The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-03-16
JAPAN is FRIENDLY
TO UNITED STATES
II People of Both Countries Could Have
a Little More Light the Perma-
hence of Amity Would Be
Assured.

Pittsburg, Pa, March l6.-Aimaro Sa
Ito, japanese ambassador to the United
States, addressed the Pittsburg Press
club at it's annual dinner last night
speaking on Japanese. American rela
tions. The permanence OF amity between
the two countries was assured. said he
If the people of both countries could
have little more light, to enable them
to throw off fear and prejudice which
were born of ignorance, and he appealed
to the gentlemen of the press to be the
torch bearers for the light that was need
cd.
Where the American is Indifferent"
said Ambassador Sato, she cannot be
wise. Where he is not well informed he
cannot be just 1t is well for us to be
mindful always of the fact that there
are always present, both in the United
States and Japan, men and influences
that are ready and even eager to set the
delicate fabric of pece on fire.
Herbert Spencer put into brief SEN
tence what we all know, but which we
can never remember for any length of
time:
1--WE all decry prejudice said he, yet
we are prejudieedn"
| On the other side of the Pacific a world
drama is being enacted which is no less
important to America than the one in
| Europe, said the ambassador, because
the far eastern drama is constructive in
stead of destructive. America should
know more of it" said he, "for the world
is about to enter upon what might be
called pacific era and the United States
is tiptoeing on the Threshold of a new
day wherein she is TO be at once a world
merchant and world power"
The ambassador introduced his address
by picturing the people of Pittsburg as
"a race of poets" not of the classic type,
but poets of the ultra modern sort who
chisel their cantos in a Panama canal or
trace their lines in steel rails across the
continent" Accordingly, the ambassador
spoke not of the Japan of the lacquer
trays and a fan, but of the Japan of
achievements--Japan in her overalls, in
the worlds market places and at the
helms of her ships combing the seven
seas. He said:
I'm some quarters of this country, an
impression prevails that the empire OF
Japan is handful OF lean islands as
sterile as the classic but stern shores Of
Attica or of your New England states.
In sense this picture is correct. In
more senses than that it is altogether
wrong. Some OF my friends here present
may, perhaps, be astounded to hear that
the northernmost edge of our empire cuts
the 5lst degree north latitude. the same
line which hicks in the northern tip of |
Newfoundland and runs through Siberian |
SHOWS; while in the south our Island OF !
Formosa kicks it's southernmost toe /
through the 22d degree north latitude
the same line which goes through the |
heart of the West Indies in the Carib- !
bean. From north to south, therefore,
the empire of Japan covers a much great |
er reach than this great United States. /
All this naturally gives Japan a wealth I
OF varying climatic belts and their az /
ricultural and marine products. But the /
impression of the spacious reach of the
empire created by what have said
should be largely discounted. Japan is
by no means continuous chain of is
lands stretching from the 5Ist degree
north latitude down TO north latitude q
degrees and as minutes. A trans Pacific
express liner can steam from Kahoshima,
the southernmost port of the group of
islands forming Japan proper. to Kee-
lung, the nerthernmost port of. Formosa,
without sighting land for days. With
al that, with our oversee domains, the
empire of Japan has to-day the total
area of over 100000 square miles or
nearly six times as large as the state of
or about 1900 square miles
smaller than the one state of Texas.
And on that area 77,2s900G people have
heir being. according to the official re-
bort of 1916.
"And this empire is no longer drunk
with the color and perfume of the four
'easons; neither does it sit long night
through chanting to the silver witchery
If the NOON It has laid aside the happy
md simple life of Arcadia along with
many other childish things. 1t has come
o life in terms of trade and accumulat
d wealth. As with you Americans. it is
he poetry of achievement that guilds
he highlights OF its dreamings and its
SEPARATIONS"
Ambassador Sato told the story of
Japanese industrial growth. He told of
he first silk filature, established in Jap
N in 1872 under the supervision of
french engineer, at time when the to-
al exports of Japan, Including every
hing from silk to dried cuttlefish,"
mounted to only Ss,500O00 year,
whereas last year Japan's export of raw
iIk alone was valued over 1888 100000.
Ie told how an obscure student estab
shed the first match factory in pri-
ate house in Toxic in 1875. and how
apan had developed this industry until,
! 1916. she exported over Sl0900.000
-orth of matches. He told of the first
otton ginning mill of the western type
! Japan. 1t was of British manufacture,
,mpleted in 1868 and managed by an :
merican expert. To-day" he said,
Japan has 100 spinning factories with
10 combined paid-up capital and re-