THE MIKADO'S SAILORS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6176, 6 April 1907, Page 4

THE MIKADO'S SAILORS.

OFFICERS ENTERTAINED mixisti;itlAL ki:c!■:ptiox. IiIMLiT (TiOWI) AT PA RLtAMEXT iilM IJUXtIS. public irye pi ion tendered to Vice.iHuiif;:! T.miioha and his oMicers rf the viiJiii 1 / .lapmm-e i-.qu uhon, by lho Minislev ;• i' i’.iAu'.iueni building, Rust night v;.is ,i jtjiii-Jicm *.i uuu.,-nul brillian-y. So the )O' pOUe ■ to tllO jIiVL tU [1 051 S o t ilmt in Loth Chambers, the lobj.h and ihe whole of t li»’ jireciiiKrf at ilfi-o--. i'i.TC V.T.S a i i tfMrA I “CMisll” fh. t m,,<:■* ii. Hill'"-;’.!' to move jVjiu ono p,> it 1c; an-oi ii'-i’, Tim Mon. .lame.-. McGowan. Minisior of .lo ;i(-. and tin* Hon. Ur. Findlay, AtI i.i v-! icjMTa l , received the on id-. port mo <r the limit..' of Uv premia, I I \ r , \ maid of honour, con.-L-: ing ; <c ]hU member.; of the IV.-t ami Tele's- od rtml Civil Service ICTs J.'ac, and Lieuleuar.i-. MarU>n and Collin way drawn up oubJiie Cic main c.i; ranee. whwe the Ga.nd.son ib-mi -was ai.'O id at ion a!. ’ Thero wa y a tu!l jvi ni’ hiaF-oiricer.:-; of tho DpO n c Formas. including Coleirds Collins, \\ ~l>b. Mavis ami Buuehop. Othem, pret'nit imduded num'iouy members -of tho J>r>-‘i da {ivr* Council and House' of PcmoM atat i vo-. Ih" Mayor (Jlou. T. W. lo;,a heads of Covrriinient Depart merits;, l-.-n-’ing members of the legal and medical pr< h .n>, r opi t' -enl at.ivcv of cammcvciul and bu-im...s iiram, heady of local bodies, edv and -üburban councillory, hundreds of * private citizens and an exceedingly large number of ladim. Prominent cili/mm acted as honorary ushers, and Major Uunii- performed the duties of A.D.CUidardinif ntu of tlie Permanent Force and p.dico officers were on <luty in tho lobbies. The decorations were on a scale of great splendour. The Chamber of the h;liver lfrm-o during the formal rrcep- * uni' and sperelimaking was In itself a brilliant' mu-cI aclc. 'I lie whole of tho .seats had been removed from tho well oi me House, ami the floor space cari>: !<-d. Around the bottom ridge of tho cm llei ies there was a tasteful draping In festoons of .Madras ait muslin in delicate .queen shadey. Flowered Japanese ■dik stubs gathered up into drapes hung everywhere. Tho canopies of each lobby were hung with fancy curtains, and beneath 1 he galleries the mirrors on the walls were omuted in satins of the Japanese colours (rod and white). Upstairs the ladies’ gallery, public gallery, Speaker's gallery, and that allotted to f.egislative Councillors were so draped with white chintz curtains as to re-M-mble large private boxes at a theatre. Tins Illusion was present to a marked degree under the blaze of the electric lights, Tho crowds of richly-dressed ladies in vari-ooloured gowns, the men in evening dress, hero and thero a splash of rod denoting tho coat of a military officer, and, blending wdili it all, broad streaks of gold provided by the braid upon the arms and shoulders of the naval guests, went to make up a scene of such colour and sparkle and animation as surely those walls have never enclosed before. It was the sumo in the Chamber of tho Upper House, where blue and yellow wore the predominating tints in an equally tasteful colour scheme. White curtains hung over every door in the main lobby, and bi all soil able nooks and corners there, in Cio ha!!, and portico stood graceful palms, huge groups of ferns, and greenery of all descriptions. Shortly after eight o’clock. Mb-dMerfi.

