsubara, Japanese consul at san
Francisco, but the introduction was
purely formal, for the marquis had met
all the guests before the banquet, ana
greeted them with hearty handshake
He read very brief speech as follows:
.'It is good to be the guest of SO many
of your prominent citizens, and I want
to express my sincere appreciation of the
honor accorded me here this evening.
1.-THE relations of the empire of Japan
and your great republic are too closely
interwoyen to be shaken by idle war talk,
and international complications could
only result in destroying our infant IN
dustries. Such a strife could only result
in material loss to both nations, and am
sure you will understand me when | say
that on our side 1t was no more than the
idle talk of a certain restless class.
s'In my opinion where class is allowed
to dominate in the control of affairs, only
i'll feeling can result, and 1 wish to assure
YOU again that Japan will not soon forget
what we owe to this country.
'In conclusion wish to propose
toast to your president, Mr.. Roosevelt"
The toast to the president was followed
by another to the mikado, proposed by
Scott and T. E. Gibbon, and before he re-
piled he proposed toast to the health Of
the guest of the evening.
Tells of Resources
Gibbon then told of the long-felt need
Of harbor by the city of Los Angeles as
a gateway to the marvellous opportuni-
ties of the orient, and of his experiences
on a trip to Japan about two years ago.
On the way over there he had met de-
signer in one of the large shipyards from
whom he learned of the wonderful re-
sources of the Japanese nation.
The fact that they could lay down the
keel for vessel larger than the British
Dreadnaught, and after building her
launch the leviathian, was well worthy of
the notice of the nations of the world
Gibbon also hoped to see the marquis
in Los Angeles within year, brought
here in one of the feet of the great
Japanesa-American line it is proposed to
establish between San Pedro and Yoko-