The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-04-22
Japan Honors Last of Perry's Men
old American Tar Feted Like King
Captain Hardy, Sole Sur
vivor of Historic open
Door" Expedition. Wei
coined by Editor.
BY RALPH TURNER.

Tokyo. Japan, April 2l.-~America has
sent no official envoy to Japan in re-
! turn for the visit of Viscottnt Ishii.
who concluded with the United States
the momentous agreement regarding
| the peace Of the Far East.
But an aged, bearded American
sailor, kneeline at the base of Kuri-
hama monument here, recently prayed
for everlasting peace and good will
| between his country and Japan.
And the naive henevolence OF this
ancient mariner has found deeper re.
spouse in the heart Of Nippon than the
assurances of polished diplomats.
He is Captain William II. Hardy, 50,
last survivor Of the Perry expedition
| which Ga years ago swung the tlowery
| Kingdom from barharity toward the
| front rank of world powers.
His coming was made a national
event, and no ambassador extraordi-
nary could have received a greater ova :
ton.
Il am no diplomat" said the old man
to governors, mayors and thousands of
plain people who welcomed him to To-
Ikyo. But ! want, in my simple way,
to express my own friendship and that
of my country toward you and yours. -
Then he proceeded to shake hands
| with all the men. smile at the women,
and distribute "all-day- suckers to as
many of the chubby youngsters as he
could reach.
Yours is just the kind of diplomacy
we need more Of" responded one of the
Mikado's high officials. 1T carries
farthest and strikes deepest"
| Captain Hardy was II when he
helped row Perry ashore at Kurhama
for the historic conference. 1t was "A
dangerous as wen as momentous mis-
sion. E'rowns and suspicion confronted
the intrepid band of Americans who
Iswung Japans door open to the world
There were no 'banzais' then" said
the old man, casting back. "Your
lgrandfathers didn't have much of a
welcome for us. But this time I come
by invitation--a friend among friends
land I'm getting Il send-off such as
wish Perry might have had.
| I'm not astOnished at your progress
! Fact is, | knew you We're corners the
first time | set eyes on the Japanese
back In SO. Since then the old world
has rolled around considerably. and Tn
glad it's rolling toward closer bond,
between your people and mine"
Captain Hardy, accompanied by :
number of Japanese from Portland
lore, his home, came to Japan thi.
time on pleasure trip, to help cemen
the growing friendship formally to
lkened between Fiscount Ishii and Sec
rotary of State Lansing.
| Presented to the emperor aud EN-
press Mt court, the old salt was fete,
land cheered wherever he appeared
!Geisha girls danced for him. schoo
children marched in his honor Off
cialdom paid him homage.
Perry's grizzled oarsmen acccpte'
it all with simple dignity--in II frocl
coat and topper some Of his Americas
friends had provided for the occasion
A 17year-old Tokyo schoolgirl in
ljected a romantic element into his sec
ond visit to Japan. For years she ha
!corresponded with Hardy, partly to i'm
prove her English, partly because q
her sentimental interest in the las
J Perry survivor And it was she VIII
finally persuaded him to make the tri1