OUR WAR LETTER

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 5293, 3 June 1904, Page 3

OUR WAR LETTER

A JAPANESE JUDAS. AX OFFICER SEELS RUSSIA THE PLAN'S OP CAMPAIGN. THE COUNTRY SAVED BY A WOMAN AUSTRALIANS IN JAPAN. (From Our Special Correspondent.) TOK.IO, March 2S. After months and mouths of wearying toil by day, and hours of enervating oifort by night in the preparation or plans for tho discomfiture and defeat of her toes, Japan has teen told on the threshold of action, and sold, so the story goes, by one of her army officers—sold so completely as tr ruin all her schemes of campaign on land, and to render necessary disastrous delay whilst the remodelment of plans takes place. Every detail in equipment had been settled, every route for troops had been fixed, every strategical move had been arranged; all that remained to be decided was the hour for the signal to advance. Infantry was impatient, olhcers were anx ions, aiiil the people of the country waited breathlessly, with ‘‘banzai’’ on their lips, to shout a farewell. Now, with heads bowed down, military leaders ponder over new plans. Their previous elaborate secret schemes are no longer secret. They are in Russian hands, purchased at tho price -of yen 400,000—.010,000 is the price of Japan, as fixed by the treacherous officer. For that price he was ready to give his country, to the Muscovite, and he might have succeeded in seeing the transaction successfully completed had not the loyalty of his wife saved the army from disaster and tho nation from hu-

miliating deloat. With all the proposed movements of Japan in her possession, counteracting efforts were easy of accomplishment by Russia. and the man ot Nippon, just missed the paralysing s.hoek of capture and defeat by a nair’s-brendth. They were saved from the grave by the swift action of a little kimono-clad, clogshud woman. Fabulous wealth through her husband poured into her lap, as it were; she scorned it instantly, and preferred to go to her grave, crowned with tho profitless laurels of honour, than live in luxury _ bought by the proceeds of treachery. ’ Out into the black, wet air of a night or two ago she ran, sobbiiig with shame. Within the paper-window-ed walis of her homo sat her husband. Her two children gambolled at his knee, and spread before him on llio white mat floor was money, in notes and silver. Such idles as lie had never seen before the price of his country. There ho had previously spread it before the wondering eyes of his wife. Where did ho get it? ire told her. They woulu share it to' gother, he said, and leave for ever the hell of toil for tho heaven of relaxation and blissful case. But she 'screamed and fled. Down the streets she ran to the wayside police box, and told the story of her husband’s treachery. With cluttering swords at running heels officers followed the fleeing woman to her house. The children still gambolled on the floor’ but no .response was made to tho command of an officer by tho man who was lying on a mat near by. He was dend.The horror-stricken scream of his wife when ho displayed to her his bribe, and her sudden flight to the street, brought nonm to him a sense of his shame, and filled him with fear of the vengeance which las countrymen would claim. Ho took his life, and loft tho money lying by his side for tho use of those who might demancl it. From another room a low, heart-thrilling moan was heard. A panel was shoved aside, and lying on a matting, stained with blood, was the wife. She was

In this house of death the tiro officers remained. Iho story spread abroad, as such stones do, but it \yas'hidden from foreigners as much as possible. A'eivsIjapors did not refer to it. being asharaoj to aclaiowledge that one of thoir couutrvmoa would do such a dastardly deed. That something untoward had taken piac© onlv dawned upon the correspondents when the announcement was made that {do departure of batch selected to go to the front had been postponed. “Uny has it been postponed?" they asked eventually, when days had ©lapsed. “Somotning has happened, replied the War Office. 1 The Japanese officers won't speak of it. Their silence is nob to bo marvelled at. With tho total couaps© of tho plans of campaign thus brought about comes more delay m lokio for the correspondents. \V hat they -are to do with themselves only a prophet can gay, but no doubt the ingenuity of the Japanese, wnich has up to date been responsible for a certain amount of entertainment, will not fail now. They have been able to show such widely divergent types of things, Japanese and otherwise, as operations, opening of Diets and Geisha dancing—the latter taking place at the Mnpje Club tne otner night—and if they leave their visitors in the lurch now there are many, who have hitherto held the Japanese in high admiration, who will be direfully disappointed.

