DISAPPOINTED HOPES.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 11877, 26 April 1904, Page 7

DISAPPOINTED HOPES.

On March Ist it really looked as if we were to be allowed to get to the front. A notification that permits to accompany his Imperial Japanese Majesty's field forces were immediately available, fell like a bombshell amongst us, and a stampede of forty-tliree foreign and sixty-six native correspondents set in towards the War Office. Wave after wave of eager pressmen broke against the hairier of imperturbable politeness which forms the defence of the Department, beat it down, and surged triumphantly back, proud in possession of this priceless little document. Our troubles, we thought, were over. Little did we know' of the Japanese Government's method, although we prided ourselves that we had learnt something in the past few weeks. We were blandly informed that until permits to leave the capital were granted we were powerless to move. In a few days, however, these permits came, and again ineffable gladness filled our bosoms, but almost immediately we were told that we were to proceed to the front in batches, and a private hint was given to the writer that he would ctVtiiuly not get away with tho first batch, which was not to leave until the 19th inst. Then there was weepnig and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and imprecations fell fast and"thick. The London ••Times'' man, Mr James, and Commander Oolquhoun were so sick of it that thov shook the dust of Tokio off their feet and" took train to Nagasaki, and there jciiied "The Times" despatch steamer, specially chartered. Those of us who had no despatch boats were left lamenting, but we found consolation in the thought that, as it wae reported that the Japanese military officers in Korea had already deported three or four correspondents who had found their way into the country without tho express sanction of the Government, the "Times" men would not get far aheud of us. It is for "The Times" to show whether our charitable wish will be realised. A TRIP INLAND. So absolutely weary had we become of the monotonous and useless waiting in Tokio (some of the correspondents have already been here for over two months, and in some instances the loss to their employers is £70 a week) that we decided to spend a day or two in the country, to sea how the feeling was there, and incidentally to get a change of air. IDEAL JAPAN. MIYANOSHITA, "March 14. This is an ideal Japanese scene—towering mountains, with a collection of quaint little wooden houses, clustering at their base, a wild, swirling river dashing noisily through .them, happy red-faced children gambolling in the street, elders dressed in sweetly picturesque garments of old Japan. An artist would fairly glory in the scene. To give the antepenultimate touch, Niphon ' Haiti, a Japanese soldier, with his blue uniform and cap, faced with yellow, comes marching along. This is on© of the tlurd reserve force, called up in consequence of the decision of the Government to give all soldiers of Tenghi Sama, the Emperor, the much cherished chance of seeing service. Then was added just one final incident, which gave the whole little drama an artistic finish, which one's heart demanded. A pretty little Musme girl, about seventeen years old, one would judge, came running out of one of the thatched cottages, and threw herself into the arms of the by no means unwilling militaire. They embraced ; she wept j lie patted her cheek,i whispered something in her ear, probably that duty called, and that needs must. Tiie poor little thing ran back to her home sobbing bitterly, and the soldier marched on stolidly to glory or the grave. The succession of "bansais" which rang out as he passed through otto little atreeifc of the village left no doubt as to the whole-heart-ed enthusiasm which the province of Sagami, at any rate, felt in regard to the war. This was at Yumoto, a little coastal liamlet, from which one has to walk up a precipitous, but wondrously beautiful, track to Myanoshita. On tho way I met three or four more soldiers marching coastward, stolid, of course, as all Japs, ore, but with something in tluir eyes which spoke eloquently of their pride at being in the first division which was to tight, in the words of tha Emperor's manifesto, "for the just righto of our nation, and the achievement of permanent peace." HALF A CENTURY'S CHANGES. They are good fighting stock in this part of Japan. It is only half «, century since the feudal system obtained, and the Daimio nobles ruled, each over his yespoctive district. The country side was for ever seething with war. Tlve fathers of the brave little fellows who went marching pa 4 bad no doubt, in theft' time faced each other in many a hard-fought fight, and to-day their sons were going to inarch shoulder to shoulder, not on a, raiding forage against each other's lord*, but against a common national foe. The ecenes of savage feudal strife, whence often rose the cry which springs from a warrior swept to death by the sword, were now l travelled by the telegraph and telephones, and, sad to say, adorned with advertisements of quack medicine vendors, 'and the übiquitous cigar and cigaretto manufacturers. Stfll, the advertisements were Japanese, and their presence did not create so much disgust as do those which deface the beauty spot* of New Zealand. The. war correspondent i» supposed to have sterner duties than admiring some of the* most ravislungly beautiful natural scenery that the world can offer, but one at least felt that he had done his duty by coming tn lovely Miyanoshita only to breathe that delightfully pare air, agitated by keen yet pleasant breezes, which blew direct from *"grand old Unjisamas,". as Mount Fujiama is fondly called. These thrilled one's veins with new life, and made one feel fit to bear all the privation and rigour of the Korean