FROM THE JAPAN CAPITAL

Evening Star, Issue 12162, 5 April 1904, Page 2

FROM THE JAPAN CAPITAL

RUSSIANS DEFEATED ON THE SEA. LAND .VICTORIES HOPED FOR.. DISCONCERTED SHIPPING AND <■ TRADE RELATIONS. \ ri'noji Oua Special" Wab Correspondent, Mr W. H. Donaxd.] [Copyright.] TOKIO (Japan), February 27. Now that Japan has succeeded in stifling Russian naval activity, she is conducting luTself much after the style of the playful cat with the captive mouse. The simile would no doubt be more appropriate could it be utilised to indicate that the mouse had to turn* the tables on the cat. To. tiken Russian to the mouse and Japan to the cat would, as Euclid often put it, be abfor in size and disposition the former certainly has the stronger claims to the assumption of the feline role. Imagining Japan in the position of the victorious mouse, it is easier to understand just why it is she takes such glee in keeping the Russian cat cornered in Port Arthur without giving her so much as a vestige of a hope of escape or the least reason to suppose that her agony will be materially shortened by a swift and decisive blow. Japan has the tyranny of years to get even with, and it is only consistent with human nature that she should take full and free advantage of ever}' opportunity offering to rub the significance of the reversal of positions in with her_ teeth, in the shape of battleships and cruisers. With her deadly' torpedo craft fully exposed, she romps around Port Arthur with evident delight. Peering from the fort embrasures, through which crane the necks of guns of ineffective calibre and range, Russia sees, but cannot stop her. Smarting with humiliation, and trembling with fear, she remains thus from daylight to dark, and when the shrouds of night have enwrapped the corpse of the dead"day, the terrors of purgatoiy possess her, for then it is that she has most to dread from the bloodseeking, deatht-dealing shells of fire without. Whether it be fair or foul on the face of the sea, starlight or inky black in the canopy of heaven, or whether the wind blows soft or howls with the thunderous roar of ten thousand tremendous demons whipping up the foaming waves, or hurling, willy-nilly, great freezing sheets of blinding snow and sleet, the valorous Japanese hissing torpedo darts through the night to wreak destruction. Shielded hy sturdy fortieses, tho Russians cower silently, as the brilliant flashlights gleam on the swiftly-speeding ships, and thcughi the gunners trim their brazen-throated arms ux.d take keen sights, the shrieking shells rip foaming furrows in the swelling seas a mile away. "Banzai, Banzai, Nippon!" floats round in the eddying winds as the scurrying shots shoot out of reach far overhead, and when the diapason of cannonades i-< out of hearing in the distance, the roar .uid wreck of the bursting bomb awakens the echoes, and the thrilling shrieks of tlying men and the tearing noise of ripping steel show truly that another ship of war has "gone below the softly-lapping waves. Thus it is that Russia has lost the use of shipping she could not spare at such a time as this, and until the burning shame or courage reasserted causes her to leave the shores and saek out in the open the satisfaction for the shock received by shell, she will never win a victory. Crestfallen, she clings concealed to unreachable refuges, and neither chivalrous challenges nor cutting cries of ccorn can move her. Day and night the watchful blockaders wheel their ships in circles out of reach of shell, and alert eyes pierce the fog or gloom of night unerringly, but in vain their vigils are., for a move is never made by those whoso boast it was that they could crush their midget foes sans loss, sans labor. Deftly the brave torpedo crews creep in unseen and startle the ships.and shore defenders almost out of their wits. But a chase or even bold attack are things undreamt of by the Slav. Bombardment even fails to draw but a feeble firo from the forts, and though the town might blaze and burn, no move is made to seek revenge. To people who Lave sprung from stock whose deeds of <kring have become renowned this paralysing lack of action comes with startling force, and when they see no strenuous effort made to stave oil a dire disaster like the complete blocking of the port would mean it strikes theni dumb. Yet that is what they have all observed. On Tuesday night a string of five hix steamers filled with stone was steered to spots beneath the forts, and sunk to stop the channel, and though quite easy snaps for Russian guns, the marksmen failed to stop them ere thev stopped themselves. The men who on the errand went are of the bravest of the brave, and although their names will never ring about the land as rings the name of Hobson, of the Merrimac and Santiago Harbor fame, their deed wa» much braver. Shells shrieked round, them, as they sailed to the selected spots, but, undeterred, they kept upon their course, and sank where first designed. Under the shadow of the silent lighthouse, on the harbor's left, the Nokoku Maru went be-nr-ath the waves, and close to hex the Bushu 'S r :iT\i filled and met her doom. Further •;-;'-'ay eastward, eastward of Laotieh, the ;-!iaa Buyo, Tenshin, and Jinsen dropped to ;i!- ocean's bed, whilst all the crews escaped :.•;.'.armed, and sailed away in swift tor1> •doers. The width of water stopped hv i:::s total of 10,000 tons of ships does not sniit up the Russian fleet for good, but the failure does n?t detract in the least from all the credit due to those who did the deed.

