Few birthday gifts top the Statue of Liberty, which France commissioned for the centennial of American independence. As the United States approaches its semiquincentennial on July 4th, foreign nations are once again preparing gestures of their own.Those gestures come as tariffs, the war in Iran, and general uncertainty about President Donald Trump’s foreign policy whims have left U.S. allies scrambling. Yet, at least for America’s 250th birthday, they present a rosy picture of the country’s international footing.The Japanese government donated 250 new cherry trees to join the 3,020 saplings that the city of Tokyo gave President William Howard Taft in 1912. Those trees currently line the Tidal Basin, as well as various other sites throughout Washington, D.C.
“I hope the new 250 cherry trees will also take root in this American soil and flourish as enduring symbols of the friendship between the peoples of Japan and the United States,” Japanese Ambassador Shigeo Yamada said at a March event for the National Cherry Blossom Festival.The Dutch also made a floral contribution. Visitors to the National Mall on March 15 would have encountered Tulip Day, an event featuring around 150,000 U.S.-grown flowers. Those tulips, a national symbol of the Netherlands, included a 250-shaped garden.The Dutch island of Sint Eustatius was the first foreign entity to recognize American independence when it fired off a cannon salute to a passing American brig in November 1776.The British, meanwhile, have marked 250 years since Americans rose up against their colonial authority by minting a 250-ounce coin. The coin, which British officials presented during the recent state visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the United States, features every British monarch and American president since 1776 on its rim.