campaign, which, we earnestly hope will soon have'to be faced. Mr Yakimuclw, proprietor of the Fuji* ama Hotel, informed us that the following day he was going to entertain at luncheon a number of the 'local troops, who. were under orders for the front. We were not present ot the luncheon. It would not, it seems, have been etiquette to attend, but ■we could hear the shouts of •'Bonstai" a mile away. A LOYAL VILLAGE. / Mivanoshita is a small place, except for the Fujiama hotel it would be unknown, but it yields not a tittle in loyalty to the Emperor and the country to the most populous place in Japan. One old lady, whose two sons were going to the coast that day, told mc, of course through an interpreter, that slie was very sad, but that she would sooner see. them dead at her feet than backward in facing the foe. When every woman in the country utters such unselfish and patriotic sentiments it must he conceded that tlve foe who fancies he will find Japan an easy prey is likely to receive a very sudden aud rode awakening. This Spartan spirit, this magnificent self-abnegation, is a relic of "bushido" very inadequately translated "the sentiment of Japan." Bushido, one of the few beneficent relies of the feudal days, frames the thoughts of millions of the race who are fighting for their national existence to-day. As an illustrious Japanese author says:-— "The country is more than land and soil from which to mine gold and to reap grain. | It is tlie sacred abode of the gods, the spirits of our forefathers. To us the Emperor is more than the arch-constable of the Reichstadt or even the patron of the [ cuUurstaak He is the bodily representative of heaven on earth, blending in his person its powers and ita mercy." This quotation may seem unduly discursive, but it so exactly expresses tlie sentiment which has induced this comparatively tiny empire to stand up to tier gigantic opponent that it was worth giving. ' TOKIO. March 17. Two long to be remembered days at Mivanoshita and then back to the enervating occupation of running up arsd down departmental step* at Tokio, beautiful in its mantle of snow-, out wearying in its persistent proffering of tha stone of delay instead of the bread Ogf departure. WAR RUMOURS. Great news was passing from mouth to mouth. Port Arthur ?od been taken. Forty-one foreign correspondents, notwithstanding tlut they were almost all most sincere well wisliers of Japan, simply foamed at the mouth. Port Arthur taken and we still at Tokio! Visions of scathing cablegrams from infuriated employers filled

us with dread. Tlie air was thick with rumours. Tlie Russians had evacuated Port Arthur, and were making a sort of "sauve gui pent" scamper towards Moscow. All the Russian fleet had been captured, and generally it- was said that the Muscovite forces had gone to everlasting smash. On the face of it tlie news was grossly exaggerated, but there was evidently some foundation for the specials which* were flooding the streets. You will liave heard tlie facts long since, bow Admiral Tow's fleet for a fourth time bombarded luckless Port Arthur and captured a Russian torpedo boat, and further kuodfcd large chunks off the fortifications and demolished half tlie towu, and of the extraordinary lassitude of the Russians. This was bad in all conscience from the correspondents' point of view. TO THE FRONT. Their clamouring awoke at last the slumberous War Office, and tlie names of the lucky ones who were to comprise the fin* batch were given out. As anticipated, your corres-pondent's name was not there. Tlie Government, however, qualified this permission to proceed with a most extraordinary announcement made in the form of a note verbal. This interesting notification commenced:—"With a view to accord every facility to the distinguished representatives of the foreign Press, as well as tcj provide for their comfort, tho War Office has spared and will spare no effort to attain that end." After this hope-inspirilig declaration, the note verbal proceeds to state that owing to difficulties of transport- and so forth, the correspondents had themselves better charter a transport and land in such place on the seat of military operations as tlie authorities might indicate. The amount of luggage to be earned was not to exceed in weight between 601bs and 641bs. Another announcement was that a contractor was to have agents with eacli column, and was to perform certain duties for certain consideration. In the first place he was to undertake the transport of baggage and M> forth, and was to provide each day " three good plain meals of European food." On their part tlie correspondents were to pay a deposit of £50 in Tokio, and pay monthly in advance at tiio rate of £45 per month. There ia a great deal more of considerable personal interest to the correspondents in this document, but nothing more of pub!'-* inter—t than the provision that correspondents must undertake not to buy anything, even a packet of cigarettes, from anyone but the contractor while the war lasts. THE WAR BUDGET. Tlie cable may not have given yoa details of .the war budget, and in that event they niay prove of interest as showing the way in which this nation raises money when it is in urgent need. A prominent Japanese banker assured mc to-day tliat co far frpm Japan being pecuniarily embarrassed, she could with ease sustain a strain of three years' war. The war budget provides for a revenue of yen, 576,000,000 of which yen 68,000,000 is increased taxation—a pretty severe strain on the people, as it means nearly £2 additional raised from each unit of the taxpaying class. There are to be increases in the land tax, and additional taxes on business incomes, beer, sugar, salt. Bilk, woollens, kerosene, exchanges, and gameThere are to be severe retrenchments in the Government service, and popular loans to the extent of about yen 6,450,000,000. These figures may not seem very serious to the opulent colonial, but here, where the servant girl receives about 4s per month, and a captain in tlie army draws a stipend that a junior bank clerk would scoff at, they are colossal, but the splendid feeling described mi Japanese, as " Kio Koku itkehe," which may be translated freely as "My country, right or wrong," i» potent in its influence on the taxpayers. POLITICAL PARTIES UNITED. In a still more striking way has this admirable devotion to country been shown ; by two great political bodies—Seinyukao Constitutionalists and Shirapo Progres- ■ siv_j. Meeting* of these parties and , sessional meetings have been held and. J without dissentient voice, it was agreed , to accord the Government and the war unequivogul .