THE POSITION IN JAPAN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12957, 26 April 1904, Page 7

THE POSITION IN JAPAN.

PROVIDING A WAR, FUND. MOBILISING THE ARMY.

(Bv Odr Special Co.niEsro.vDKfT.) [Telegraphed from Port Darwin to Melbourne.].

TOKIO, March 13. On March 1 it really -looked • as if wo wero to be allowed to get to tlio front. A notification'' that permits to accompany his Imperial Japanese Majesty's field forces wero immediately available, fell like a bombshell amongst the correspondents. Wo obtained them in duo course. Littio did wo know, howOTcr, of Japanese Government methods. We wore told that wo were .to proceed to the front in batches, and a private hint waa given to your representative that lie would certainly not get away with tho first batch, which was not to lcaVo until tho 19th fnst. Tho Times' men—Mr Janies and Commander Colqiihoun—wero so sick of it that they shtfok the dust of Tokio off their feet, and took train to Nagasaki, and there joined Tho Times' despatch steamer, specially chartered. A few of us dccidcd to; spend a day or two in the country, to see how tho feeling was there, and incidentally to. get a elmngo of air.

Tlio namw of tho lucky ones who wero to oompriso the first batch wore given out. As anticipated, your correspondent's name was not fere. Tlio 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 tho distinguished representatives of tho foreign press, as v.-cil as to provide for their comfort, tho War Ofiko has spared, and will spare, no effort to attain that end." After this inspiring declaration, tho " noto verbal " proceeds to state that, owing to the difficulties of transport, and so forth, tlio correspondents had themselves bettor charter a transport, and land in such a placo in tho soat of military operations as the authorities might indicate. Tlio amount of luggago to bo carried was not to cxecod eight kwan, botween 601b and 041b, which was checrfnl nows for those who had bought heavy tents, saddlery, and so on. But another announcement was made whioh said that a gontleman styled a contractor was to liavo agents with each columD, and was to perform certain duties for a certain consideration, In tho first place, ho .was to undertake transport of luggago and so forth, and was to provide each day " threo good, plain moals of European food." On their part, the correspondents were to pay a doposit of £50 ii} Tokio, and pay monthly in advance at the rate of £45 per month. Thoro is a groat deal more of considerable personal interest to tho _ correspondents in this delightful document, but nothing moro amusing- than a provision which makes it nccessary for tho correspondents to undertake not to buy anything, oven a packet of cigarettes, from anyono but tho contractor while tho war lasted. (Jiving- to tho extreme difficulty in obtaining definite information on any point, it lias been impossible to learn whether this is a kind of semi-official arrangement. Anyhow, it is' extremely rough on thoso who, in view of assurances given three weeks ago, purchased all kinds of stores. Many of tho correspondents, I amongst the number, are going to chance it, and seo how we got on .in Korea. If it bo found impossible to get ou without tho contractor plan, necessarily we will have to join it.

A prominent Japanese banker assured mo to-day that, so far from Japan being pecuniarily embarrassed,, slio could with ease sustain the strain of a three-yoars' war. The War Budget provides for a revenue of 576,000,000 yen, of which 68,000,000 is increased taxation—a pretty sovero strain on the patriotism of the pocket, as it means nearly £2 additional raised from each unit of the tax-paying class. Tlioro aro to bo increases in tlio land tax, and taxes on business and incomes, boor, sugar, salt, silk, woollens, kerosene, -exchanges, and game. Tlioro is to be. sovero retrenchment in tho Government services, and popular loans to tho extent of about 645,000,000 yen. Tho splendid feeling described in Japnneso as klo koku itkhe, which may be translated freely as "My country, right cr wrong," is inducing peoplo to tighten their belts, open their pockets, and freely and smilingly contribute to their country's needs. In a still more striking way has this admirable. devotion to'country been shown by tho two great political bodies—tho Seiyukni (Constitutionalists) and the Shimpoto (Pro : grossives). Meetings of these parties and sessional meetings have been held, and without a dissentient voice it was agreed to accord tlio Government n worm, unequivocal, and unquestioning support, in this national oriiis. Speeches by the leaders of tho two patties breathed a lofty sentiment of loyalty that was admirable beyond expression. .There is a very strong opinion in well-in-formed circlcd hero_ that sinco Kufsia has suffered sueh humiliating reverses sho will spare no effort to embroil Kugland, Support ' is lont to this supposition by tho stopping of British shipping without lawful excuse, both at Port Arthur and in western waters. Tho action of France, too, has been very significant, At Saigon, the French . headquarters in the East, unmistakable, »'• ) though veiled) hostility to Japan has been

