Under the glare of an uncharacteristically sunny afternoon, the Imperial Japanese zeppelin M19 arrived at the Vancouver, Pacifica aerodrome yesterday. On the side of the gleaming white airship, an enormous red circle boldly declared her country of origin.

On board were some of Japan's most respected and skilled diplomats, and at least one high-ranking representative of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The agenda released by Pacifica's Bureau of Public Information indicates that the delegates are charged with finding ground to build stronger ties between Pacifica and the Empire of Japan. They will attempt to "demonstrate leadership in the establishment of peaceful relations in the Pacific," and hope to "find ways to revitalize global trade and economic stability in this region."

The arriving diplomats carry negotiating authority granted by the Emperor Hirohito of Japan, the head of the world's oldest hereditary monarchy. The Japanese delegates were met by a committee headed by Pacifica's Director of Trade, as well as officials representing various economic and cultural institutions of Pacifica.

While reporters took photographs, the delegates exchanged handshakes and greetings. In addition, the Japanese presented a gift for Governor Haskell and the First Lady; an exquisite tea set, custom made for the occasion by the Emperor's artisans. The design was selected by Empress Nagako herself.

Security for the event is extremely tight. Even the hotel staff has been subjected to rigorous checks. The meetings are expected to last at least a week, but the discussions will be held in secret. Most experts agree that the talks will represent a sea change in relations between Pacifica and Japan.

"There's no question that this is charting new territory," said one government official (under condition of anonymity). "There's been intense rivalry between these two nations for control of interests in the Pacific. Governor Haskell's willingness to receive this olive branch from the Emperor is very significant. Of course he's been under pressure from community groups, since Pacifica has a large population of citizens of Japanese decent. This move could gain him some much needed support on the home front."

Dr. Ephram Faulk, Professor of Economics at the University of Pacifica, is optimistic. "If a solid trade agreement can be reached, it would be a wonderful boon for Pacifica. Japan and her colonial interests are an untapped market. Beating other American nations into those markets would give Pacifica a foothold that would be tough to beat."

Nobody is expecting a treaty to come out of this first meeting, but even the military men are seeing bright possibilities in this turn of events. "It's possible," said General George Butterman (retired), "that this could be the turning point for the Pacifican military. Being stretched so thin, fighting skirmishes with the Reds up north and the Woodies down south, and still trying to cover the Pacific, it's hard on those boys. If the Governor has decided to give up on projecting into the Pacific—and I'm not saying he has, just if—then it would free up those forces for other duty. That might be the extra punch we need to finally settle our border troubles. A treaty with the Japanese would also give us secure shipping lanes on their side of the pond, and that would be mighty nice."

One topic for discussion is sure to be the continuing negotiations with the Kingdom of Hawai'i for use of the port facilities at Pearl Harbor. Though no announcement has yet been made, many people feel that Pacifica's willingness to negotiate means that they're likely to drop out of the running, in exchange for concessions from Japan. The most likely term is a guarantee of open access to Pearl Harbor for Pacifican shipping, maybe even a reduced or eliminated port fee, in the event that the Japanese should be successful in their bid.

If Pacifica is out of the race, the only real contenders for the use of Pearl Harbor are Japan and Hollywood. Great Britain was forced to withdraw from the negotiations after an embarrassing incident, where British troops were discovered to be occupying Hawai'ian islands without permission of the King.

Once the matter of Pearl Harbor is settled, it seems that there may be some measure of stability in the Pacific, and Governor Haskell seems to be positioning Pacifica to take full advantage of the coming peace. Could we finally be putting the lessons of Great War to use, and moving toward a future of greater understanding between far-flung nations? Only time will tell, but we here at Atlas World News certainly hope so.