entire Australian people treated
our officers and men could not have been surpassed had they been our
own countrymen. The fleet first visited Sydney, which has a singularly
beautiful harbor. The day after the arrival one of our captains noticed
a member of his crew trying to go to sleep on a bench in the park.
He had fixed above his head a large paper with some lines evidently
designed to forestall any questions from friendly would-be hosts: "I am
delighted with the Australian people. I think your harbor the finest in
the world. I am very tired and would like to go to sleep."

The most noteworthy incident of the cruise was the reception given to
our fleet in Japan. In courtesy and good breeding, the Japanese can
certainly teach much to the nations of the Western world. I had been
very sure that the people of Japan would understand aright what the
cruise meant, and would accept the visit of our fleet as the signal
honor which it was meant to be, a proof of the high regard and
friendship I felt, and which I was certain the American people felt,
for the great Island Empire. The event even surpassed my expectations. I
cannot too strongly express my appreciation of the generous courtesy the
Japanese showed the officers and crews of our fleet; and I may add
that every man of them came back a friend and admirer of the Japanese.
Admiral Sperry wrote me a letter of much interest, dealing not only with
the reception in Tokyo but with the work of our men at sea; I herewith
give it almost in full:

28 October, 1908.

Dear Mr. Roosevelt:

My official report of the visit to Japan goes forward in this mail, but
there are certain aspects of the affair so successfully concluded which
cannot well be included in the report.

You are perhaps aware that Mr. Denison of the Japanese Foreign Office
was one of my colleagues at The Hague, for whom I have a very
high regard. Desiring to avoid every possibility of trouble or
misunderstanding, I wrote to him last June explaining fully the
character of our men, which they have so well lived up to, the
desirability of ample landing places, guides, rest houses and places for
changing money in order that there might be no delay in getting the men
away from the docks on the excursions in which they delight. Very few of
them go into a drinking place, except to get a resting place not to be
found elsewhere, paying for it by taking a drink.

I also explained our system of landing with liberty men a