Evening star., 1937-10-10
By John Claeett Proctor.


pan and China, with the even
tual effect 1t might have upol
Il civilization, shows that it i
usually bad business, as Hosea ono,
Raid In substance, to sow to the wind /
you do not want to reap whirlwind
And this reminds the writer that wher
Commodore Matthew c. Perry nego.
tiated with Japan its treaty with thi.
country, OF March 81, 1854, which re.
opened Japan to Western influence
after its $50 years of isolation, ht
certainly started something, as the
boys would say, which some day the
world may md very hard to stop.
or course, in negotiating this treaty
we must admit that our Yankee ia.
theirs were not so ALFRED interested il
the japanese as they were in them
selves. and the amount of added COM
merce it would bring to this country
Indeed, Japan was perfectly satisfied
TO be let alone. for living a secluded
life was just to its liking. and had
We needed the advice of George Wash
sngton to beware of foreign entangle-
ments 1t might have been much better
for us In the long run. But at the
time this treaty was negotiated there
we're those who thought, as many ap-
parently think today. that George was
q back number, and that what he
urged us to do then would not be lust
the thing to do today. But maybe
time will forcibly prove that this great
man, whom We love to call the Father
Of Our Country, was right then, and
Is still right.
A LTHOUGH the treaty was popular
with the masses, yet there were
many who looked upon it with dis
favor. and among these were several
members Of Congress, who alluded to
It as a piece Of nonsense, though their
better judgment was diSregarded, and
they were even ridiculed, as the fol-
lowing remarks printed at the time
show. Said one write-up:
They are the lineal descendants
of the people who said that the fuss
IN Boston 80-odd years ago about
the tea duty was all nonsense and of
the people who shouted aloud that the
resistance to the stamp act, which
ushered in the Revolution, was mere
CANNON. The fact is that this jap
anese Embassy is matter of the
highest national and commercial
Importance.
THE Japanes are the British of
Asia. Like our ancestors of the Brit
ish Isles, they are of insular origin
and full of insular virtues and insular
prejudices. They despise foreigners.
but they know how to take care of
themselves. Many of their customs
seem absurd to us, but they are hon.
est in their adoption and thorough in
their observance.
Their country produces a number
OF commodities which would find a
sale here, and they consume many
articles which We produce. Satisfy
them that commercial intercourse
with us would be beneficial to them
and valuable trade will be created.
Thus far their only commercial cor
respondents have been the Dutch, who
have driven hard bargains with them
and impressed them unfavorably with
regard to Christian nations. We can
undo the mischief that has been done
# We produce favorable impression
on our visitors and commence trade
under proper auspices"
"A S A RESULT, however, of the
Perry treaty and of the treaties
OF June II, 1857, and of July 20,
1858, the japanese Empire sent to
this country one of the most colorful
diplomatic delegations ever seen in
America. 1t arrived in this city on
May IA, 1860, and the treaty of 1853
was ratified nine days later. What
ever we may think of the wisdom of
the negotiations, their coming here
was surely an outstanding day in the
history of Washington.
The Star was then in exstence-in-
deed, it was then going strong into
Its eighth year of publication-and so
we can rely upon what it had to say
of this event as true and interesting,
for its reporter was undoubtedly at
the Navy Yard when the delegation
disembarked, and when he sent in the
following account of what transpired
there. Said he:
TN pursuance of special orders, at
10 o'clock the officers of the yard as
sembled in full dress at the comman-
dant's Office, then to await further
orders. The military. composed of
the Marines, regulars and volunteers,
under command of Maj. Terrett,
United States Marine Corps, formed
on the parade ground in front of the
landing, where the japanese and
United States flags were to be dis
played.
"On the approach of the Embassy
gun was fired, when all the en-
ployes Of the yard left their several
workshops and formed on each side
of the main avenue in front Of the
anchor house, for the purpose of wit
Messing the reception On the arrival
of the Philadelphia at the wharf
Capt. Dshlgren caused to be fired
salute of II guns, the number Of re-
ports usually accorded to an Ambas-
dor. simultaneously with the firing
OF the salute were displayed from the
fagstaffs, which had been erected for
the purpose. the japanese and Ameri-
can national colors.