The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-09-20

president and he has been SO kind and
so gracious that we all individually
feel honored and thank him from the
bottom Of our hearts.
I've beg also to offer our sincere
thanks to you. our distinguished hosts,
the members of the chamber of COM
merce of Minneapolis, for your mag
nificent hospitality and for the val
ued opportunity you have 80 kindly
Afforded us of meeting your chief
magistrate for whom we japanese
entertain the deepest respect as one
OF the foremost men of the age and
more especially as a warm and true
friend of Japan.
I'VE do not come in any official ca
pactty. and SO we are not charged
with any official message to you. We
may. however, safely claim that in a
broad sense we come as unaccredit-
ed ENJOYS Of peace sent by the peo-
pie of, Japan to the people of the
United States.
"On the eve Of our departure on
the present mission his majesty, the
emperor. honored us in a way quite
unique in our history. He gracious
~ invited us to banquet at one of
his detached palaces, an honor never
before given to any private individ-
uals, however distinguished, going
abroad without any official capacity.
On that memorable occasion the en-
peror was pleased to express to us
through the minister of his house
hold. his high approval of our visit
to America and gave us to understand
"a or
a matter of deep concern to him.
Scarcely less deep was the interest
manifested in our trip by the people
at large. From ministers of state
down to the very man in the street,
the whole nation united in giving US
send off such as is given only to
the men going to the front in defense
of homes and country. From this you
can easily infer how strong and uni
versal is the enthusiasm excited in
Japan by our present visit to your
country.
"This is only another manifestation
of that peculiarly deep sentiment of
friendship and good will which the
people of Japan have always felt and
actually feel toward the people Of
this enlightened republic.
"May the strong ties of friendship
that now so happily bind together the
two nations grow still stronger as
years roll on and may their friend
ship be forever based on mutual re-
spect and on common regard for JUS
tice and peace for the good of humani-
ty at large"
Presidents Reply
The president said:
II say only what is in the heart of
every one who hears me and we are
all delighted to welcome this influ-
entail, highly intelligent and most
charming company of our Japanese
friends. They have in this company
of fifty men, business men of acute
intellects, men of far seeing CONNER
cial experience and warn the Ameri-
can merchant and the American manu-
facturer that what they show to these
gentlemen, these gentlemen will we'll
avail themselves of in this friendly
controversy and friendly commercial
contest between the two nations.
They are here on pleasure trip
but they belong to a thorough ma
tion and they will carry back with
them all the useful lessons that such
a visit can possibly pay to visit us.
Now do not regret that l hope they
will take back all the lesson possible
and l hope it will make Japan, if pos
sible, more prosperous and more en-
ergetic and widen her commercial
and manufacturing interests.
Il am not one of those who believe
that 1t Is wise to keep back the prog
ress of your neighbors in order that
your own progress may be great. We
have much to learn from Japan and
they much to learn from us. but as
we improve both lessons, and as we
grow to be greater in commerce and
in business, we shall grow to be
greater customers each of the other.
This old colonial idea that it was
necessary to keep dependencies in
state of titulage so that their people
did not know the prices of the goods
at which they ought to sell them In
order that the home government
might get things at cheap price and
sell them at high price is bunco
game that works little while but
in the end it does no good to either
party
And so 1t is between nations. The
development of each is for the bene-
fit of the other if friendly relations
continue and those commercial con-
ventions exist between them that
ought to exist between friendly ma
tions.
"It gives me personal pleasure of
a very acute character to meet these
representatives of Japan. 1t has been
my good fortune six or seven times
to visit that wonderful country and to
enjoy the hospitality of that wonder
full people. You don't visit there once
without having a deep impression
made upon you and you can imagine
the impression l have in having been
there six times and having twice or
three times been the guest of the en-
peror and of the people of Japan.
Have Curiosity
I'VE are a curious people. We have
got to run our newspapers. We have
to have at times emotions stirred in
order that the newspapers shall have
circulation and we cannot always do
that with statement of the facts.
Therefore we have to draw on our
imaginations and therefore we have