Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-08-27
PLEDGES JAPAN
TO ALLIES CAUSE
Viscount lshii's Assurance at Wash
ington's Tomb
ENTERS THE HOLY CIRCLE
The Most Dramatic Of All The Pill
grimages Made By Special
Missions.

Standing beside the tomb of George
Washington, viscount Ishii, head of
the special Japanese mission, yester-
day pledged the eternal friendship of
his people TO the United States and
voiced a message to the world that
Japan is in the war with every ounce
of her strength and resources and will
fight to the bitter end for her allies
There is no gulf between the
ancient east and the new born west
too deep and wide for our hearts and
the understanding of our people to
cross" declared the Japanese dipIo-
| mat A minute later. with his eyes
raised to the blue vault above. he
said:
Japan is proud to place herself be-
side her noble allies in this high re-
solve to fight for justice and against
aggression. and here in the presence
| of these deathless ashes she affirms
| pies for which they waged battle,
fully determined to do her whole part
in securing for the world the bless
| ings of liberty, justice and lasting
peace"
A Dramatic Tribute.
When he ceased speaking Viscount
Ishii stepped into the tomb and rev.
erently laid an immense wreath
| alongside the tributes from France,
| Great Britain, Belgium and the other
nations who have sealed their prom
| ises of devotion TO the common cause
of justice and humanity on the spot
where rests the ashes of the immor-
tai Washington
Viscount Ishii and the members of
| the Japanese mission were taken to
Mount Vernon yesterday on the May
| flower as the guests of Secretary of
the Navy Daniels Members of the
cabinet, high officials of the govern
melt, army and navy officers, mem
bers of Congress and the civilian
lieutenants of the President in prose-
cutting the war were present and gave
hearty welcome to the visitors from
| overseas. None of the visits paid to
Washington's tomb by the other mis-
sions have so ombined the dramatic
| with such show of reverence as
was witness yesterday. There could
be no mistaking the absolute sin
cerity of Viscount Ishii as he deli
cately made reference to the ripples
that have occurred from time to time
| in the diplomatic seas between the
| to countries and declared the wish
of his sovereign and his people to be
the formation of indissoluble ties
ever Danish all doubts IS to the atti-
tude of Japan toward this government
Significant Incident.
When he made his declarations.
his voice clear and strong the little
| group about the tomb showed its ap-
probation by spontaneous and pro-
longed applause.
Not even Marshal Joffre, idol of the
allied nations, evoked the enthusiasm
which greeted the visitor from the
land of Cherry Blossoms. And on the
other hand none of the representatives
| of our Allies, who have visited Mount
Vernon have demonstrated a greater
interest in the shrine of American
liberty, and in hearing details of the
private life of General Washington
and his family.
On the trip down the Potomac, the
members of the mission were made to
feel thoroughly at home, and min
| gled with the diplomats and states
men on board BY the time Mount
Vernon was reaced the visitors were
chatting with their hosts and hostess
as if they had been here for years in
| stead of only three or four days.
| Secretary Daniels made a brief adj
| dress when the tomb was reached, in
which he assured japan of the friend
ship and regard of this nation
Secretary Daniels Address.
He referred to the visit of Com
| modore Perry to Japan in the early
| fifties and the ratification Of the treaty
of 1885 as a result Mr. Daniels said:
To-day, with stronger ties than
| ever woven out of the threads of our
mutual participation in the world
wide struggle to insure to all man
kind the right to live their own lives
and pursue their own national ideals.
Japan and America pause at the
tomb of Washington in the hope that
there may fall upon US all a double
portion of his spirit Of faith in the
triumph of the right and his readi-
ness to make the supreme sacrifice
for the principles for which America,
Japan and their Allies are now con-
tending in the area of war They
have drawn the sword to end mill
tary feudalism. They will sheath it
only in victory that will guarantee
permanent peace"
At three o'clock this afternoon the
mission will visit the tomb of NJ ID.
Stevens in Arlington. Mr. Stevens
was special adviser to Japan and also
4 acted in a similar capacity for Korea
He was killed in 1910 in California,
while returning to Washington