Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-10-24


terests in the Pacific can better be I'M
derstood, perhaps, by imagining her
island territories transferred to. the
more familiar Atlantic and the east
and=west directions reversed. The vari-
Gus groups. of Japanese islands would
then extend from the Shetland islands
southwark along the coast of Europe
and Africa for 2,7O0 miles. Formosa
would be situated just north of the
Cape Verde islands. The Marianne or
Ladrone islands of the mandate would
occupy position near the Azores; and
the hundreds of islands of the Caro-
line and Marshall groups Qhe remain
ing mandate islands) would string out
across the Atlantic from near the
Cape Verdes almost to Cuba. Homo
lulu, under this transposed geography,
would occupy about the position Of
Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Good Naval and Trading Bases.
AS direct outlets for emigration,
Japan's mandate islands, because Of
their restricted area, are of little i'm
portance. But as bases to facilitate
naval operations and trading activities
to the south and east they are COM
parable in Importance to Hawaii as
bases for the westward activities Of
the United States. And Japan means
to make the islands "pay for their
keep" She is stimulating the sys-
tematic planting of coconut groves,
and her traders are fast replacing for
eign goods in the islands with those Of
Japan. The islands add only a few
thousand miles of territory and some
$4,000 people to the Japanese empire
But the scattered points of land 'fence
in" approximately one million square
miles of the Pacific.
Though Japan has grown to
greatness in world councils perhaps
not dreamed of in 1858, the spirit of
kindness then established between
her and the United States by the visit
of Commodore Matthew Galbraith Per-
ry has continued to mark their rela-
tons. This opening of Japan to the
world by an American constitutes one
of the most important events in our
history. The story Of Perry's voyage
to Japan has all the glamour of the
stories of the Orient, and is fascinat-
ing beyond the imagination of the most
fertile novelist. Armed with a letter
from the president of the United
States to his imperial majesty the en-
peror Of Japan, saluted as a Great
and Good Friend" Commodore Perry
made a thorough study of Japan and
the Japanese character before start
ing on his epoch-making voyage.
He carried as presents specimens Of
the products of the farm and factory,
which he thought by their novelty and
usefulness would interest the people Of
Japan. A miniature locomotive, with
tracks and rails to be laid down, one
mile of telegraph line with Morse in
struments, photograph-cameras, print
the newest things in America, were in
the cargo.
Commodore Perry's Diplomacy.
The story of his wisdom, his pa
tience, his eonsHnmate diplomacy, go
ing into weeks and months and years,
the employment of every art that
craftsmanship and strategy could in
vent, is as thrilling today as when it
was first told. He had gone to Japan
with friendly key to open the door
for the furtherance of trade, the pro-
lection of life, and to obtain a treaty
with a power destined to occupy a
large place in the world. HHrrying
nothing, observing every ceremony
that could appeal to those he would
win as friends, Perry's success marked
him as a diplomat of the first water.
When the negotiations had reached
!, stage where the high contracting
parties had about agreed, Hayashi
wished to insert a clause that no
American woman should be brought to
Japan. Tradition has it that when this
proposition was submitted the Commo-
dore excitedly exclaimed, "Great
heavens If l were to permit any such
| stipulation as that in the treaty, when
/ got home the women would pull all
| the hair out of my head"
Overlooking little harbor south of
Yokohama stands a monument to
Commander Perry, commemorative the
sailof-diplomat whose wisdom made
Japan and America know. and esteem
each other. The spirit of Perry and
Hayashi still pervades both countries,
which, in the language of the letter
borne by Perry. Live in friendship
and commercial intercourse with each
other"