The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-11-19
JAPAN IS OUR
SINCERE FRIEND
Commercial Delegates Express
Their Belief in Oft-Re-
peated Claim.

ton at the beginning OF the month
some of the delegates returning to tn
mainland and others continuing thei
trip through the Orient, have issue
the following preliminary report:
"The entertainment accorded the Pa
cifc Coast business men, representing
chambers of commerce Of San Fran
cisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland
Oakland, Spokane, Tacoma, San Diego
Eureka and Honolulu, throughout JapaI
ipartook of an ovation.
t'There is no doubt but that the gov
eminent of Japan and the chambers OF
commerce of Toxic, Kyoto, Osaka, Yo
kohama and Kobe intended that no at
tention or expense should be spared
that the American commissioners
might be received, entertained and
shown the country and its conditions
in manner never before undertaken.
"Their earnestness and enthusiasm
became contagious and the japanese
lpeople, without regard to rank, We'd
with each other that the commission
ers might know and feel that Japan
is the sincere friend of the United
States. Everywhere we journeyed in
the villages and towns, as well as in the
cities, delegations of prominent officials
and business men met and delivered
addresses to us, number of them be-
ing in English.
"School children were at the depots
and lined the passageways and, in
airs and waived flags and banners, ev-
cry other one of which was emblema-
tic of the United States.
cit would be absurd and wrong, af-
ter the manifestations of affection
which were accorded us by the japanese
people, to question the sincerity of
their friendship.
every member of the commission
realized that. it was not the commits
sioners whom the japanese sought to
compliment, but that through them
they were seeking to reach the hearts
of the people of the United States.
cat first, we were under the impress
sion that the elaborate preparations
were chiefly intended for the reception
of the American feet. But when we
visited the villages, towns and cities
where the men of the feet did not go,
we found preparations on an elaborate
scale made in our honor and the people
lacked nothing in their enthusiasm.
"No member of the commission can
ever forget the hundreds of thousands
of faces, radiant with smiles, which
everywhere greeted us.
''Before visiting the Empire of
Japan, none of us had the slightest
conception of the sentiments which the
people of that country bear to the peo-
pie of the United States. Commodore
Perry's memory is as much revered as
that of almost any patriot who has
ever died for Japan. The people of
that Empire feel that the United States
HdS uSSIt 1dIIy Win tACLd anu mas Slf
en- them advice which was not in any
way tinged by selfish interest.
''They declare that the moral sup
port of the American people and our
sympathy during the war with Russia,
assured them that they would be sue
cessful. They constantly spoke of the
friendship manifested by our country |
when President Roosevelt suggested |
that hostilities between Japan and Rus
STA should cease and an honorable peace !
be concluded.
''We were all impressed with the
beautiful scenery, the fine climate and |
the fertile soil of japan.
"'The people of Japan are clean in
their persons and in their homes, and |
are the most orderly we have ever met.
According to the report of the differ
ent members of the commission, only
two drunken men were observed and
not an incivility was offered to any of
us. This is a remarkable fact as, in
many of the cities, the crowds which
eheered us were so dense that the pas
sage ways for our jinrikishas were al
most blocked.
"We realize that owing to the short
period we were in Japan and SO much /
of our time being taken up by the en-
tertainments given US, our opportunity
for close study was very limited and
some of our observations may be err
roneous.
Gin Japan we found many things
that were crude and many of these
were pointed out to us by the Japan
csc themselves. Through us they sought |
a remedy and we were invited by them
to criticize whatever, in our Judgment,
appeared wrong, and for us to suggest j
reformations.
Bearing in mind that only ffty-fve
years ago Japan was a hermit nation
and that today she is world power,
realizing to what extent they have de-
welcomed their natural rasourcaS aud I