894.415 Perry/23
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 19.]
Sir: The celebration in Japan of the eightieth anniversary of the signing of the first treaty with the United States,24 and in commemoration of both Commodore Perry and Townsend Harris, has been [Page 650] carried out in a thoroughly hearty and genuine manner. It has entailed many banquets and other meetings, and all too many speeches. In this respect the undersigned has been called upon to do what he considers as more than his rightful share, for in dealing with the same subject in four public addresses and three written messages the streams of inspiration are likely to run dry. At any rate, it may safely be said that the matter has been approached from every possible angle, the memory of the distinguished Commodore and of our first Consul and Minister to Japan has been highly and fitly honored, while “the friendly relations so happily existing between the United States and Japan have been cemented” as almost never before.
The celebration opened with a Japanese-American radio hook-up on March 30. On this side the addresses were made by Viscount Ishii and myself, on the American side by Ambassador Saito and former Ambassador Roland S. Morris. The American program came through to Japan with perfect clarity. Copies of my address on that occasion and also at the luncheon of the combined Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Tokyo and Yokohama, attended by some two hundred prominent officials and business men, were forwarded to the Department with my despatch No. 728 of April 4, 1934.25 The texts of the subsequent two speeches at Shimoda and before the America-Japan Society are to be “found in newspaper clippings enclosed herewith.26 The local press reports of all of these speeches appear to have been favorable.
The meeting at Shimoda was a really inspiring affair. In attempting to convey a picture of it to the Department I can perhaps best enclose a very informal excerpt from my diary of that day, as well as a few photographs.25 That meeting brought home to me the genuine respect in which the memory of Commodore Perry and Townsend Harris is held in Japan and I for one was very much moved by it all.
Respectfully yours,