Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-14
JAP ESTIMATE OF LINCOLN
Baron Takahira Says Martyr Was
Great Diplomat.
EXAMPLE TO ALL COUNTRIES
International Questions settled on
BASIS Of the Golden RuIe-ReIa-
tIons Between Nations
Friendly.

PEORIA, H., Feb. 13-Declartng that
his country entertained nothing but the
most friendly and grateful sentiments
towards the United States and that such
a thing as war between this country and
Japan was an impossibility. Baron
Kogoro Takahira. Japanese ambassador to
the United States. delivered the principal
address last night at the Creve Cour clubs
banquet in honor of the centennial of the
birth OF Abraham Lincoln. Charles
Magoon. former provisional governor OF
Cuba; Curtis Guild. jr. governor of Mass
achusetts, and Prof. John Clark Freeman
were the other speakers of the evening.
Ambassador Takahira was enthusiasts
ticslly received. In his address he gave
a brilliant eulogy on the life of the great
emancipation from a foreign point of view,
concluding a tribute TO the golden rule
of diplomacy as exemplified by Lincoln
and Hay and in which category of states
men he placed Theodore Roosevelt. owing
to the presidents efforts to stave off
snti-Japanese legislation on the Pacific
coast.
Baron T~akahira's speech. p
Baron Takahira's speech follows:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen: l feel
highly. gratified 70 be able to avail my
self OF your courteous invitation to at
tend your banquet this evening which Is
given In commemoration of the Tooth an
niversary of the birth of your great mar
tyred president, Abraham LincOln.
Mr.. Lincoln has left In his life a great
example OF a public man, not only OF MS
own, but of all countries. 1t is no won.
der that his fame Is worldwide and
adorns the universal history of the mod
ern age as one of the greatest men that
Another feature of his life which APP
pears particularly interesting and IN
mpfhOd nj conducting the foreign AIIafTS
of this country
Those who learned to admire his method
OF diplomatic transactions called II Lin
coin diplomacy the diplomacy which up
held the dignity and interests OF the United
States when Il still remained in a less i'm
portant position and under very adverse
circumstances Mr.. John Hay. who was
once President Lincoln's secretary, said
In speaking OF American diplomacy:
The briefest expression OF our rule OF
the Golden Rule
UnIted states and Japan.
The history of the diplomatic relation be-
tween the United States and japan and
other far castern countries Is replete with
every description of the friendly acts
taken by those which might be considered
as an application OF the golden rule and
OF the golden rule in your diplomacy with
these countries Is being attributed by the
adoption OF the same rule in their diplo-
macy towards you. Now let me make a
Nv 1AAAa hG ooCdN ~ tAaAAR 10 ~
TO show you how the golden rule has been
observed between the two countries and
also why Il must be observed:
j have Necessarily to begin with the re-
markable success of Commodore Perry's
mission which was sent to Japan some
half centary ago in order to open and in
troduee into the community OF nations and
the country which was then only terra
incognito. Not speaking OF the great debt
OF gratitude Japan owes to the United
States for its friendly Introduction into
the International pOmmuOitV. n Ia a nnfQ-
worthy fact that the American government
has been careful In the selection of its
representatives in japan in order to accom-
rlish what has been left for them to dc
by Perry,s mission.
Japan's Attitude Friendly.
Townsend Harris. your first minister t.
Japan, was especially remarkable as a mar
OF large heart and broad mind. 1t was
true such friendly attitude taken by the
American representatives, of course. sup
ported by the government, that American
people are deeply endeared to ours, and We
want to reciprocate what has been done fol
US. We have never had any idea for q
moment OF displeasing your people, much
less OF waging war against you.
II IL for this reason that when displeasurt
was manifested In this country in regard tC
the Japanese immigration we readily con
scented to the adjustment OF the question
Immigration OF laborers to the minimum
number, and as a consequence II has beer
greatly reduced, notably since the last July
and a. Is found that during the latter hal
OF 1908 the number of Japanese immigrants
who returned TO Japan from continenta
United States was larger than those VIII
number of those who returned to JapaI
from the Hawaiian islands was also In ex
cess Of those which arrived there from
japan by 1900, While II is not certain how
long this condition OF movement will con
tinue, It is possible that every half yea