Trembling lest the trick had tied them up, the Russian fleet sailed out at dawn of day to force a passage to the bay beyond, but finding that fortune favored them, the .Novik and the Bayan cruised around whilst the others ran to cover in an inner cove. ,The sight of the ships without the harbor's mouth impelled the Japanese to force another fight, and opening out in brave array they cleared their gjms and fired on the forts and every Russian ship in sight. The screaming shells shot short at first, but creeping closer, the cannon sent the Russians on the backward run, and huge projectiles pierced their way through the buildings in the terror-stricken The fire and fumes drove the frenzied people out of house and home, and, panic-stricken, they fled as fast as their feet could carry them to bomb-proof shelters. Ineffectively tho forts endeavored to frighten off the foe, but it was not till satisfaction had been secured that the cruisers ceased their cannonading and sailed for the open sea. And thus the Japanese, by frequent fighting, inspire the Russian heart with fear, and" cause losses which cannot be replaced On land the Russians hope to reap levenge for all they have lost, but the indications are that they will fail as frequently as they have done at sea. As yet no trial of the strength of soldiery has taken place, and the chances are that none will come fcr some time yet. With silence the Nippon soldiers are sailing to Corean ports which hitherto have scarcely seen a ship, and by this time an army thousands strong is in. Corea. South of the Yalu Russian scouts keep careful watch for foes advancing, but the army lies many leagues away, unready far the war which it must wage along the thin steel line from Dalny and the north. Cossacks are camped at each and every fourmile peg, and should the attacking bandits bo above their strength a rocket sent up skywards warns the neighboring camps. Thus Russia guards her only hope of fast communication with her forces in the north but it will not be many weeks before the line will pass to other hands. TOKIO, February 29. On this last day of the month correspondents are no further forrader than they were at tho 29th of last month, though a conversation which I was privileged.to have yesterday with the famous General Fukushima leads met-- bei : ? ve that our stay here will not be of much longer duration. To get at the General in these ■ensy times is rather a feat, but judicious pulling of strings landed me alongside of a charcoal stove in his comfortable quarters at a moment when he had the least work to do. There he made me as comfortable as an affable officer can make anyone, and thoogh he deemed disposed to tell me anything I desired to know, I found that he was oysterlike when I showed a disposition to learn something about Japan's inteationa in the wad campaign.

