New-York tribune., 1895-01-13
UOPPOPS Nv THE EASTERN WAR.

Soon after the capture Of Port Arthur by the
Japanese contradictory reports were made con-
cernlng the conduct Of the victorious troops.
The overwhelming mass Of testimony. coming
from sources generally most trustworthy, was
that they had behaved no worse than the armies
Of all civilized Powers have done under similar
circumstances. They had been made furious by
the uncomfortable atrocities perpetrated upon
their counirymcn by the Chinese, and they had
taken stern vengeance therefor. Perhaps some
IRRESPONSIBLE camp-followers had done worse
II 60 they would be- punished Doubtless. re-
grcttable acts had been committed but mex
cusable. none. one witness however. Mr. James
,,r.elm,n the correspondent OF THE World
testified differently lie declared that the Japan
csc troops had been guilty Of wanton ana nor
r,hIe butcherIes: that for several days the place
had been given over to indiscrilllliiat' sia"Sn''r
in cold blood. and that the officers Of the army
had made no apparent attempt to check the
dcvili-h work.
ON the face of II. the former version seclh'h
80 vastly more credible that II was generally
accented as correct. Even those whose syinpa'
tbics have been against Japan hesitated to be-
love the frlchiful Indictment made against hcr
soldicrs I'm the latter Unfortunately such judg-
mon, now seems 10 have been too optimistic.
I,,er remarks establish what we are for. the
sake II humanity reluctant 10 CONFESS tha' INC
story II wapton massacre As told by Mr.. Crecl-
man. was substantially correct. The one VII
,css ,o his crcd, be It said. spoke truly: the
others. probably under compulsion. did not vent
urc Ia tell the whole truth, though some OF them
have since done So. Port Arthur was. after all n
scene Of outrage and butchery. OF which both
sexes and all ages were the victims. Inc japan
cse soldiers themselves did the awful work, ana
their commanders could not or would not, or at
any rate did not. restrain them Great ms the
provocation had been. II was no excuse Tor such
deeds Port Arthur Is name which the friends
Of japan will not wish hcnccforth To remember
That the whole Japanese army has permanent
" degcneratcd into savagery. or that Japanese
civilization has been proven a sham. is not. how
ever indicated There Is no reason To suppose
that the people Of Japan regard the Fort Ar
thur horrors with approval. And there Is little
fear that such scenes will be repeated On no
other occasion In all the war do the japanese
seem to have acted with needless cruelty. On
the other hand, they have been Notably humane
They have cared for wounded Chinese prisoners
Just as tcnderly as for their own men. Their
hospitals are praised in the highest terms by
friend and foe alike. And wherever they have
marched on Chinese soil they have so conducted
themselves that they have been welcomed by the
people as dclivercrs from the oppression Of the
horlcs from Peking The one exception. the one
solitary blot on their record Is that of Port Ar
thur. and It Is hopecssly black and ncfface
able. 1t will be remembered with nothing but
horror and remorse. as are the acts OF other
armies English. French and German; yes, and
perhaps American too War Is dcvllish. at
best And In all men there seems Ia be- a latent
strain of tigers blood which now and then
asserts itself When II does break loose there
is little to choose between Cawnpore and Port
Arthur and the boulcvards Of Paris.