The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-31
,yu,rIs,Og BE DONE WITH JAPAN


they may see in its columns bu' ''eN
t5e World is liable to state u TACT some
times. ,,.
Tho New York Herald, as we all Know
has exclusive charge Of the EuroPea"
,,,,,.s which this country receives. II al
lows other journals 10 have an occd9'oi'a'
item. but it must be something VINO"
ia not Of importance enough to interest
tho Herald. or else it must be something
that II has used and abandoned. me
,,ber journals Of the United States appre-
cate the goodness of the Herald ana
they are duly grateful when it minds
not high things, but condescends to men
of low estate
The World represented to the public
r,cently that 1t had reporter with the
Japanese army that assaulted ana TOOK
Port Arthur, and this reporter gave Inc
Worlds readers the most terrible ana
beartreuding account Of the barbarous
cruelty of the japanese in butcherin5
men. women and children after the pace
w1s taken. The Worlds offence was Sc
rious enough when II published anything
Al all that came from foreign parts that
the Herald had not already used, but it
became a thousand times more serious
when the publication turned out to be
frst-class news item, Of which the Herald
had had no account at all There was
but one thing 20 be done in that case,
liz
ately receive japanese news that gave the
lie circumstantial and direct, to all that
the World had Published
The Herald was equal to the demand
and Immediately the Herald printers were
furnished with the most complete ac-
count Of the storming of Port Arthur
and the humanity of the Japanese that
ever a gentleman Of fine Imagination, sit
ting In the Heralds cozy editorial rooms.
in dressing gown and slippers, could have
prepared. The Herald accordingly knock
ed the World out" so to speak, and
proved 10 a demonstration that there was
no cruelty or barbarsm In the business.
If the Worlds reputation had been better
II might have held up its head for
while. but that gave the Herald easy
game. and 1t accordingly certified to the
American people that the japanese had
shown more humanity and gentleness
when they took Port Arthur than any
people ever did show before in war That
settled it for the people of the United
States. and it VIII ever remain the fact
in this country from that time forward.
But whilst that is the fact of the case
as far as we, the denizens of this un-
happy land, are concerned, parcel OF
omcious English correspondents, who
were present when the place was stormed,
have given their papers an account Of
the matter which sustains every word
that the Worlds correspondent said, and
the weH-known newspaper correspondent
and war artist Mr.. Frederick Villers,
who arrived at San Francisco from
China on the 9th of January who Wit
messed the capture of Port Arthur, made
the following statement there of what he
saw, He said:
people were shot down until every
street and alley of the wretched town
was numbered with corpses and muddy
with blood They came 10 the doors of
their stores, I'm answer to Marshal
Oyamas proclamation promising protec-
ton to al non-cOmbatantS, and they were
shot down on their thresholds, while
Oyama and his officers listened to the
music of their band not two miles from
the scene OF slaughter. OF the Chinese
citizens only thirty-tive were left alive.
These had been tiCketed, and the label
read, These men are not 10 oe killed
Among all that were slaughtered we
did not see a single soldier or weapon.
Numbers of them were killed as they
were kowtowing to their conQuerors."
4 European correspondent named Hart
invited Nilliers 10 go with HIM to his
hotel. I'VE found the cook dying on the
kitchen floor, shot in the breast,
and on the couch at the end
OF the room two boys lay dead in
each others arms. They had been killed
by a single shot. l asked a japanese
officer why they had been killed and he
answered that a gun and cartridge had
been found in the house"
We may take it. therefore, as an as
sured fact that the Herald's monopoly
of European news Is ended, and that
even the 4NtN iOlh w Gnu - HdDlt mere
after to have something from abroad
that was not manufactured in the office
of that journal.
But the question which Is going TO in
terest the civilized world, now that this
important question OF journalism is to be
considered as settled, is what is to be
done about this new and astonishing mill
tary and naval power which has burst
forth in the East? Japan has suddenly
demonstrated that. with European and
American discipline and ornaments, she
has the most extraordinary fighting ca
pacity that ever was heard OF in the East.
II she were the civilized power that her
courage and strategy would
indicate the family of civilized nations
would gladly welcome her into its mem
bership as an ally FROM which great
things were 70 be expected. But the bar
barity of her soldiers at Port Arthur.
practiced under the eyes OF their officers.
and. therefore. with their consent, proves
that japan has no more
of na5arn civilization than its dress coats