$-.-1 support. In her national crisis. Jupan. more fortunate than Great Britain, is able to show the world that,in the face of a common dan. ger all petty party differenpas can he sunk, and a united face presented to aggression. Speeches by the leader* of tlie two Opposjtion bodies breathed a lofty sentiment of Jpyalty. BRITISH SHIPPING HINDERED. There is a very strong opinion in well, informed circles here that since Russia lias Buffered suoh humiliating reverses at the incept-on of the campaign, «he will spare no effort to <trag Grsat Britain into the embroilment. Countenance is lent to this supposition by the holding up of British shipping without lawful excuse, both ut Port Arthur and In Western waters. The action of France, too, has been v*ry significant. At Saigon, the French headquarters jn the East, unmistokeable, although veiled hostility to japan has beefi exhibited, ever since the outtweak of the war. One constantly hears, also, of efforts being made by a. certain Power (to use the euphemistic language of diplomacy) to hamper the movements of tha Japanese, notably in endeavouring to prevent the repair of the cable in the Gulf of Pechib, which had been cut, and which the Japanese wished to use for military purposes. It is impossible at this distance to say what the downfall of the French Government means, but it'is considered here as extremely likely to precipitate a general war, which by so many is regarded as inevitable. The only thing that is likely to give pause to the French wax party, which is undoubtedly being egged on by Russian intrigue, is the tremendous strength of Britain's Ea*tem squadron, Russia has all to gain, France all to lose, by joining hands. Still, the Gallic temperament is so excitable, that no one can foretell what may happen with a fresh French Government in power. _ JAPAN AND KOREA. Japan is losing no time in driving home the nail tentatively inserted by the signing of the Japanese-Korean agreement. The special Envoy to the Korean Court is Marquis Ito, the most distinguished and shrewd statesman in Japan. Like a true patriot, he used his best endeavours to prevent his country being plunged into war, the result of which appeared at thattime, owing to Russia's successful bluff, extremely uncertain, but when once the die was cast, he bent all the force of his admittedly great intellect to securing the triumph of the Rising Sun flag. When occasion arose for the despatch of a man of distinguished parts to conduct- essentially delicate negotiations in Korea, every finger pointed to him as the one man wjjp. | would fill thf position with dignity and ! ability. When he left Shimbashi Station 'at TokiOi he was given a send-off which would have gratified a king. When he reached Korea, he was received with a pomp and circumstance which were fairly regal. h will, of course, be realised that there was more in all this than, the honour naturally paid to a distinguished man. Taken in conjunction with tbe fact that the Russian Minister was in effect expelled from Seoul, it means that tbe vacil- i fating Korean Court, that ludicrous body which for years lias never known its own mind for two minutes at a time, has at last surprised itself by definitely joining J * l * m ' JAPAN'S FIELD FORCE. At present the streets of . Tokio are almost empty of soldiers, bat a,little while since one was constantly encountering squads harrying to their divisional quarters. Now perhaps one meets two or three in tlie course of the day. This fact is in itself significant; it means that Japan has already probably an army corps in the field in Korea, and that the second is gradually being mobilised,' No word as to the departure of these troops has been allowed to creep into the papers. The man in the street who visited Shimbassi-station could see for himself hundreds of soldiers being entrained * daily, transport waggons being hoisted on to trucks, and an outward and visible indications of military activity, and yet not a word as to this lias appeared either in the foreign or vernacular press. Indeed. I do not know whether the censor will allow this statement, which will not ace light for four or

five weeks, to pass. So far he has taken what seems to mc to be a common-sense view, that the publication of these letters can have no possible detrimental effect on the fortunes of Japan. The military •volicy of Japan seems to be to avoid anything in the nature of an engagement until her troops are disposed according to a plan of campaign already determined upon, and which will probably prove to be eomething in the nature of what was foreshadowed in a previous letter. Some desultory skirmishing is re**orted from the Chong Gang river, but it is of little or no importance. When Japan thinks the time is opportune she will strike, and if perfection or organisation and discipline go for anything, she will strike as effectively on land as she did on sea. ORDERED OFF. I was on the point of sending this letter when news was brought to mc by my interpreter to the effect that the "Times" despatch boat liad been ordered off, so to speak, by Admiral Togo, it was only what we expected.