New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-26
REJOICE IN JAPAN TREATY
Asiatic Society's Members CeIe.
brate Our Friendship.
TAFT'S MESSAGE FOR PEACE
Ambassador Uchida Says His
Country Has Had Enough Of
Wars Bitterness.

Country Has Had Enough of
Wars Bitterness.
The thirteenth annual dinner Of the Amer
lean Asiatic Association in Delmonicos
last night resolved itself largely Into
celebration In honor OF the conclusion oil
the recent treaty between japan and the
United States, together with confident
prophesies from each speaker that the
friendship between the two countries would
not be disturbed by any lingo talk from
either side.
President Taft sent the following letter,
which was heartily cheered by the diners
when Seth Low, the president OF the asso-
citation. read IT.
The White House,
Washington, April II. len.
! Nv Dear Mr. Foord: Please express W
the members Of the American Asiauc As
ISOLATION and their guests on the occa Aa;n,
of its thirteenth annual dinner my ~, inl
greetings and my deep regret at my ~,
ability TO attend to give PERSONA eApi o,,r
sion to my sympathetic interest III Yum
| high purposes. ,.. I,n,n
| the conclusion Of which you are assemuieu
! TO celebrate, cannot be gagged solely llun l
| the standpoint OF Its attractNeI.Ss' .o
mercially., The. treaty SO rscenaH, MAJ MAJ
tiated and ratified is an additional Gua,
antee OF the friendship which has 80 lois
existed between the two countiies-a iIien i,t
shin so strong that we can well regard WIZ
corrplacency even the mlschievous ana md.
lcious rurnors so persistentiy clrcu,stedl :, ~
| friends of neither government anu Wnioh
SO utterly lack foundation in fact.
! To your guest Of honor Baron 1asuy a
J-chida, Ambassador Of japan, 1 pay rne
! tribute of my respect and admiration. Ine
message which he will deliver to you ON
OF goodwill and neishborly cordlanty, VII u,
I am sure, strike responsive choTu III
'''i 'i'"'' WILLIAM II. TAFT.
Mr. John Foord, secretary American
| Asistic Association.
Secretary Knox and Baron ucniua' 'he
Ambassador OF Japan, were the chiel ora
tors Of the evening, the former proposing
and the latter responding to the toast u
! the Emperor
The Secretary Of State said that as a
usual thing the negotiation of treaty OF
commerce and navigation is rather pro-
sale proceeding. but In the case OF the re-
cent treaty with Japan, the fifth general
treaty negotiated between the two coun-
! tries. the sentiment of mutual confidence
and respect, inspired by peculiar friend
ship Of many years. played its part.
Rumors Of War Are Ridieuled.
Such treaties. said Secretary Knox, serve
10 mark the successive stages in the de-
veiopment Of the relations between the two
countries.
"As a result" he said. the two nations
must Inevitably be thrown In future into
closer contact and often find themselves
competing side by side in the markets OF
hr1f In, hat ~ 81 10
only friendship and prosperity for both
nations The mastery OF the Pacific. so
often written and spoken about, said the
Secretary. was nothing more than one feat
ure Of this commercial competition. and
he felt confident that the friendship Of the
two countries during the last fifty years
ana the spirit OF mutual consideration that
has marked it would meet anu solve all
questions that arise on that score.
1T is time that the right minded peon,o
OF both nations deliberately closed their
ears 70 false reports and resolutely refused
to allow their feelings TO be ruffied by the
vaporings OF sensationalists," he added
Baron Cchida devoted only his opening
sentences to an expression of his sat,sfac-
ton with the treaty and negotiations which
led up TO its final ratification. The ambss-
to President Taft and Secretary Knox. He
denounced as ridiculous the recurring
runors OF possible war between the United
States and Japan.
Admitting then that there was a serious
side to these rumors, in spite OF their alb
. surdty, the baron said the principal reason
underlying such war talk was the mistaken
impression that the japanese were a war
J1o
that Japan had fought two wars within the
last seventeen years.
I'VE have experienced the bitterness of
warfare" he said. warfare in its hideous
modern aspect TO It's fullest extent, bitter
ness fortunately not yet experienced by
any other nation except our gallant late
opponents, the Russians
I'm view Of that bitter experience, I say
to you, gentlemen. that We shall never,
never repeat it, unless II is untustly forced
upon us"
Japan is peace loving nation, said the
baron, and as proof OF bis statement he re-
ferred to the two hundred and fifty years
Of peace which preceded the two recent
wars. pointing out that during that two
hundred and fifty years the races Of the
Occident had been almost continually en-.
gagged in war.
He closed his address with a neat smile
to illustrate the ambitions Of Japan with
respect to the Pacific. which. he said, were
not ito dominate" but TO Join with the
United States on the ocean between the
two countries.
There have been wars Of the Cross and
the Crescent, OF the Red Rose and the
White. but the Sun and Stars have never
ouarrelled In their courses, neither shall
the two flags which bear these celestial
emblems ever be carried at the head Of
hostile armies" he said.
Congressman William sulzer and Charles
A. Coffin. president OF the General Electric
Company also spoke
Among those. present were Consul Cen
eral Midzuno. Isidor Straus. A. Barton Hep
burn. Commander T. Hiraga, Charles D.
Norton. John G. Milburn ard Lieutenan Mt
Colonel x. Inouye.