_AJ thf Haple Chib the members of the Diet aid the honours in a right royal way, and notwithstanding that the , meal was spread about the floor in a casual sort of manner, and correspondents were compelled to squat wicii toes tucked under, much after the manner of the tailor, they enjoyed themselves wonderfully well. Ihe most depressing thing about the meal was the lack of ‘courtesy shown by the uncanny chopsticks, which had the vile habit of flinging pieces of meat into somebody ©lses lap instead of the mouths waiting wide open to receive them. alien the Geisha girls, chubby little things with dimpled cheeks, who sat in front of everybody, ktughed that tricky little sincere laugh of theirs, which is as catching as scarlet fever in a community of rollicking babies.

Ihe girls got a great deal of genuine fun out of the dinner, if nobody else did, and it was as good to them as a visit to an excruciatingly opera. The collection of expressions which would chase one another over the faces of the guest s as they either failed in a desperate effort to ,rescue a piece of meat from a bowl, or as they cautiously tasted some peculiar-look-ing kind of food before them, wasi worth an hour's watching, and there wakvadditional amusement afforded as a correspondent's curled-up leg protested against the unkind treatment oy shooting out, as if made of steel bands, and kicking sake cups, soup bowls, plates of fish, and boxes of . confectionery all over the admiring Geisha girls before him and the landscape in the immediate vicinity. Only one leg was unruly enough to do such a thing, but there were dozens which would have foregone many walking expeditions for the privilege of springing forth and smashing things up. "Ifis," said a Japanese, during a speecn after dinner, "but a taste of rue hardships you will have to undergo at the front." "!Nd!" groaned many. "Yes," answered the speaker, "but you must now come and see the Geishas' dancing."

It was refreshing to see the alacrity with which veterans like Air Maxwell and Air Melton Prior jumped to meir. feet. Any excuse is good enough to got out of an awkward corner, and no one needs a second invitation to stretch limbs cramped out of recognition by being sat upon. To sc© Geisha dancing was only a secondary consideration, of course, But uiey dance well, and they are picturesque and unique. They would, it. strikes one. make a profitable product for export, and «houlrt b© sent, out to those countries who aro anti-alien to act as pioneers in the work of- converting the unbelievers, tt would not be long before the labour members of Australia succumbed. Later on tho Goddess of the Sea came on. Her hair was of tho ruddv red hue. and trailed on the ground. end v-irh a solemn-looking face surmounted by a ganiug-morithed tin dragon, she awent with graceful steps about the room where tho dancing was done, her red hair living round like furnace flames the meanwhile. "She’s calrmnsr the sea,” said a Japanese, sitting near. And then she stooped out to shako hands with Sir lan Hamilton and a few of us who were sitting on the matting near by. Tt was her way of calming the correspondents. A dozen or so of such girls would bo a great attrac-tion-in Australia, and The Darling of the Gods" would bo much improved by

the infusion of a little real Jap. life into it.