supported by officers of the local Defence Forces, cub red flic Chamber of /he Thousc <; p hep resell tativc«, c-scnG ing Admiral Tomioka and hi* staff. The chief was furnished with a o'mt placed immcdiatelv in front of flic Speaker's chair. The JTou. J. "McGowan, Minister of Justice, •‘mid that in the absence of the Prime Minis!or (Sir Joseph Ward) in Ungland. and ;iho •of (he ,A c( iug-Premier (ifon, W. flail-.tones) in mother pai"t of the colour. (he duly of welcoming their distinguished visitor-,? had fallen (o his lor. ;rnd it afforded him grout pleasure to have hud an opportunity of allowing i!m citisen-s of Wellington to nmet In's excellency Admiral Tomioka. and his olfcars. In addition in those for who*e absence he had Dr l-'indlnv had received apologies from every member of the Upper who had not been aide to be present. There was one telegram lie particulardv wished to mention; it was tram a /}*-•( :rr"?shc;l member of the nativ" race, Mr Ximtn, M.HJh, who in hi« telegram *mid; “My nconlo wish hearty v.vdeoum to dbp ingmshed repr rc enfnfives nf such a bravo nation. TTaorom:u. ?, (Ap'dauS".') It was; thrv de-'iro of the people of Wellington to -do honour to Admiral Tommk.i as the representative of a great nnMru, n nnii-on that had fully shown its valour in the Into war. (Applause.) The military genius displayed in r mu-J:. he thought, have met with the approval mid commendation of ('very net ion. The progress made bv Japan was --ometlung marvellous. and in I lie ooi’T«-> of a few years she had become one cf the mod cultured and powerful natieu-s that exited nt the present, time on tlie fae? of th" earth. As all knew, Japan uvrwr.ir allv. and in this connection lm might be permitted to say that t here had been -some d-eubt even amount Aey,* /inlanders as (u the wisdom of that allmnce, hut hr thought from what they had seen in regard to the late war fie r -'uiM -nr such an eMPme must prove of benefit fo b'-djj ratmng. (Applause.) Jam-p had b-f( be;- ;unj , i'.-s ni'o'l i|ift wliolc of Die Pa.-d-rn re.fir-u. Dike Great ' lir-faia. bar vr'- CMnlmn h,H tended in yv-tke her .'mre i-ylnnnrkil m,d ecP-re-I-ani. and. ]p« bc-Mm-d. more courageous.

' A ) A { -Hi'’ ■‘'’•r-’Ki fj' wftn r-crn our aliie.s h\ Wri. limd-'O’y Ir'vjjrmr uikM- be prepared to trlvo (hem inn l rn •] n(i ru f«v* fh/^ r numly Tim desire of (ho Hoy-('t-nu'e-ni but! be-” to in-tiro Mm visitors’ fdnv—'hoi;l ;v< if; wa*—as pleasant r«* pwiMp. Revnrlirrr to Mm allmnco. it Tvr'>J the firr-.f time. br> b-’iewd. that there had b-ett an aPf-tucc between i\v o ereat nations of the l-Tasr And West. and ono Mint must bo fraught, wilh crent uordbiliffp.? for Mm' future, aturnrin" -well for Mm ream of the world. Tvmh country, Jonan and TMlain. liad a "rent destiny, and in if.? lulfihnpnt ovcrvnno honed flint if would work oul: for tlm bappincy-vs of mankind. (Loud applause.) Admiral TomioVn. on rising to ao_ bnmvWhm the courteMes extended to him, wp ; most heartily received. TT> said ]m b'lt if- n « r rcat honour to be present that Sneakin'.” for himself and Ills officers, ho wibed to express their heartv thanks for the vomnlton and entertainment accorder* them. Tfe had been much impressed with all ho h*>d seen in this beautiful country. On (ho subject of the war and the alliance and the progress of their navy, tins must bo lnrjr?ly to the cample of and lie honed that flu* alliance uiurht ever rnndno-* towards (he peace of (ho world. (Aonlanse.)

The* formalities .ever. (■!■»<■» AHornevGcrernl introduced Admiral Tomioka to several hundred citizens. who passed Ihroucrh the lobbies to the Legislative Council Chamber. Barely a third of those present could ppm odmifhmcp lo the Chamber, where and cxccMcnt concert programme* was submitted. The contribut'vs to th - cntevminrnent wove Misses Fdith Martin, Mina CMdow, ■ Violet Lamncroft. and Violet Moore, Messrs Frank Hendry, Charles Clarkson. Leslie Hill, and Arthur Ballaneo, in addition to a capable orchestra under Mr McLamrhlin’s baton. .TTiphly interesting and populoi was a sword display and exhibition of iu-jitsu, piven by a <letaehinout of midshipmen, from the fl a "ship After 0 o'clock, Bellamy’s and various committee-rooms on lioili floo rs were thrown open as re- j freshniont rooms. Outride of Parliament Buildings the Public Schools’ Cadet Baud played appropriate mnsicl TJie Japanese v, arshins in the harbour made the night bright by the display of their searchlights, which gaily Ijt

