Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1909-02-16
f7-ss-ar FsfH -, -
JAPAN, and FLEETS
STAY IN PACIFIC
Inside History Of Cruise
Thought To Be
Interesting
did ROOSEVELT PROMISE
TO WITHDRAW FLEET?
New York Herald Brings Out Sug-
gestive Points in Connection
With the California
Agitation

New York, January ga special
from Washington TO the Herald says:
Coincldent with President Roosepelt's
pronounced efforts to prevent anti
Japanese legislation in California
comes report to the highest diplo-
matte authorities here that the Presi-
dent and the japanese foreign Office
understand each other far better than
Ia known to the public. It is also
said that President Roosevelt has for
some time been using every effort to
discount in advance any action on the
part of the American people which
might be construed in Toxic as un-
favorable to Japan. ...
At the same time II is asserted that
the itinerary of the battleship feet
was in the japanese foreign Office be-
fore It was given out for publication
here and that there was complete
understanding between Japan and
President Roosevelt that the feet
would not change It's itinerary, or,
In other words, would not remain In
the Pacific ocean beyond a certain
date.
This report, coming as 1t does from
an authority little to be questioned,
has set diplomats who have heard II
somewhat agog today by its implied
meaning that the President with.
drew the feet from the Pacific be-
cause OF an understanding with and
practically at the dictation of Japan,
Negotiations Secret.
No one knows how the diplomatic
negotiations between the President
and Japan were conducted or wheth.
or the suggestion that the feet should
not remain in the Pacific beyond an
agreed date came from the japanese
foreign ONCE or from the President
himself. II is believed possible that
the President may simply have In
formed Japan that the feet would not
remain, in order to quell any sus
picion of hostilities and permit tn,
fleet to continue its world cruise with
uninterrupted good feeling towart
oil nations to which IL paid its re
spects.
1t is also believed possible that tn,
President may have wished to give
the Japanese foreign Office an emer
gency measure of big stick" TO hole
over the heads Of any Linguistic dis
turbers, and thereby indicate formal
10 that - bar NJ NON Lone nnnld IN,
feet remain In the Pacific. These ar
some OF the assumptions heard sine
the news that there was some wore
OF an Acknowledgements agreemen
relative to the fleets cruise.
II is known that the officials ant
merchants OF Manila were very an
xious to have the fleet stay longer II
Philippine waters to make up for tn
time lost through the cholera cpl
demic. and that II was proposed Z
cut short the time allotted to tn
Mediterranean in order to permit tn
crews to have more shore liberty Il
the Philippines Naval men wer
willing to stay longer and indulg
In battle practice. but washington
refused all requests, the battleshi
fleet was hurried away and then per
mitted to drift aimlessly In fragment
around the Mediterranean.
Diplomats here look back to severn
Incidents at the time the world cruis
was first planned, and which the
think highly significant.
japanese Showed Displeasure.
II is remembered that when II wa
first announced that the fleet woul
eRcircle the globe japanese diplomat
here said little, but Indicated tina
the Japanese would not particularly
relish seeing the bulk Of the Amer
lean navy transferred to the Pacifl
or the Vicinity Of their domain. TIL
was considered justified because tn
fire of japanese jingoism was burnin
high and the japanese foreign offic
was afraid the President might pou
on oil while they were attempting
quench II by pouring on water.
The Japanese embassy intimate
| that the cruise would he very exper