General Fuknshima is an officer who performed some brilliant deeds during the China War, and of that historical event he delighted to speak, though of one in -which he will figure soon he would say little. He speaks excellent English, and thus defeated me in every attempt that I made to draw him. *Do you think, General,, the army Vfill do anything during the next fortnight?" I asked at last, in desperation. "Ah, ah," he replied, tugging at the grey ends of his stubby moustache. "lam in Tokio." Then he would twist his spectacles between the thumb and index finger of his left hand, and smile. That was discourging in the extreme. "Tell me about Australia," he would add, to turn the conversation. "I would rather you tell me about Corea," I would reply, and away he would go into a gentle laugh as soft as a girl's, and apparently as innocent. The weak and abortive efforts that I made to get at him, pleased him immensely, and his fine grey head would shake with laughter each time that he succeeded in disconcerting me. "You correspondents should go and see the scenery of Japan," he would say, by way of consoling me. " You have nothing* to write about now, but by-and-bye," indicating Corea by a sweep of his hand, "you will have much more than two hands can doYou want rest before that time comes." But ask him when it will come, and the expression on his face might indicate that his knowledge on the subject was equal to that of the man in the street. Information that he did vouchsafe me at last, however, was that the correspondents would he divided into batches and sent away with different columns. The last lot, he said, with that same old smile, will have plenty of time to see the whole of Japan before they go, and thereupon I sent up a gentle prayer that I might not be amongst that unfortunate or fortunate crowd. Then the conversation would run to every subject under the sun, and every now and then, in a vain endeavor to find out .something touching on the subject nearest my heart, I would put a question, the smile and twist of spectacles which always prefaced an answer would warn me that I was about to hear nothing, and eventually I gave up trying. "Good-bye, General," I said, when the clock hands pointed to tiffin hour. " Goodbye," he replied, with a courteous bow. || I hope," he said, as he shook my hand, "you will have good luck," and he paused before adding "before you get to the front." "When I.get to the front," I repeated, as I darted downstairs, mentally swearing at the Japanese Government in general and its War Office in particular, but all the while admiring the secrecy with which they do things and the great command they have over their information when thev do not desire it to get abroad. "The staff officers go next week, and with the first batch of correspondents," was the news my interpreter met me with near the Imperial Palace moat. He had been searching round amongst the underlings while I was tapping the head of the staff; and tnny I believe he met with greater success than I did. His news created great excitement, at all events, and now, as the country correspondents would say, speculation is rue as to who the chosen ones will be. According to all reports, the Russian Government are just as much down on correspondents as are the Japanese, and the latest news is that many of those who left Japan in a hurry at the outbreak of hostilities have been gently kicked out of Manchuria. Thev will have to find their way back here, for the Japanese have intimated that they will not allow anyone to accompany their troops unless they have credentials from Tokio. Many of the London dailies have heen casting round for means to defeat both belligerents, and get news for their papers, and * The Times' has a scheme on foot to charter a ship, and fit it up with a wireless telegraphic apparatus. It will be interesting to see what view Japan will take if the scheme is carried out, but generally it is believed that she will capture the vessel some fine night, and tow it back to its moorings, afterwards claiming it as a war prize.

As if having heard of several desperate plots to eke out news, the War Office came to the dreadful determination this week to yet apart a room for foreign correspondents, and therein to give daily official news. The announcement thrilled correspondents with delight, and next day a stampede took place of the office. A warm fire glowed in the grate, and the room was as cosy as modern furniture could make it. These things pleased the correspondents immensely, but to see their) faces when they went to the board above the mantelpiece, containing sheets of foolscap paper, would have been worth half a lifetime to a student of physi ognonry. The alleged news smelt of the must of ages, and was such that it almost turned the ink green with regrets. "It is officially announced," commenced one slip, " that an attack was made on Port Arthur on the night of February 10," whilst another tendered the information that Mexico had decided to be neutral. Whether to take the whole thing as a huge joke or not was puzzling to thej paralysed correspondents, but since that day hardly a foreign foot has been placed in the room for fear that an announcement would be made that Queen Anne was dead. The War Office has neatly scored one on the correspondents, and now the Latter are waiting their chance to give a Roland for their Oliver.

