Evening star., 1908-01-24
WELCOME FOR FLEET
Japanese Sentiment Favors
Visit of BatIeships.
GOOD FEELING AT BANQUET
Peace and Amity the Keynote at
Dinner to 0'Brien.
PRAISE FOR MR.. ROOSEVELT
Association Of Americas Friends of
Toxic Discredits Suggestion of
Impending Trouble.
PRAISE FOR MR.. ROOSEVELT

given by the Americas Friends Associa-
ton o. Toxic, at the Peers Club in the
Japanese capital Saturday, December u,
at which the new American ambassador,
Thomas j. O'Brien, was guest OF honor.
The Japan Times gives the details of
the entertainment. The health of Presi-
dent Roosevelt was proposed by Viscount
kaneko, president of the association.
while Ambassador O'Brien proposed that
/ of the mikado.
Viscount kaneko's speech was brought
to close with:
President Roosevelt is the warmest
and greatest friend of Japan to whom
we tender our sincere gratitude from the
bottom Of our hearts. This l might say.
not for us only who are here this even
ing. but as the general feeling of the
whole of the japanese empire. The
cordial relations and warm friendship
which have been maintained between the
two nations for half a century can
never be estranged-shall never be shaken
by a little irritation, which might, now
and then. occur in our international in
! etrcourSe."
Ambassador O'Brien's Speech.
Ambassador O'Bren referred in his
| speech to the approaching international
exhibition at Toxic and the friendly re-
lations between the two countries.
| THE United States has nothing which
Japan cares to own or take" said the
| ambassador, while. on the other hand,
/ the United States has no wish for any
| of the fair acres belonging to Japan.
j The purposes and the plans of the Jap
/ anese government cannot be question
! of doubt, and it ought not 70 be neces-
| sary to continue a repetition of denials
| from sources of the highest authority in
| both countries that there is nothing
between them except harmony and good
will If your country medltated a strife
Involving her army, her navy and her
| other resources, sthe present would be
most inopportune time to ask the ma
tions of the wo-ld to come together in
your capital and exhibit, each In it's own
way. all that is most valuable and best.
i AT this juncture every reason COM
bines to justify your expectation of active
i assistance from the United States. What
may be done, of course, remains to be
determined, but nothing could be more
encouraging than the expressions OF the
1 President lately delivered to Cong -ess.
He proceeds to point out, In his own
terse and vigorous way, some of the
unanswerable reasons why the United
States should take genuine and com
manding interest in the forthcoming
exhibition. 1t is we'll known to you all
that what the President recommends he
intends to see carried out, and when
1912 arrives / expect to see such a rep
resentation from the United States as
will go far toward making your enter
prise the success which it deserves"
The Battle Fleet.
Following the toast the president of the
association spoke again, saying. among
other things:
I'VE the members of Americas Friends
Association, welcome our honored guest,
Mr. O'Brien, the ambassador from the
United States, which have been, ever
since the beginning of our international
intercourse, SO well represented by those
able diplomats as worthy the name of the
great republic. Most of us here tonish,
were formerly residents in the United
States under the hospitality and Kindness
of American people. We are loyal SUBJ
jects of Japan by birth. and sincere
friends of America by residence. The
object of our association Is to serve as a
social link to fasten the two peoples OF
: the United States and Japan, and to De-
come as an intellectual bridge to connect
and assimilate the two types of clvlllza-
tion oriental and occidental.
When we examine the geographical posi-
ton of those territories bordering on the
Pacific beginning with Aleutian Islands.
and continuing with Alaska. the state OF
Washington. California, the Sandwich
Islands, Guam Island and the Phillppin"
Islands. all of which are the United States
territories. and next we find Formosa, tn
islands of the Japanese empire. and
kurile Islands. which all belong to Japan.
We realize tNdt the racine ocean Is d cum
! mon water of the United States and
Japan; therefore the two nations must
assume geographically the joint response
i bility of keeping peace on the Pacific, and
an increase of Americas naval power Oh
the Pacific will lessen so much Japan
: burden of responsibility to maintain peace
in Asia.
After the American feet, which has
just left Hampton roads, reaches the
Pacific coast we hope that Rear Admiral
yryfn To
use a chance to welcome them and recip-
rocate hospitality shown so abundantly
to our representatives. Gen. kuroki. Ad'
miral Yamamoto and Vice Admiral 1juin,
in their recent visit to the United States.
| Friendly Relations Lasting.
Baron Kanda then said:
That warm hand of friendship extend
ed to us by Commodore Perry. which we
so heartily grasped. has never loosened its
grip. Those hands firmly clasped in fra
ternal union across the Pacific have never
been, and, ] trust, will never be parted.
ITO be sure, there have been some
feeble attempts to make us believe that
even this strong tie of friendship was not
exempt from the general law of the muta-
bility of things. But those of us who
have spent the happiest years of our
youth amid the genial atmosphere OF
American homes-who know the American
people as we know our oWn-cannOt but
feel those fluctuations to be mere ripples
on the surface, while deep down in the
depths there beats but one constant heart.
grandly at rest binding the two nations
in bonds of lasting friendship. l am
neither a diplomatist nor an international
lawyer. Even if | were one, / would not
on such an occasion this tread upon
the dangerous grounds of international
politics. But as one whose path of life
lies in quieter sphere, L venture to say
that the influence America has exerted
and is exerting over our youths has been,
and will always tend to be. one of the
strongest bonds of union and goodwill be-
tween the two peoples
with the feelings of one who looks
upon America almost as his second moth
er country / feel particular pleasure in
extending my most cordial greeting and
welcome to her distinguished representa-
tive, who has honored US with his pres
ence this evening, and l feel conhden,
that through his presence that time-hon-
ored friendship will be still more closely
| cemented.
Baron Tagaki, former surgeon general
of the navy and Baron Megata, the first
Japanese graduate of Harvard. and for
{ mer financial administrator of the empire
spoke in q similar vein.
, Other guests were Count Yoshi, Wis
/ count Mishima. Viscount Hanabusa. Bar
! on Takahashi and members of the Amerl
+ can embassy.
-4- ~ a u0n Dr ~ ~