JAPAN FRIEND OF AMERICA, SAYS TAKAHIRA

Ambassador to United States Discredits Rumors of Unfriendly Feelings Between Two Countries.

MIKADO'S DIPLOMATIC POLICY GETS PRAISE

Declares While Some Undesirable Incidents Occurred, They Were Only Local Affairs and Not National.

By United Press, Special by Leased Wire.

NEW YORK, Saturday, Dec. 19. -- Kogora Takahira, Japanese ambassador to the United States, discredited all rumors of unfriendly feeling between America and Japan in an address tonight before the Lotus Club. Incidentally, he hung a few flowers on the character of the Japanese diplomatic policy, declaring that it was not founded upon craft, but honestly and straightforwardness.

"A diplomat speaks much when his affairs are not in good shape," said the ambassador, "but as things are now between the United States and Japan there is nothing to warrant much speech-making. I fully believe that I am not mistaken when I say that that our relations are in the best possible condition. I think we may say there is nothing to be desired in the relations between the two countries. But if the past is to serve as a lesson for the future, it would be well to consider what we have had to experience for these few years.

Undesirable Incidents.

"In these years, we have to admit, we have had such a terrible time it relation to our relations as we could never have anticipated. No doubt there were some undesirable incidents occurring between people of the two countries, but they were only local affairs and in no way to be regarded as menacing to our traditional friendship.

"But too much importance was given to them in some quarters and even a war clamor was allowed to be raised in spite of the sincere good will existing all the time between the two governments. But thanks to the sincerity of the friendship existing all the time between the two governments no serious consequences were allowed to occur that might otherwise follow such circumstances.

Rights Truly Protected.

"The declaration of the two governments recently made by the United States and Japan in regard to their respective policy in China and the Pacific is simply a reaffirmation of what was understood between them years ago and there is practically nothing which was not hitherto declared by them.

"Still, when such a declaration is made by two governments of great moral standing like the United States and Japan, it will undoubtedly have an important effect which I think, is already beginning to be felt in many ways and it is my sincere desire that the people of each country will have the same mind as their governments in trusting that of the other, and in so doing, I am convinced their rights will be fully protected and their interests largely advanced to the mutual benefit of the two countries."