The Montana plaindealer. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1906-1911, 1909-09-24
TAFT met JAPANESE
WHILE THEY WERE GOING EAST
And HE COMING WEST.
Our President Gave Them a Hearty
Welcome and Assured Them Of Our
Lasting Friendship-They Responded
All Lunched Together on Shores of
Lake Minnetonka.

President Taft Sunday met the so
members of the japanese commercial
commission at Minneapolis, now tour
ing the United States. He babe them
a hearty welcome, assuring them Of the
lasting friendship of the American peo-
pie, praising their industry and pa
triotism, and drank a toast to the pros
perity of the Japanese, ''the sincere
friends of America. The meeting was
at a luncheon at the Lafayette club,
on the shores of Lake Minnetonka, ten
dered by the commercial club of Min
neapolis.
President Taft secuted the idea that
there had ever been the slightest dan
ger of trouble between Japan and
America. He paid his compliments to
the military valor of Japan, and said
the country twas then fighting in de-
Tense Of her rights and the mainte-
nance of her prestige in the field of
battle"
"But," he declared, "Japan today
is fighting for victories of peace, and
we all hope she will succeed. We are
not going to yield ourselves in that
contest, however, if we can help it."
President Taft's address, which was
filled with the warmest admiration
for the Japanese emperor and people,
followed a speech of Baron Shibu-
sawa, a prominent banker of Toxic
and chairman of the visiting commits
sion, who spoke in his native tongue.
He referred to President Taft as Zone t
of the foremost men of the age and a
a warm and true friend of Japan" a
Taft C~aptivates Japanese. q
Preceding the luncheon the president n
was introduced to each member of the K
commission. His hearty words of greet o.
ing, his quick recollection of having a
met many of the visitors during his Il
several visits to Japan and of little
incidents in which they had had a m
part, seemed completely to captivate b,
them. H.
Mr.. Taft also received the ladies of Fl
the party, declaring to Baroness Shi. m
busawa that America wanted to see m
more of the ladies of Japan, and to en- 20
courage their coming to this country e.
with the men. at is not fair said
the president, ''that Japan should keep 81,
back the most charming of her crea- NJ
lures" =;
Greets a Fraternity Man. NJ
Baron Kanda, a graduate of Amherst, ue
teh president as a fellow mem Fl
of the Phi Uusilon fraternity. we
> Wen, well,' said the president, 1--WE tel
will shake hands again, but wen lust an
conceal our grip" Gel
To Mr.. Del Kumagea, physician of ter
he imperial university at Toxic. ooI
President Taft said: owe have a pro.
.ound admiration for the physicians of AT
.apan. They taught us the way to
tamp out the plague. They taught us Co
o label the rats and by driving them to
heir holes to wipe out the source of !
We owe them a lasting debt 60,
f gratitude" -
Jokes With Japanese Broker. ira
When Mr.. Iwamot, a broker of Osaka. one
'as introduced the president expressed the
rs great interest in the Japanese mar noI
ct methods and l~aughingly remarked: oh'
l suppose you have bulls and bears. - Is
oh, yes, sill" replied the broker. VIII
"And the lambs, too7" The broker enc
owed low and passed on. the
ale Man Presents Fathers Respects. cri,
hoJiro Matsukata, president of the Ger
-obe Chamber of Commerce, and a cat
1lpbullder, was only one of what the con
resident remarked as being a "Rnti- Cor
wing sprinkling of Yale men along I
line. He received most cordial far
eleome, the president having met him the
nd his father, one of the lder states the
OF Japan, in their native country. its
# sin Or.ng d from m my father his humble disqI
lkata, who later, in response to a of
from the president, said he mer
from Yale in 49,. ern
Taft Refers to Pleasant Incidents. one
With Mr.. Otani, president of the y
Chamber of Commerce. oe
'esident Taft exchanged many pleas. tbo
t recolleetions of former associations
Japan. am
Mrs. Taft and I remember Yoko.
ma especially WELL" declared the stea
esident, land we still value most
yhly the silver service presented us
the chamber of there and I'll
ich we continue now to use at the soml
House, carr
Baron Shibusawa, in his address, Brew
MINI
is one of the proudest mo- cont
nts of my life. 1t has Just been Orov
good fortune to be introduced 70 j.
r president and he has been so 9any
d and so gracious that we an in. 900
feel honored and thank him ID 70
- a. L1AA-- -
On the eve of our departure on the SC
emf mission the emperor honored Tn,
a way quite unique in our his. deper