The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-01-05
LASTING FRIENDSHIP
FOR AMERICAN PEOPLE
Aoki Declares He Has Never Made
Statement Regarding Japan's
Policy and Reiterates His
countrys Good Will.

San Francisco, January 4.-viscount
Aoki, Japanese ambassador at Washing
ton, who arrived in San Francisco last
night, en- route to Toxic, having been
recalled by his government at his own
request, in an interview with the As
sociated Press tonight denied the state
ment attributed to him in an alleged in
terview last night, in which he was quot
ed as saying:
Japan is restricting the emigration of
laborers to this country and will continue
to do so, and that it would be regarded
as offensive to the dignity of Japan for
this country to pass an exclusion law
or endeavor to embody the subject in a
treaty"
"Such a statement did not emanate from
me- emphatically declared the ambas-
sador in German, language with which
he is much more familiar than with Eng
lish II did not talk with any news
paper man last night, nor did authorize
anyone to speak for me, much less make
any statement Furthermore, have not
discussed the emigration question with
anyone since I left Washington, nor have
4 anything to add to my farewell state
pie through the Associated Press, prior
to my departure I am returning to
Japan after a long absence to confer
with my government upon various mat
ters and convey to the Emperor the best
wishes and expressions of friendship
from President Roosevelt, and l believe
the American people.
..rhe attitude of Japan toward this
country is of the friendliest character,
but the immigration question and other
matters of policy between the two .coun-
tries are for statesmen and diplomats
and cannot be so freely discussed in
public"
Race Troubles Barred.
Reine able to express himself readily
in German. the ambassador talked at
length upon various topics, but declined
to discuss the Vancouver race trouble,
the immigration question in general or
comment upon the transfer of the bat
tleship fleet from the Atlantic to the Pa
cific coast.
He laughed heartily when shown a
dispatch from Paris which stated that
the Japanese fleet had disappeared from
its customary cruising ground and was
renorted to be in the vicinity of Ha-
waii.
At a luncheon given this afternoon by
the trustees of the local chamber OF
commerce, Viscount Aoki, Consul General
Chozo Kioke and Vice Consul Matsuoara
were the guests of honor.
c. I'll. Bentley, president of the cham
her of commerce. in introducing Vis-
count Aoki, touched upon the labor rlots
and anti-Japanese feeling. He expressed
gratitude that the governments of the
two countries were composed or men
who were not to be deceived by the
exhibition of rioting and disorder, by law
less elements, and declared that this was
not typical of the feeling of the people
of San Francisco toward japanese, much
less that of American people as whole.
Ambassador Aoki, in response, said
that the debt of gratitude of Japan to
America was so great that no isolated
cases of complaint could ever dissipate it,
and re-echoed the friendly assurance
which the Emperor of Japan is reported
TO have sent to President Roosevelt
through Secretary of War Taft.
Japan wants peace with America he
added, 'now and always, and she will
omit no effort to make that desire a
reality"
viscount Aoxi said: 'Durng my brief
but happy stay in the United States
have had many opportunities of seeing
that which l conceive to be the best and
greatest in the American people. have
marveled at your energy, at your prac-
teal methods of doing things, at your
wealth and the vastness of your material
resources. But what has impressed me
most, / think, is the spirit of practical
unity which holds your people together
over so vast territory and such va
riety of conflicting local interests. I think
there is no such homogenity on so large
a scale anywhere else in the world. One
great rule appears to animate the Amer
lean people, and that is to pull together
for the upbuilding of the national great
ness. That which takes many forms of
expression | find to be the same in New
York and San Francisco, and everywhere
n is characterized by frankness and fair
nlav. Your people believe in the doctrine
Of live and let live, and that is not only
because YOU have learned from exper-
fence that such a course is the best pol
lev. but because you are naturally gen.
erous.
TO the extent that this spirit has been
extended to our people and country, l am
prepared to bear witness cheerfully and
gratefully to your territories.
From your distinguished President
down to the humblest CITIZEN have dis
covered no disposition to be other than
wise, just and helpful. My country has
been made to feel the friendliness of
America so often and in so many ef-
fective ways during the last 80 years that
a great debt of gratitude has grown up
on our part which no mere local furry
or isolated case of complaint can dislo-
cate.
ut IL pleasant for me to be able to as
u~-~-~---~--->--~ ------------~~-->--->
<rnNnuNITIrn nm pAGE az