Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-03
WELCOMED TO JAPAN
Royal Greeting to American
Exposition Commissioners.
RECEIVED BY EMPEROR
Members Decorated With Order of
the Sacred Treasure.
GOOD EFFECT OF THE VISIT
Timely Arrival Serves to Disarm
Criticism Of Government Officials
for Postponing Exhibition.
GOOD EFFECT OF THE VISIT
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

| Roosevelt and Secretary Root took action
certain to have a lacting effect upon the
relations of the United States and Japan.
There Is no question that the postpone
ment of the exposition aroused q good
deal of resentment among the Japanese
people, with consequent embarra ssment
| to the government. lhe entire country
| realized the need of financial retrench-
| ment, but it did not care to make patent
| to the world the economic condition of
the empire. The katsura ministry how
| ever, possessed the courage to decree
postponment Of the great fair for five
years, not only because Of the saving
which thereby would be directly effected.
but by the indirect saving consequent
upon the distribution over a longer term
Of years of expenditures for harbor i'm
proVementS and additional railroad facil
ties which the exposition would neces-
| state. CourteOusly turning to the United
States, which had made an appropriation
Of 81 100000 to defray the cost of its
participation, and appointed commits
sion to make the necessary arrangements,
the Japanese government explained its
| purpose. Realizing at once the diplO
matte value of the opportunity thus pre-
scented. the President and Mr.. Root
directed the commission to proceed to
Japan and announced their intention to
| recommend to Congress the continuance
of the appropriation already made avail
| able.
| Arrived Ahead of Fleet.
| The commission, consisting Of Commits
sioners General Francis B. LOOMS, for
merly assistant secretary of state, and a
| diplomat of many years experience;
Frederick ]. V. Skiff the head of the
Field Museum in Chicago, and recognized
as the exposition expert. and Francis d.
Mlllet the artist, with John Callan
Laughiin as secretary, arrived in Toxic
two weeks before the fleet appeared.
| There is not the slightest doubt that
| there existed in the minds of practically
all foreigners in Japan and some of the
Japanese themselves the idea that the
| American battleship fleet in the Pacific
| constituted menace to Japan. Every
preparation was being made to give the
American ships reception eclipsing any
| thing of the kind elsewhere but it was
asserted that the Japanese government
| was actuated by diplomatic rather than
stood perfectly the character of the in
| sp1ration which had prompted the Presi-
| dent to send the fleet to the far east.
The dispatch of the exposition commits
sion prior to the arrival of the fleet et-
| fectually dissipated this suspicion. 1T
| was apparent even to the most short
| sighted, that the American government
| would not manifest such keen interest
| in an exhibition to be held eight years
| hence unless it believed peace was to
| continue between the two countries. The
tactful pacific speeches made by MIR.
LOomiS and the interviews he gave to
newspapers emphasized this impression,
with the result that when the fleet ar
rived the people realized fully that its
visit was of a friendly instead of men
acing nature, and they comported them
selves accordingly.
Silenced All Criticism.
The commissioners presence contrib
| uted also to the strengthening of Japa
nese credit. since 1t demonstrated the
friendly policy of the United States.
Finally the people themselves regarded
the coming of the commission as an alb
solute commitment of the government to
the holding Of the exposition, which was
confirmed by the official declaration that
the fair would occur in 1917. With these
events the criticism Of the ministry
promptly ceased
1t was realized by Mr. LOOMS and his
associates that their mission to Japan
was diplomatic in character rather than
confined wholly to discussion of the pro-
posed exposition. At the same time the
one was not neglected for the other
Marquis katsura. the premier; Count
komura. minister for foreign affairs. and
Baron Oura. minister of agriculture and
commerce. all gave specific assurances to
exposition without fail in 1917. Mr. Skifr
and Mr.. Millet made suggestions concern
ing exposition practice which the Japa-
nese declared to be most helpful, and
which, If adopted, would be as advan-
tageous to American exhibitors as to the
exposition. The commission was given
an opportunity to inspect the site of the
proposed fair and was permitted to select
the most satisfactory location for the
tional pavilion of the United States The
general site comprises large plain. which
is now used for maneuvers, and the i'm
perial gardens. the two being connected
by long avenue. which will be trans
formed into a mysterious pike, as at ST.
Louis in 1901
AS originally projected. only a portion
of the imperial gardens was to be en-
ployed; but the exposition of 1917 is to
be on a much grander scale. and more
space will he required all of the imperial
gardens will be used. The gardens are
| charming. retaining sufficient wildness to
make them appear unlike the we'll kept
park they really are. AS many of the
trees will have to be removed-and trees
are regarded by the Japanese with rev.
erence which is almost beyond the COM
prehension Of foreigners-it is evident the
imperial family has made a gift of great
value in the interest of the exposition.
The Agricultural Exhibit.
Besides securing the best site for the
| American pavilion. the commission in
duced the japanese authorities to agree
to permit agricultural exhibits. This had
| not been originally intended. The i'm
portance of this concession. so far as the
American people are concerned, will be
| readily appreciated. Agriculture is the
great base of American prosperity. Our
| exports of grain and grain food products
generally are increasing largely. But in
| order better to acquaint the people of the
| extreme orient with our cereals it is de-
sirable that a complete and satisfactory
| exhibit shall be made. The Japanese.
Koreans and Chinese who will attend the
exposition now will have an opportunity
| to eat our cereals prepared in MANY
! delicious ways by American cooks. In
| a word, the orientals will be brought to
| appreciate our food stuffs. have been
visitors to expositions held in America.
That this means a tremendous increase of
| trade is apparent.
The commission honored with an
audience by the emperor and empress.
during which their ma jesties took occa-
sion to speak in most cordial fashion of
| their interest in the continuance OF friend
| ~ relations with the United States.
Business Centers Visited.
Upon the termination of their business
| in Toxic the commission went, as guests
of the government. to KyotO and Osaka.
Il