At last Corea lias done something of a definite nature, and that is to enter into a defensive alliance with Japan. The Russian effort to secure her friendship has failed signally. Though it is certain that the reverses in the early stages of the war were responsible for the sudden decision on Corea'a part to side with Japan, it bears out a rather good cartoon which appeared some time ago in a native paper here. In that picture the artist depicted Corea as a man standing with the Japanese and Russian flags behind his back, waiting for the finish of a fisticuff combat between Japan and Russia. Corea has seen how things were going, and before it is too late has decided to king out the Japanese flag. It is the best thing she could have done, since it secures her against annexation, and prevents her from making an ass of herself by taking up arms on the Muscovites' behalf. The Japanese regard the signing of the protocol as rather a triumph for Japan, but it is not much of a triumph to have such a weak and vacillating nation as Corea for an ally. During the war some rather remarkable requests have been made to the Government, but none have come up to that lodged recently by a Buddhist image-carver of Yokohama. That maker of gc-ds has come forward with a desire to bo granted permission to sec out and capture the old Russian warship Vladimir Monomach. He ha 3 good grounds, too, for making the request, for it was he who carved the figure-head of the Russian Sovereign Vladimir which, now adorns the ship. He reckons that he has a prior claim to that piece of decoration since he spent six months on it, and' it should certainly be given him if he can manage lo capture the craft. Hair he proposes to do it he has not deigned to say, for the VkixLimir is not in Eastern water-?, and is not likely to come this way unless Japan captures the whde of Russia, and -lecides to bring the remainder of her fleet round here. The Vladimir was launched in 1882, and, though she is not an old vessel, she is no doubt good enough to protect herself against any force the Buddhist image-carver is likely to launch against her. TOKIO, March 1. If the war now progressing is not upsetting the p> '"'h of this picturesque country j.,..icraJly, and causing consternation in commercial circle? in particular, it is going a considerable way towards disconcerting the shipping business. No clearer indication is given of that fact than the jump-Jim-Crow antics of those in charge of tho post office. To-day an extraordinary notice is issued that mails will close for so-and-so at such-and-such an hour, and, after the wild and inordinate rush which ensues to get letters away, to-morrow dawns upon another notice stating that one more day's grace will be given those who have straggled in their correspondence. Then a renewed effort is, made to add a little more to the. closed letter for the enlightenment of the ontside world, and after the tax on one's energy is safely surmounted, and the missive gently dropped in the postal pillar, one finds that one has a farther twenty-four hours in which to scribble should one feel so inclined- Thi3 is all due to the unseemly conduct of the fickle folk controlling the steamer services. They never , seem-to be.able to make-up..then? minds

when to let their ships sail, and it is nearly time they either altered their methods or invested themselves with tho Imperial Order of the Sack, so that someone else couiq have the chance of doing better. The Australian services, in, particular, are completely disorganised, and, while it is not fair to blame the agents for the frequent delays, it is to be regretted that stricter adherence to time-tahles cannot be observed.

Trade must suffer, to some extent by the inconstancy of ships, and since the present is Australia's opportunity for securing a firmer footing in the markets of the East, delays are indeed to be deplored. With the entire removal of the Nippon Yusen Kaisha's fast fleet from the run, Australia, suffers considerably, but the blow will be doubly severe if the remaining companies display dilatoriness in despatching their

Trade competition is extremely keen on tne Australian lin?, and the firms engaged are doing their level best to beat down their opponents, but instead of the rivalry being the means of bringing the Commonwealth into closer touch and more constant communication with China and Japan, it is having the reverse effect. It is the close proximity in point of time of America to the East that is giving her the premiership m the commercial world. Australia lies closer in the matter of distance, yet she is weeks behind when it comes to the landing of goods for which there is a keen demandT Until the space is bridged bv swifter steamers or more frequent sailings of the ships at present on the sea, she will never wrest from others the trade which is rightfully hers. The East is calling aloud for products which Australia in particular vends, and which in the ordinary course of commerce she should be able "to supply as well and as quickly as other countries. It is for the Commonwealth to wake up to that fact, and for the Government and the tradesmen to combine in a supreme effort to grasp firmly with both hands what is offering across the seas to them. Trade, like time, waits for no man, and if Australia does not at this- moment, throw herself upon the flood tide waiting to bear her on to fortune she will miss an opportunity which might never recur again.