exhibited ever since tho outbreak of war. Olio constantly hears also of efforts being made by France to hamper the movements of tho Japanese—notably, in endeavouring to prevent tho repair of' a oablo in tho Gulf of Pechili, which had been cut, aiid which the Japanese wiohed to use for military purposes. The only thing that is likely to giro pause to tho French war party, which is undoubtedly being egged on bv Russian intrigue, is tho tremendous strength of the British Eastern squadron. Japan is losing no timo in taking advantage of tho Japanese-Korean agreement., Tho special envoy to tho Korean Court, Marquis Ito, the most distinguished and shrewdest statesman in Japan, like a truo patriot, used his best ondeavours to prevonfc his country being plunged into a war tho result of which appeared at that time, owing to Russia's successful bluff, extremely uncertain; but wheal once the die was cast he bent tho whole force tof his admittedly great intellect to securing tho triumph oE the Rising Sun flag, and when tho occasion arose for tho despatch of a man of distinguished parts to couduet the essentially delicate negotiations 111 Korea ovory iiguro pointed to him as the ono man who would fill the position With dignity and ability. When ho left tho Shimbashi station at Tokio ho was given a. send-off which would have gratified a lung. When ho roaehed Korea. 1m was also received with great pomp and circumstanco. It will, of course, bo realised that there was more in all this than the honour naturally paid to a distinguished man. Taken in conjunction with the fact that the Russian Minister was in effect expelled from Seoul, ifc moans that the vacillating Korean Court, that ludicrous body which for years has never known its own mind for two minutes at a time, has at last surprised itself by coming to determination, Japan, it argues, is nearer than Russia. It has shown, that, as far f.s naval warfare is concerned, it is able to give tho Muscovite a good lesson, | The assumption is that on land it will do the same, aud so the Korean Court falls on | Japan's neck, and swears that it has only 1 been dissembling its love while Russia is j kicked downstairs. ;

Japan has already probably an army coips ill Korea, and the second is gradually being mobilised : but not a word as to the departure of these troops has been allowed to appear in the papers. Tho man in the street who visited tho Shimbashi station could see for himself hundreds of soldiers being entrained daily, transport waggons bcinc hoistc-d on to trucks, and all llio outward and visiblo indications of military activity, not feverish, but calm, regular, and methodical. Yet not- a word as to this has appeared in either tho foreign or tllia vornaeular Tho military policy of Japan seems to bo to avoid anything in the nature of au engagement until her troops aro disposed according to tho plan of campaign already determined upon. When. Japan thinks the time is opportune she will strike, and if the perfection of organisation and discipline provo anything she will strike as effectively on land as she did on sea.

GENERAL ITEMS. The liuliea of tho Russian nobility assemble daily for sowing parties at the Winter Palace, whero the Czarina herself takes part in tho needlework, says the St. Petersburg correspondent of tlio Echo de Park In illustration of tlio extraordinary patriotism of tho Japanese, even in timo of peace, a correspondent states that a- few years ago 50 Japanese princes voluntarily presented a largo portion of thoir wealth to tlio Stat& for the benefit of their country. A well-taown millionaire of Kieff named Tercshchenko is equipping a field hospital at his own expense. M. Bostanjoglo, a Moscow tobacconist, lias given two million cigarettes for the use of the troops in tho Kir East. Don Jaime, son of Don Carlos, who is proceeding to the Far East with his sister. Princess Alice, wiil ho attached to the staff of General Ivourapatkin. Tho princess will act as a member of tlio Red Cross Society.

In the Russian comic papers appears a characteristic slcit, in which three children play at war, ono child (Japan) stealing sweets from another (Russia) and giving them to a third (England), whom the victim of tho theft soundly thrashes. "If complications should arise, in sjiite of all efforts to prevent thorn, the union of Franco and England will render tho greatest services. This union should bo very closely maintained for tho good of all, whatever may happen." Suoh were tho words of King Edward to a friend, says tlio Matin.

The Japanese' in British Columbia have raised a war fund of £1000, and they propose to send further suras of £1000 by overy steamer leaving Vancouver for Japan until the end of the war. Tho Japancso colony is kept posted on the war in tho most out-of-the-way points in the provinos by daily circulars "issued from a, central burea.u.

The facilities for telegraphing across Lake Baikal—42 miles—having proved insufficient, and tlio wires having been repeatedly destroyed by storms, the Russian Government lias given orders to Messrs. Siemens and Halsko's branch at St. Petersburg l to erect stations for wireless telegraphy on either sido of tho lake.