The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-07-01

Ole tnan surrender ana they Woulu DE just
wild enough to declare war against the
world.
1.-THE whole people OF Japan" he added,
''are not yet sufficiently EDUCATED, and wise
and conservative for free and untram-
meled press-especially in times like these.
You don't know some of our editors. Were
they free just now the Japanese people
would be aroused to the commitment of
violent deeds"
1t may be i'm the very near future. though
Japan expects it any day. but i'm time
there will be collision between Russia
and Japan and that collision will grow out
OF one or the other moving into Corea.
Though, under the terms of peace between
Japan and China, Corea is an independent
kingdom, still Japan I'm fact is now i'm con-
troll. Japan occupies the same position
towards Corea that China did before the
war. IL is a sort of tributary to Japan
now as il was formerly to China. But
Russas diplomatic representatives have,
by some means, acquired an influence in
Corea by which she is i'm position to get
the concessions she desires. Japan is
preparing TO object, and over this the
prospects are that there will be war be-
tween Japan and Russia in the near future.
Japan is eager for IT,.
The Japanese Press Under Suppression,
The censorship over the press is more
strict today than 1t was at any time dur
ing the war. only yesterday seven Toxic
dailies were suppressed for comments upon
the ministry which we're slipped in over
the cenSors. During the past month almost
every one OF the fifty or mora daily news
papers published in Toxic has suffered
suppression.
TIE shortest term OF suppression is a
week. In several cases it has been for i
month ana in few permanent.
by this strict censorship ever the press.
has- afrfK~ fl.a1
any expression of opinion on the part Of
the editors, Couat Ito has arraycd almost
the entire press Of Japan against him. 1t
IS true they are not permitted to indulge
in critical remarks upon him or any MEM
her of the government, but the people I'M
cerstand it and the anti-minstry poll
ticians are using ii ID such advantage that
the present ministry is almost sure TO be
forced TO resign.
\ member of the Japanese house of rep
rcsentatives told me yesterday that unless
Ito resigned very soon he would he ac-
sassinated. THE people Of Japan" sail
he ''aro too advanced in civilization to
submit 10 such RUssian-like methods as
have been adopted 10y the Ito ministry"
have talked with several editors Of sup
pressed papers. They are without excep-
ton vicious against the Ito ministry Tn
able II criticise. they are silent as 10 the
action of the ministry.
In each newspaper office the government
keeps censor, who examines all proof
sheets and says what shall ana shall not
appear. Often the editors elude them by
slipping a paragraph Of type in the forms
after the censor has examined them. Only "a
few days ago The Nippon slipped in "a
pai Sgraph, past the eye of the censor,
reading:
AN imperial rescript has been issued!
Who that has blood in his veins can read
IL without shedding tears?
The next day the paper was suppressed.
In one of the Japanese papers a column
appears each day ia English and by refer
ence To the Northern Bear for Russia and
such other expressions, the editor manages
10 get some news in his paper over the crit
zeal eye of the censor. who will kill any
article with the WORD Russia appearing,
but who does not understand such refer
eI.ces as the Northern Bear. This paper
was. however. caught up yesterday ana
suppressed.
As affairs exist now IN Japan the news.
ISrers contain but little sensational news.
IL u reporter gets good story it cannot be
printed unless the government censor APP
proves IL. Ii an editor writes a moderately
interesting editorial on Japan's relations
.--s,I. u..-..s, r,,., yI,-
the government desires said, il cannot be
pr-nted. SO the papers have to speak in
very general terms and content themselves
with such news paragraphs as:
count 10 may return to Toxic next
week." ana Count Yamagata dined with
Count Ito yesterday. 1t is believed they dis
cussed important matters of state"
The Reporters Handicapped.
In consequence. under the present policy
of the government toward the press the
Japanese reporter. formerly alert and able
Ia display his news for what Il was worth
Is losing his knowledge of news When he
runs upon good story by accident he prints
il in a paragraph and fills his remaining
space with long descriptions OF common
place sights.
For instance, a reporter of the Ashat
Shimbun Witnessed a night 20 the death the
other day between two coachraen Of war de-
partnent officials in which they slashcd
each other reckltssly with knives and
fought until one was hacked into pieces and
prepared fer the crematory.
Here Is the ful. description he wrote of
the Duel TO the Death" as we would head
II:
"a quarrel broke ont on the 18th instant
between Monta Maukchi and AIizunuma
kmbri, betto OF the war department, and
resulted I'm the death of the former They
were under the influence Of sake when the
fight took place
Had an American reported the story. oc-
curing within sight Of his newspaper office
he NoAll nave given a graphic version OF the
fight. describing each blow ana knife thrust
and would have spread it over two full col
umns
But the Jap newspaper man being held
down by the government in publishing real
news, has lost his scent for all kinds. The
war correspondents were permitted TO write
Of battles after they occurred, but We're not
permitted 20 tell IF the number Of Japan ase
troops engaged. or indeed CT anything that
could possibly lead to the enemy knowing
anything about the japanese army. Even
now, since peace has teen effected they ar
Permitted but 10 print the merest skeletons
of news.
For instance n division or the Japanese
eTmy in Manchuria has been ordered to ac-
company Admiral Kaba yama TO Formosa to
take possession. A japanese paper says Of
it.
IAN army division Will leave certain ter
ritory on the 2ith for Formosa."
There it stops. Though a reporter ana n
photographer from the paper go
with the expedition TO Formosa.
they will not be allowed to print
anything about it until the authorities
agree and then his copy viii be edited by
some fellow who. perhaps has never writ
ten anything other than personal letter.
Even foreign correspondents here during
the war had to submit all their dispatches
and letters to a press censor Sometimes
however they MANAGED get then, ont #