Apropos of Australia, there are many [ who claim tho Commonwealth as a home now in Tokio, smote with the lust of war. Some have come up with the idea that tlu?y would make excellent majors for the Japanese army, others are here as correspondents, several have arrived with tho ambition of becoming despatch riders, and one in particular is a confidence trick man of the type of tho gentleman who has “an uncloTn Fiji." Tho latter is a get-rich-quick man, and. though his method of accumulating wealth is neither new nor worthy of recommendation it has tho merit of being speedv. ‘'l’ve just secured the contract for 'a thousand horses for 'Australia from tho Japanese Government; it’s good. “Yes," says tho merchant, raising Jus eyebrows. “Yes," answers the man, ‘‘it’s going to stand me in a considerable amount, i can put my hand on. the horses down Monaro way, and I can do them to tho Government at half the price I’m being paid for them. It’s good, I tell you." He talks at the rate, of five hundred words a minut e. Tho other man has not a show of sneaking in a word sideways. “I’m well related in Australia, vou know. Halfbrother to Ted Barton,’’ “Ted Barton," , the, merchant exclaims, “who’s he?" "Well, he was tho Premier. I always call him Ted, though. And then there’s Jack See. You know I used to live near Jack on tho Clarence river once, when lie wasn't Premier of New South Wales/ Yes, there’s money in this horse ‘ business, and IT I tell you what ITI do. You're a good man. and sinc.o I don’t mind letting someone in with me, I*ll let you. Now, I want .you to lend mo some assistance. Hero’s tho contract, and ns soon as I can get .£2OO ITI close tho deal. Will vou lend it to mo ?,”

Sometimes The “bluff" works to the extent of fifty or a hundred pounds, and away ho slides. If it fails he talks about Yokohama. - He finds out tho names of people tho merchant is acquainted with there, and he descends upon them in all the glory of a frock coat and shining belltopper. “Ah. Mr Brown your friend Mr Black, of Tokio, has iust recommended, mo to you. I’ve got somo business to do for him, and ho wants me to pay a bill for <£2o. I'm ten short. Lend it to mo, and bill Black for it.’’ The £lO ia forthcoming, and he disappears. That gentleman has been heard of in almost oyory open port in Janan and ho is putting up an unenviable reputation for Australians.

Amongst tho correspondents who are Australians is Mr M. Donohoe, who some years ago was with the “Evening News." Ho now writes for tho “Chronicle." Then there is tho irrepressible “Skiilcr" Hales. Fresh and blooming from tho insurrocto camps of Macedonia, he comes forth to write purple stuff on tho new war. But “Smiler" is in hot water, and f>r somo reason or other ho will probably e refused permission to go to tho front. This war is evidently going to be a select affair, as far as correspondents aro concerned at any rate, and only those with good reputations are to be permitted to go. “Smiler" conies out for the “Daily Nows/’ and ho is a bit staggered to find there is a ppssibility of his being objected to.

Another Australian, of whom there aro tracks—although ho is not here now—is Mr Colo, of Book Arcade fame. All over (ho place are to be found medals, which he had struck off whilst ho.was in Japan, with a view to promoting his Brotherhood of Man racket. In shop-windows I have seen them, and on men’s watchchains, I’ve oven heard that t-ome of them have been passed off as currency of the realm, and 1 certainly know of ono which led to a man taking out a life insurance policy. In Japan, there is an insurance agent—another Australian, by the way, and a Melbourne to—who has a keen eye to business. He has been in Japan long enough to know that Japanese have a penchant for medals of any shape, size, or variety, and ho always has several of tho Brotherhood of Man models on hand. He can buy them cheap. One day he was, with honeyed words, enddavouring to persuade a Japanese to insure his life. Tho Japanese was obdurate, and could not see tho advantage of it. The insurance agent commenced fingering a shining medal which •was on his chain. He drew tho attention of tho Japanese to it. It had a rising sun upon it—all of Cole’s medals have, or else a rainbow—and tho Jap. was delighted. He asked for it. He was refused. It was of too great a value. Now the insurance 'man became obdurate. “Look here," he said, eventually, “there’s only one way of getting that modal, and that is to insure yourself with my company. Wo pay big bonuses, allow good rates, and give good medals." The Jap. thought for a while, and a little raoro persuasion, induced him to hold out his hand for tho medal. Ho insured his life, and the nickel was presented to him with becoming ceremony. Mr Cole’s medals have come in very handy for the insurance agent, and the, insurance agent should be useful to Mr Cole as a distributing medium.