up Ih'' hilU as people wended their w:iy liouiHvai<L a Japanese ki-xuption. ABOARD Tin: KASHI DATE. Tfc aitenmon for hi- Excellency iho V'> ■•-Admiral A ‘at homS’ ou bo.ird the Kar-Mdaf a prove I fairly fine—a Critic ou Hie windy Ndc ji-'iliaj;.-,, so that Iho iitty or sixty gm.;* v.ho cro-.-eJ over in the Janie S-'fMon received occasional .sprays oi hail roam on the jar~ago. Arrived 1 anrl duly nccive:) by Che couru on* Admiral and hi* ofheer-s. the*, visitors vt-io ar lei mre and at libeity to wander v/tr-rc they elicvc. Not in flu? lea*! that ’Ey were abandoned to their own dr-vn-cs. On ihe average probably each gue-rt had throe hosts in attendance upon mm, ail anxious to anticipate whatever might cont ribut .* to their knowledge and their (.'jnilort: and rare ho*l3 our allies make-, contriving to convey the impression man they are genuinely pleaded to have you with them, which surely is the trim merer of hospitality. The decoration.- oi’ r lie Hashid.ito were of a bowery and a ilowory kind, designed to disguise 1 in* murderous apparatus of wav, which tncy cUectuai/y ..(id. Indeed. hut for (lie j, roc nec nr long attenuated cannon, v'hich poked their noses out from the e;ubrasme>3 of the vc-mol like giant cigars, one inignt have nupp&sed one's pelf at a combined flower snow and fancy lair. Tlie display of blooms was gorgeous, and they were- all made on th& promises. Inono corner wan a, many coloured bed of Japaue.-e chrysanthemums, which, in rcapeet of colour, must be pronounced to have outdone anything that has ever been achieved in thU direction by nature herself. 'The plum blossom and the cherry bio.-som, which tee me cl to- grow out of dry sticks, wore really a triumph of flower making. besides the free and easy go-as-you-ph use meandering and philandering that went on on the various dock levels, there wins prepared on the foe’si a set programme of sports; and interesting aud amusing it proved in the highest degree. Some of the items wero palpable plagiarisms from Western chilisation—tho potato race, for instance. So the item called the “’chair race” was an adaptation of our “musical chairs”— but. It must bo said that, in adapting, the Japanese made the sport their own. The most noticeable of the many ridiculous travesties iu the “chair race” .was the character who personated an Anglo-Saxon maiden, with high complexion, long and loose llaxou hair, and a springy bounce begotten of lawn tennis and a Western civilisation. The Dalmio race, iu which the competitors raced with gin-cases for sandals, was very broad farce. “What is a Raimio:"’ was a question asked from all sides. It would be somewhat misleading, wo are afraid, if the extraordinary figures who personated the character yesterday afternoon wero considered a faithful presentment of the haughty antique Japanese noble iu his rich brocades, and girt with his two swords, the fierce aristocrat who, not fifty years ago, so uncompromisingly wished to close Japan against European civilisation. Unquestionably the most interesting item of the Hashidute sports was the Ju-jitsu tournament. Simple in the ex-' tremo It seemed: anybody could do it. Operations begin with a grave salaam—in which tiie antagonists touch their foreheads to the ground. All the .rest seems a variation of two movements. Put your shin-bone underneath your opponent’s calf, give him a sharp jerk, aud down he comes on the mat with a thud- That Is one movement: the other dodge is to got the small of the back adjusted to the pit of your opponent's stomach, twirl him round, and lay him low a.» before. After the sports afternoon lea and afternoon champagne were dispensed in a drawing-room improvised aft—ami pretty mementoes. Hewers, - Hags, etc., were distributed among' the guests. JJr I’inbiy, in a few genial sentences, proposed tlie health of Admiral Tomioka and his officers and men, which was drunk with musical honours. To this the Admiral responded by combining the name of King r.nd Kmperor. Towards six o’clock the visitors left the ship, well pleased, as well they might be._ with the kindness and attention lavished’upon them. MISSIONS TO SEAMEN. A capital concert was provided at the Missions to ,Seamen's institute last night by Miss Leveslon. The room was crowded by men from the Japanese ships. There was also a good muster of British sailors. The following contributed items:—Misses Mclntyre, Lcvesfcon, Guthrie, Ludwig, Baker, Bush, aud Messrs Irwin, Goudie, TJ. L. Burgess, Sadgrovc, and Brvaut. Mrs AV. Tv. 'Williams, Air and Mrs Allan, Air J. G. W. Aitkou, and several Japanese officers occupied scats on the plalfonn, Air Aitken made a short speech expressing the hone that the AngloJapnnose allianc'' would benefit both countries, and make for the peace of the world. CONCERT AT DAY’S BAY. Last evening, at the invitation o‘f (he Wellington Kerry Company, about 200 seamen and officers of the Japanese squadron wore entertained at a public concert at Day’s Bay. Tho pavilion wa-: brilliantly lighted, mid an enjoyable programme was contributed, which included items by the .Japanese. The Duchess returned tc town shortly before II p.m.