The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-05-23
Our Over Sensitive Brown
Friends Thought a Sa-
lutte Unanswered.
ARMY MAKES BAD BLUNDER
BUT WHEN MikADO'S SHIPS
STEAMED THROUGH GOLDEN
GATE AMERICAN sooMs FORTH
A GLAD WELCOME.

=
United States army owes it to the
United States navy that Japan, as rep
resented by Admiral Ijichi, was nor
MORALLY offended at what appeared 10
the admiral to be what former Presi-
dent Roosevelt might have called "a
deliberate and premeditated snub." In
cidentally, the city's guest again calls
attention to the unfortunate arrange
ment, or lack of arrangement. made at
this port by the army for returning sa-
lutes of visiting foreign war ships
Furthermore, and also incidentally, the
affair shows that Japan does not take
the keen interest in American military
affairs with which she has been cred
| tied.
When the Japanese squadron entered
| the port on it's recent visit the Ameri-
| can flag was hoisted to the Aso's fore
and saluted with twenty-one gune. The
| saiuting station in this harbor former
~ was on Alcatraz, and the japanese.
unaware fthe change. made more
than q year ago. looked to the prison
tslnd for an acknowledgment. There
was nothing doing.
As they watched Alcatraz and listen
| ed. however, far astern and around a
corner, some little old three Founders
at the official saluting post at Preside
were banging away at the Pacific
ocean. OF this demonstration the jap
anese neither saw nor heard anything.
| The West Virginia acknowledged
the Japanese gunpowder anthem to
Old Glory, and followed the twenty-one
guns with thirteen guns for Admiral
Ijichi.
When Admiral Swinburne boarded
the Japanese flagship he learned that
the visitors were under the impression
that the army had ignored the Japa.
nese salute. Knowing the unfortunate
breaks made by the army at this port
in the not very distant past, the admi
raj may have felt some misgiving, but
il he did he gave no sign. He assured
the admiral that the salute had beer
returned, but that owing to the loca
ton of the saluting battery and the
haze that hung over the harbor 1t hat
escaped his attention. AS far as Ad
miral Ijichi was concerned the incident
ended there
The army's record at this port To-
returning salutes in what the navy
would call ship shape and Bristo
fashion," is not good. An Italian
cruiser called here a few years agt
when the saluting post was located o,
Alcatraz. The visitor fired the na
tional salute and Alcatraz replied. TIL
first gun was fired on time. The sec
ond followed in about an hour TIL,
first gun was fired about eleve,
o'clock in the morning. The twenty
first gun was discharged few minute
before sunset The officer in charg
Of the battery explained that the &c
centric intervals between guns wer'
caused by the jamming of the shells, t
remove which the post blacksmith an
his staff had to be called upon.
A few months ago Peruvian cruise
called here to return the visit Of tn
Atlantic fleet The Peruvian salutes
} as it entered the harbor. There wa
no response from the Presidio, but tn
next day, when the army learned from
the newspapers of the Peruvian wa
ships arrival, the salute was duly re
turned by the Preside battery.
All of which goes to show that thu
army has the best OF intentions. bu
that it might make better impressio,
on foreign visitors If the official sa
luting battery were either replaced OF
Alcatraz or installed on the hill a
Fort Mason, where its acknowledg
ments of foreign courtesy could b
seen and heard from any part of thu
harbor.