SILENT JAPANESE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1400, 28 March 1912, Page 6

SILENT JAPANESE.

NOTHING MORE TO SAY. Commander Shirase, Professor Takcda, and fivo other members of the Japanese expedition to South Polar regions leave for Sydney by the Moeraki to-morrow, and will there connect with tho Nikko Maru for Yokohama. As a considerable time has elapsed since the Kaiium Maru showed np in Wellington, ample time for the exploits of Shirase and his party to have reached Japan, a Dominion reporter yesterday essayed to get further information respecting precisely what was done in the way of scientific research in the land of silence. As Shirase would not speak, it was decided to try Professor Takcda, and the assistance of a local interpreter, who has been eloselv associated with the members of tho expedition since their return, was bespoken. "1 would like to know," said the reporter, "if Professor Takeda .would like to tell us any more about what the party accomplished in the south." "No, no, nothing more," said the interpreter. "Nothing for the papers, 1 tell you. See the same message that in the papers was here printed, was the only one, yes—Japan, New York, too. Only one message." "lint would not he tell more—now?" "No—no more. Ho will not say to me Ills own countryman, then lie will not say any moro to you. That message, yon know, the same—all over tho world——" "Hut in Sydney ?" "No, they will not say any more in Sydney," After such encouragement—as cold as one would expect from a Minister engaged in forming a Cabinet with a majority-of-ono party—the idea presented itself to the pressman that may be there was really nothing more to say, in which case the silence of the visitors would be quite justiliablc.