The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-08-02
HE SENT A CHALLENGE
MIR. YOSHIMI READY TO SETTLE THE
JAPANESE-CHINESE SQUABBLE.
Suggests Fight to MIR. Chung-The
Makes the Code Duel
10 Turn Pale.

Although the japanese colony in Indian
apolis consists of only three men, and very
intelligent ones at that, the twenty or more
Chinese who max this city their temporary
home are somewhat ~perturbed over the note
which Mr.. Kyozo Yoshimi, a. japanese mer-
chant on North Pennsylvania street, sent
a few days ago to Mr.. Ling Chung, a
wealthy Chinaman, who came here from
New York recently to look after a little
business matter. They are at loss to under
stand just whether Mr.. Yoshimi has alb
sorbed the Debs idea of sympathetic war
fare or whether he was merely joking when
he sent a note to Mr.. Chung informing that
gentleman that he could be found at any
time, with the parenthetical information
that one Japanese was most as good as ten
Cinnamon under any circumstances. Mr..
Chung received the note at his lodgings, on
Massachusetts avenue, and pondered for no
inconsiderable while over the tenor Of it.
All of this was Immediately following the
reported declaration of war between China
and Japan.
Mr.. Yoshimi is ardently patriotic, and,
while his love for Japan and his desire to
do a good business are correlative, he does
not hesitate these hard times to put in an
extra lick for his country. He does not
speak with ease the Chinese gutturals, but
he is conversant with the characters as
they appear on laundry checks. So he
wrote. 1t is very difficult to give a literal
translation of a Chinese note, but the SUBJ
stance of it can be told. Mr.. Yoshimi, pre-
senting his respects, begged leave TO inform
Mr.. Chung that he would meet him in any
of the parks of indianapolis or other avail
able place, and settle the Oriental struggle
then and there, japanese swords preferred.
1t would seem that the rules of the Ameri-
can code duello, whereby the challenged
man has the choice of weapons, do not pre-
vail among japanese, or at least are not
punctiiously observed. Mr.. Yoshimi said
If 1t was just absolutely necessary he would
consent to American firearms.
Mr.. Chang did not relish this coffee and
pistols idea. 1t would have been the proper
thing for him to have sent a friend to the
japanese and told him that the casus beIli
was not sufficient, or something to that eff
feet. Instead, he violated all known regu-
iations pertaining to the code and ignomin-
iously presented himself at Mr.. Yoshimi's
store on Pennsylvania street the next morn
ing
said Mr.. Chung. II call about that little
matter"
Mr.. I. presented a bold hauteur, saying
nothing.
Well. continued the New York China
man. Il just want to say this about it. /
didn't come to this country to fight. 1 came
here to make money, and | don't know that
l care to mix business with pleasure. And
besides, l belong to a Sunday school,"
The weight. of argument was too much
for Mr.. Yoshimi, and he allowed his caller
to depart without further reference to the
unpleasantness. The story spread, how
ever, among the Chinese in the city, and
was a tonic that PaICad m1IHh SVIhfarra N ian N
chattering after the washing was done at
midnight.
Mr.. Yoshimi said last night that he would
be very glad of the opportunity to take
present trouble he has had several little
brushes in this city with Cinnamon, al
though they have been confined TO remarks
in passing. He intimated to one Chinaman
that he had better tie up his pig TAIL" the
English equivalent to twitching a mans
nose. TIL insult was not resented. The
young Japanese repeated his statement that
one Jap was as good as ten Cinnamon.
But the Chinese have so many millions
of men that they can fairly swarm over
their adversaries," was suggested to him.
They could give you ten men to your one,
and then conquer you"
All" said the Japanese, but you see the
one Japanese would not get killed. He
would kill his ten Cinnamon and be ready
for ten more
satisfying that Mr.. Yoshimi smiled.
w know how to use all the machinery
of modern warfare" continued he. The
Chinese soldier goes to battle with a para
sol over one shoulder and an old musket
over the other. The Japanese are livelier
and more intelligent. l have not received
my Japanese paper from home for some
time, and 1 suppose that the government
has either stopped publication or has pre-
vented them from being sent out of the
ever. 1t was dated in early July. and con-
tanned no war news. At that time, L sup
pose, hostilities had not begun"