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PRIMCE OF WALLS.
ARRIVAL IN JAPAN.
A Warm Welcome.
Picturesque Scenes.
(From Sir Percival Phillips, the Special
Representative of the Australian Press
Association.)
Tokio, April 12.
No prince ever received a warmer wel
come in a foreign land than that which
greeted the Prince of Wales this morn
ing when lie landed at Yokohama and
travelled! to Tokio through 19 miles
of cheering Japanese. They received
him with a fervour that. made the day
one of. the most memorable., of the tour,
the gracious courtesy of the East being
coupled- with the . demonstrative en
thusiasm of the West. The Prince was
profoundly touched by. the sincerity of.
the universal bhomage paid him. Rich
and poor, old and- young, were massed
at the stations and villages and in the
stretches of open country beneath acres
o! uplifted flags, and as the Prince was
carried from ¶he 'tea to: the capital one
torrential cheer was raised. The Prince
was a little bewildered but very pleased.
SOur entry-to 'Yokohama *as made in
crisp: sunlight, which had not yet wholly
pierced the mist as '.the Renown came 'to
anchor at S o'clock amid the salutes of.
the battleships and cruisers oL our ally
which were drawn up line of division.
The Prince camie ashore at 9.30 amn.in
a Royal; barge. which formed the tatil
of a stately little procession of launches
from ther Japanese fleet. He was re
ceived at the end of the long pier by,
Baron Fushimi. the British Ambassador.
and members of the: staffs. He inspected
the double guard of honriour, consisting
of sailors fromi; the First . Battleship
Squadron :and units of all regiments of
the First Infantry Division, with their
tattered< battleflags. A bouquet was
presented by a tiny -Japanese girl. The
Prince then reached the British colony,
who were grouped hear the Royal-train
and would, not Jet ,:him -go. They ran
after the train singing ."For he's a jplly
good fellow.".....-'
:Thence the Prince proceeded to the
new centralstatiofi at Tokio, the journey
taking fifty minutesi without a stop. -The
Prince passed an -almpost continuous
crowd- from ten to fifteen deep,, often on
both sides of the .line.-- There were
thousands of school- children and all 'the
employees of the docks and -factories,
the humblest coolies standing in rows,
many of them bowing gravely as the train
passed. The same obeisance was' ren
dered even from people in houses near
the line. There were .groups of
Buddhist priests . in their ceremonial
dress. -Every child and many! bf the
adults had the Union Jack and Japanese
flags in either hand, waving rhythmically
as the train passed.
:The Prince found a glittering as
semblage of Imperial princes, imembers of
Cabinet, and naval and. militaryofficers
heavy with gold lace, assembled at- the
platform.at the station at Tokio, when
the train.halted alongside' a guard of
honour at 10.50.! The Prince Begent
came forward quickly with outstretched
hand aand made an incisive little speech
of welcome. .It was a striking. picture
as the Minister translated the words into
English., -- The Prince of Wales was
in the full dress of the Welsh Guards,
and -looked imposing under his busby.
facing .the slender and dignified figure of
the future Emperor, behind whom await
ed the members of his house and great
men of Japan. . Five minutes 'suficed
for the formalities, which ended with
a guard- of honour. The two Princes
then walked into the siquare before the
station, which was packed with hu
manity. - There was- less cheering
among the older folk as the State car
riage'went slowly down the street': .in
the three miles" drive to Akasaka, butn
the Prince undoubtedly had as cordial a
recepifion - as he -could have wished. "Be
fore ;proceeding to :Akasaka- he called
on- the Empress at the Imperial Palace.
and the Prince Regent returned -the
call after lunch. The remainder of the
afternoon was consumed- in - the usual
exchange of visits with members eof the
Imperial family. -- . -
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