Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-03-21
FLEET To VISIT
JAPAN ESE
WATERS
CABINET ACCEPTS THE
MIKADO'S INVITATION


ships Now in Pacific,
tBy Morning journal specInI Leased Wire
Washington, March s0.-The Amer
lean battleship fleet IS To- Visit Jauuu.
The desire of the emperor of the Use
land kingdom TO play host To the fleet
was laid before Secretary Root yps-
/ tefday by Baron TakuhWa, the Iapu-
Iuesc ambassador. The invitation.
which Was couehcd in most cordial
terms, was made the subject OF en-
TENDED consideration by President
. Roosevelt and his entire cabinet toe
tdaN Secretary Root was directed 10
IaccepJ the invitation and the accept
Iance was laid before the Japanese
Ambassador late today
+ 1t is regarded in official circles here
las more than likely that China will
i be next to bid for a look at the fleet
and that should this be the ease the
/ invitation would be accepted
! Admiral Pillsbury and Secretary
! Metcalf the former chief Of the bu-
! rcau navigation, are arranging the de-
/ tails of the new itinerary with the
exception Of China, 1t Is believed to
! have been determined that all other
! invitations, should any be received,
viii be declined for at best The Beet
win not now be able tn reach The At
lantic seaboard before the first Of
next March.
The itinerary which seems To- be.
/ the most direct includes stops at the
/ Hawaiian Islands, Samoa, Melbourne.
! sydney, Manila, Yokohamu--shuuld
/ that port be selected as the stopping
place In possibly "a Chinese
/ port, back 70 the Philippines and then
| home by way of the SueZ canal with
: only such stops as are necessary for
Coaling
The fan target practice has been
/ planned to occupy a month at Manila.
either before or after the visit to Ia-
/ pan. Although target practice is re-
Igarded as decidedly important and
( the custom is to have the ships uC-
cupy a month each sprinE and fail i'm
/ gun practice, the desire to have the
! fleet return to its home station may
lead to a curtatlment OF the month
planned for Manila,
Japan win have the ships week,
according to tentative plans. While
ne stops IN futeigr ports SO tar Inaue
have been on an average Of ten days
duration, a mart Of that time was oC-
cupied in taking on coal, With a
visit to Manila first, no coaling OPP /
erauuus would be necessary AT least /
to any considerable extent i'm NOlto- (
hama. This would enable the en- /
tire stop there To he ~iyen up to fca- ,
tiylties and show features of the visit /
The acceptance of the Japan inyi- |
tation is regarded in official circles |
as Of considerable importance i'm the i
way of @ demonstration Of the cor !
diality existing between the American |
land Japanese governments. The |
added trip is nearly equal To a yoy- |
age from New York to Europe, The |
text Of the invitation ana Of the re-
ply has been withheld from publtca-
ton by the department of state pend |
ing It's receipt by the Japanese gov
eTument
Ambassador Takahira upon being |
officially notified tonight Of his gov
ernmcnts acceptance of Japan's M
vitation to the United States to have !
the fleet visit TO Japan said
HAD / known earlier that the bat |
tleship fleet was going to visit the |
orient the invitation from our gov |
crnment would have been extended |
earlier. It is a matter Of great satis- |
faction to our people TO have the bat
tleships visit Japan. The emperor and !
the people Of Japan will extend a hos |
pitabe welcome to the officers and
men of the fleet. I personally am glad
that the invitation has been P2cepted, |
as II will give the Japanese people an
opportunity to show their cordial good
will toward America"
Late tonight the state department
gave out the japanese note inviting
the battleship feet to visit Japan ana
the presidents response accepting the !
Invitation. The correspondence fol-
lows:
japanese Embassy, Washington, d.
c., March Is. 1908:
"Sr: Under instruction from MS
majesty's minister for foreign affairs .
! have the honor to communicate 10 /
vou that the imperial government /
having learned Of the contemplated .