The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1908-10-03
YOKOHAMA IS READY
TO WELCOME FLEET
WILL SPEND HALF A MILLION
DOLLARS ON SAILOR
LADS.

YOKOHAMA, Oct. 3.-Although the
date set for the arrival of the Amer
lean fleet is still more than two weeks
distant, the preparations for the glo-
rious half-million dollar celebration in
honor OF the Yankee tars are about
completed. Manufacturers of flags and
bunting have been working overtime
for the last few weeks to supply the
demand for American flags. which will
be displayed side by side with the
banner Of the mikado during the stay
, of the feet.
The circumstances surrounding the
original dispatch Of the American war
ships to the Pacific ocean give to the
Japanese visit an especial political
, significance in the popular eye. The
/; difficulty in California, over the exclu-
sion of Japanese children from the
schools, the former predOminance of
the Japanese fleet in Asiatic waters
and the unprotected state of the west
coastal gave color to the general
conviction that the fleet was sent to
restore the balance of power between
the two countries, and to offset the
rapid naval and military growth of
reception in Australia was generally
recognized as due to the feeling in that
country that the two English speak
ing races in the Pacific had common
political and economic cause against
the aggressive and commercial and in
dustrial policy of the new eastern
power.
The overcrowding of. old Japan and
/ the tendency of it's citizens to emigrate
to English speaking countries where
the wages are higher, together with
the unwillingness of those countries
to let in labor with a lower standard
OF living, has made an acute question
which remains to be settled. The char
acter of the prOtectOrate, moreover,
which Japan has maintained over Ko-
rea has not tended to conciliate Amer
lean and Australian shipping and COM
mercial interests.
In the face Of this situation the Jap
anese have said little, smiled much,
as is their custom, and calmly pre-
pared for an entertainment of the fleet
which will cost over 100000, and
will doubtless furnish more novelties
and surprises than any thing to which
the men have yet been treated Every
officer and man Of the visiting Amer
leans will receive a silver souvenir.
Viscount TIA said: 1.-THE coming of the
great American fleet to Japan will be
one of the most striking events in our
history. We must extend to it our
most sincere welcome It will I'M
doubleday tend to bring the, nations
closer to each other, and it will like
wise prove of the greatest benefit to
both the japanese and American ma
vies. The coming of the American fleet
Is at our invitation and although it
is impossible to receive it with the en-
tire Japanese navy, as many vessels
as are available should be assembled
to pay our respects to the visitors"
The report that the American sail
ors had objected to visiting Japan, and
that they had contemplated measures
to resist orders to that effect has not
been confirmed, and is not generally
believed in Japan.
AS the American battleships, 16 in
number AMI headed by the flagship
Connecticut, near the coast of Japan
they will be met by the, vessels of
Japan deployed in such wise that one
Japanese warship will escort each of
the visiting ships. Then, for the first
time, will the best that Uncle Sans
navy can boast have a chance to COM
pare usually and at close range the
fleet of its one and only rival in the
Pacific. But In this case the rivalry
will be one of good offices and kindly
greetings. an art for which the Japa-
nese are now world famous