New South Wales, by appointing a commercial agent, is certainly striving to <.o something to make herself feit. and though it is sometimes unwise to criticise from this point the actions of the Government of one's country, it is quite reasonable and almost necessary to force the fear that she is not proceeding upon the right lines. In -Mr Suttor, her present representative, she has a gentleman who is particularly well versed in the technicalities of railway construction and engineering works generally, but who is only superficially informed on matters dealing with inner commercial activity, and who has but a cursory insight into the knowledge of those fine points so essential to ensure success in gigantic or even medium tradal transactions. Upon Mr Suttor there is no discredit for that failing, for his energies almost for a liftime have been directed in a totally different channel, and have never for the length of time sufficient to make a capable agent been utilised in commercial pursuits. Hampered, however, as he is by a lack of primary preparation for the post, he is, perhaps, perfectly fitted to carry out the work which the Government have apparently set him to do. He should be invested with large powers to promptly enter into and close contracts with willing dealers. His hands are tied, and the most he can do is to recommend. Alongside him is an American who can undertake the guaranteeing of the delivery in the East of whatever the purchaser may require. That, is the kind of man with whom the Oriental wants to trade. The Chinaman or the Jap is a' person who is slow to enter into a deal, but once it is closed he wants whatever he has contracted for with despatch. Above all he must have samples and prices on the spot, and, furthermore, he must be talked into accepting botS. Mr Suttor, or whoever is the agent, under the same conditions, ia not empowered to go into such matters, and the most he can do by adhering to hwinstructions is to display a number of samples, and say : " Here, this is what New South \Vale3 can do. She can give you wheat, or tinned provisions, or wool, or anything within the whola gamut of supplies required by the consumers; hut if you ask me to close with you for deliveries of any or even of the "whole lot, I cannot do it." Mr Suttor can, if he lilies, deliver a series of lectures on the productivenessof New South Wales. He can display miles of limelight views of rolling wheat fields, picturesque pastures, and cattle-canning works. He can extol the virtues of this or that product, but he cannot sell it. All such demonstrations of what the State can do might he interesting, but the people who view them are not the people who will go away and determine to try the things. Before'they do that they want to speak to somebody in authority, and want to receive guarantes that the'ir orders will be dealt with promptly. The men representing :he firms of other countries are present to satisfy them on all those j-oints, and that being s,o, they icet the orders. The view might be taken, "of course, that Mr Suttor should merely confine himself to showing what New South Wales can do, and that the business firms should follow him up with representatives. If that is. so, Mr Suitor's occupation should follow in the footsteps of Othello's, for the firms' representatives could net only deliver all the lectures necessary, but could also close bargains on the spot. With the appearance of the commercial traveller should come a. charge of waste of public funds in the salary of the Commercial Agent, for if a Commercial Agent is necessary to act its advance agent to the commercial traveller here, why does not the Government send one from Sydney up into the country districts of the State? Under present conditions, Mr Suttor can utilise the public funds in cabling to Sydney asking this question and that, and endeavoring to find out if such and such, an article can be supplied, how much for, ajid where, and that is about aIL It is an expense, however, that should be left to the business man himself, for if the Commercial Agent is not in the position to say, if necessary, "Yes, we can forward you by the first steamer after receipt of cable," IOQ.CCQ bugs of wheat or 20,000 horses, of 1,000,000 tiro of corned beef," he is of very little use. There is a growing demand now, in Japan especially, for meat, and shortly there will be one for wool. But for meat in frozen sides it will not be very great until the people decide to throw the chopsticks into the Umbo of the forgotten past, and take to cutlery. Tinned meat, however, finds a ready sale, for it is easily handled, is palatable, and can be readily converted into small pieces for consumption with the aid of chopsticks. In the shops one sees stacks of tins of such stuff bearing the American labels, but very little, if any, is seen with an Australian brand upon it. Eor army purposes considerable quantities are required, but tha time is too short for army supplies to wait for New South Wales to be scoured by telegrams to canners asking if they can do this or that order before a contract can bo closed. They consequently deal in the main wifh Americans, who caa take an order and cable straight away for it to be fulfilled, and thus Australia loses what chances she has of making a good connection. To rectify matters and turn Anstraliawards the traffic which is naturally hers, the present echema undoubtedly requires remodelling, and it would appear that the first thing that should be looked to is the installing in the East of someone who hag been a student of commercial affairs in New South Wales, and who is thoroughly conversant with her markets. Such a person should be empowered to closa orders on the spot, and, given such authority, he will do more to increase the trade than all the limelight lecturers who could be turned loose in the country. Japan and the East generally await some move on Australians part, and, since the latter finds that the mountain won't come to Mahomet, she should surely really come to the conclusion that it is up to Mahomet to pay a visit to the mountain.