Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-05
VISITORS KEPT BUSY
Japanese Commissioners Con-
stantIy on the Go.
GUESTS AT SOCIAL EVENTS
Many Dinners on the Programs for
the Current Week.
EXPLAIN OBJECT OF THE VISIT
Convey to the United States Feeling
Of Good Will From Their
People.

Hikojiro Wada, director general of the
| international exposition to be held at
| Toxic, Japan, in 1917, and Tokutaro Sa-
| kai. one of the imperial Japanese ex-
position commissioners arrived here yes
terday afternoon. They are to remain
week. and will be entertained officially
| and socially.
| Messrs. Wada and Sakai while in Lon
| don completed negotiations which will
| result in the establishment of a large
enterprise next year which will be called
| the British Japanese exposition. 1t will
occupy the site of the Franco British
| exposi ion last summer. One of it's OBJ
jec-s will be to draw the two countries
closer together in commercial way and
afford new outlets for the products Of
the factories Of each.
| The visitors are to be the guests of
| honor at a dinner this evening by the
| will he guests at the White House;
| Thursday night the Japanese ambassa-
| dor will entertain in their honor. The
American commissioners to the Toxic
| exposition Will tender them a ulnner
Saturday night.
| Frank D. Wiborg of Cincinnati, who is
spending the winter in Washington. will
entertain the guests at dinner at his
home Wednesday night. Visits to Mount
Vernon and to Annapolis. where there
will be an inspection Of the Naval Acad-
envy, are prospective fea ures OF the stay
of the two officials in Washington.
Speaks English With Fluency.
Mr.. sakai. who is a graduate of Har-
| ward, speaks English with fiuency. He
| referred srnilingly of the hospitality ex-
tended the commissioners in New York
hot a aScanad QIivA RI
Washington, but badly in need of sleep.
| Their steamer was met by a launch sent
| by Mr.. Loeb, collector of the port. They
were carried ashore and unged at once
| into round of luncheons and dinners.
| He had to make seventeen speeches dur
| ing his stay there and said that such was
| hard work, owing to his lack of facility
with English. AS matter of fact he
| speaks English as we'll as the average
Washingtonian, with only the slight ORR
entail hesitancy that marks the language
as not being exactly his native tongue.
The two commissioners were entertain
ed at dinner at the japanese ambassa-
doris last night Mr.. Wada will go to
Seattle soon. where he Will inspect the
Yukon exposition and then sail for
Japan.
| Mr.. Sakai will remain in this country
about two months, going to Chicago and
St. Louis and ultimately to the Pacific
| coast. whence he will sail for Japan.
Entertained American Visitors.
Both Messrs. Wada and Sakai were very
active in connection with the great social
| and official functions in Japan last Octo-
| Der, when the American fleet was being
| entertained by the Japanese government
| This fact, coupled with the importance Of
| their mission, has doubtless had some
| thing to do with the hospitality which
was lavished on them in New York city
on that which they are to receive in
| Washington. While In New York they
| were the guests of honor at a formal
| luncheon every day and at large dinner
or banquet every evening during their
stay.
when the Japanese governments in
tention to hold an exposition was COM
municated to the different governments"
| Mr. Sakai said. 1.-THE United States was
| the first government not only to signify
| it's Willingness to participate, but to make
| large appropriation-more than any ap-
preparation this government has ever hith-
erto given for an International exposition.
When this action was known to the
Japanese government and people they ap-
| preciated it very deeply, not only for the
| amount of the appropriation but also for
| the spirit and the manner in which this
| unprecedentedly large sum was given to
| our exposition. We have taken this action
as a proof of the traditional friendship
| of this country.
Mentions Two Important Events:
| Last year We had two most important
events In the relations between this coun-
try and Japan. One, as is we'll known.
was the visit of the American fleet to
Japan, and the other the visit of the
| United States exposition commissioners
to Japan. The Japanese people held 1t as
a great honor that this nation sent such
| large fieet-the largest fleet which has
| ever been sent abroad. We took 1t as a
| sincere expression of your friendship and
| a sign of the high regard In which this
| country holds Japan.
| 1.-The American commissioners to the
Japanese exposition being in Japan at
| the same time when the fleet came gave
us another assurance of your interest in
our affairs, for il evidenced your purpose
to cooperate with us in developing our
commerce and industry and good trade re-
| lations through the proposed exposition.
which after all contemplated the enhance
| ment of trade between Japan and different
nations
When the news of President Taft's
| election reached us the Japanese people.
| both the government and the people. were
| overwhelmed with joy. think undoubt-
| than on any other occasion, and in some
other quarters the Japanese celebrated
Mr.. Tafts triumph. The feeling of
| satisfaction was very genuine among our
people, as shown by their conduct when
your fleet visited Japan. Mr.. Taft has
personally visited Japan twice. He un-
derstands us thoroughly. Most of the
| important men OF affairs in Toxic. both In
the government and in business. had the
honor of meeting him on his two visits
| there. and We felt that SO long as the
| affairs of this gerat nation were Entrusted
| to man like him harmonious relations
| would be maintained.
| Congratulates the Country.
$50, apart from my sincere and genuine