Impalpable are the forces which this flinging of another chain across the Pacific strengthens. Among those to speak for the Japanese besides the Minister of Education, who presided at the ceremonial meeting of welcome, was Baron Shibusawa, 88 years of age, who was but a youth when the first catena from America was carried to Japan by Commodore Perry in his negotiation of the first United States treaty with that then isolate people. This aged financier and statesman, who used to be called "the Pierpont Morgan of Japan" and who in his young Samurai manhood helped voluntarily to guard the person of our first Minister to Japan, Townsend Harris, spoke with deep emotion of this new mission of goodwill. He, too, in his great age sees promise in this symbolic fostering of an understanding and friendship between the children of the two countries.

Archaeologically, dolls were but effigies used in magic to drive away the evil spirits or evoke and invite the good. They were the most portentous of objects in their own imputed powers to work good or ill. But as time has gone on they have lost all that sorcery and are but the dumb recipients of affection--associates of childhood, innocent of any evil and incapable to bear aught save what children themselves may carry throughout the earth.

The Japanese, with all their sentiment and artistic refinement as shown in this and other ceremonies, show a self-reliance and practical enterprise in the midst of disaster and affliction, as is illustrated by their conduct following the earthquake which occurred but a few days after the doll festival. They turned to meet that emergency with American energy and quiet effectiveness. They were quick to send a fund to Florida at the time of the recent disaster--86,300 yen, over $40,000 from almost as many contributors. . . .