Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-21

constantly growing. japan eApor's
amount annually to about S160.O0O.0OO. OF
which we take about one-third. Tie ex.
ports consist largely of mattings, lace
goods em5roid cries and other fancy work
In the production of which many peopie
are interested We, In turn snip vas
quantities of -four, oil and such com
modities to Japan. This sort of trade Is
a great pacificator."
what about the Pacific fieet?
1.-THE sailing must have been magnih.
cent sight We have fine ships and a fine
personnel, and SO long as the Pacific
ocean belongs to us as much as to any.
body else / see no reason why we snoulc
not send. our ships there on pracuce
cruise. The Japanese are too intelisen'
and high-mindad to attribute any false
motive to the movement.
My trip had as its only definite ob1ect
a report on conditions in the Philippines
My visit to Japan was only incidental
Trav ling by comm 'rcial steam r we
had to stop there and 1t was only &C urt 'sy
for me- to pay my respects to the emperor
The trip through Russia was partly 70
save time and partly because mad
crossed the Pacific six times and was
rather anxious to see the new territory
My visit was in no sense official so
many courtesies were shown me from
the moment I put foot on Russian SOIL l
could not have refused. even had de-
sired to do so. the invitation to an audi
ence of the Russian emperor. wal
much impressed by the emparors person
ality and his entire familiarity with cur
rent affairs. especially American politics.
Ride Through Siberia.
AT Moscow I had the rather novel ex-
perience of dining one evening with an
official who next day was made the tar
get of bomb. This was Gov. Gen.
Guerschelmann. The ride through Siberia
was most enlightening, and gave one
very different idea of that country from
what it is generally conceived to De.
Especially Is this true as to agriculture,
minerals and population western ST.
IBERIA will probably undergo the same
process of development as our own mid.
die west, and believe that in time 1t will
be the center of population OF the Rus
sian empire.
II was much pleased with conditions in
the Philippines. They were much better
than l had hoped for. The initial pro
ceedings of the first Philippine assembly
and its tendency to conservatism, despite
the supposed radical majority, were most
gratifying.
I'm China the American residents were
anxious for reinsurance as to America
intention toward maintaining the open
door policy. At the banquet in Shanghai
endeavored to give this assurance.
Secretary Taft presided at the ship s
concert on Monday evening last and was
warmly toasted at the captains dinner
the night before reaching port. one OF
Columbia University. expressed the hope
that the entire comp any might meet again
some day on a steamer named the Presl-
dent Taft.
Review of the Trip.
Secretary Taft's trip has taken four
months almost to a day. In that time he
has accomplished in succession. speak
ing tour through middle and western
oft of try WI n a
which many have ascribed the highest
conciliatory Importance; a stay in the
Philippines. devoted to the Inauguration of
the first Filipino assembly, and an audit
ing in general of the administrative affairs
Of the Secretary's own Asiatfc wards;
Journey from Vladivostok over the trans
siberian railway. as the guest of Russia
and an audience with the car on the
eve of the return to America. Yet one
of the most talked of features of the long
voyage was the avoidance of visit
which would have endangered the implica
ton of this country in an attitude thought
best avoided on the Asiat:c question The
Secretary did not meet Kaiser Wilhelm
The avoidance of this meeting, oddly
enough. seems to have been one of the
achievements of the trip.
On August 10 the Secretary of War left
WASHINGTON on his journey west. On Au-
gust % he spoke before the people of Lex
ington, Ky. The Lexington speech and
others. delivered at Columbus, Oklahoma
City, Joplin, Springfield. Mo-, Denver,
Portland Tacoma and Seattle. all bore
the character of general reiteration OF
the administration policy at large, with
out special reference to the Secretary
own political position or to his errand
abroad
Reception at Yokohama.
Sailing from Seattle September II
by the steamship Minnesota, Secretary
Taft arrived at Yokohama the 18th.
he was met with great ceremony by dele
-Estiops from the japanese imperial house
hid. foreign office and war department.
S&A&smber 3Oj at banquet given by
the &ty Of Toxic, the visitor took the OPP
portability to speak in conciliatory style of
the rhmoredj likelihood of war between
This country and Japan. "A war be-
tYsen America and Japan, he said.
would be a crime against civilization"
At the same time he characterized the
rurnor that America might be willing to
sell the philippines to japan as absurd.
Th9-American visitor was entertained
. during the following few days by l.. ut
kGen Terauchi. minister OF war, and by
The mikado and the crown prince. He
sveas the immortal guest at a luncheon at
nSon on the day of his departure. He
net during his stay at Toxic all the Japa-
nesA laaders. including Saito. Oyama.
Togo, Yamamoto. Nogi and Katsura. Us
initial speech was regarded as highly re-
assuring by the Japanese public 1t re-
suited in a singular cordial1ty on the
part of all CLASSES throughout lis bri Il
Wait He left for Manila October 3 by
ws4 Of Shanghai.
cordial Greeting at Manila.
The Philippine populace of Manila
turned out in thousands to meet him on
his landing. October ID, at Manila and
received him with signs OF affection that
showed that his previous visits were not
forgotten. He went directly to the ayun-
tamieno, escorted by the administrator
heads and thousands of Filtpinos, and
addressed the new assemblymen. In his
speech he said that the granting of COM
plete civil government was the policy Of
the United States, but that no such step
would be soon taken. Government would
be withheld. he said. until the islands
were ready for It, Our sovereignty would
not end. in his belief, for generation at
least On the day following Secretary
Taft formally opened the assembly with
the following speech:
BY the authority of the President, de-
clare the assembly open for the transac-
ton of business" He later assured the
body that the government would not sell
the islands unuer any circumstances.
The Secretary of War tarried in the
Philippines until November o, spending
much time in conference with the Filipino
leaders. visit to Sulig Bay. the projected
naval station, and other pursuits, but at
the same time carrying on correspond
ence with Washington as to the mode of