The herald., 1895-01-11
JAPAH'5 STAINED ESCUTCHEON
Disgrace Attendant on the
Port Arthur Affair.
Bitter Feeling Was Stirred Up by
Foreigners.
Subj cots of ths MIkado Kept in Ignor-
ancs OF tbs Massacre AS Long
as Possible.

Arthur scandals. very deep feeling mas
been excited in all classes by the man
ner in which the excesses OF the Japan
ese troops were first made public in this
country. and this feeling promises to
grow stronger when the circumstances
are more widely understood.
The actual occurrences at Port Arthur
are profoundly lamented. Il ia admit
ted that the good name OF the country
has been disgraced, and the knowledge
that the blow was self-inhicted makes
il none the easier to bear. The hope is
universally expressed that the momen-
tary lapse from the high standard which
people were so proud OF, and which they
believed would be maintained in spite
of every temptation, will be redeemed
by future actions; and in this hope they
are willing to wait and work without
indulging in needless promises and pro-
testations. The foreigners in Japan have
united to set forth the distressing facts
in the worst aspect.
In view of the boisterous exultation of
the Japanese, they have been tainted
with false pretenae Of civilization and
q return to barbarian, until popular in
dignation has been goaded almost to the
limit of endurance. As an illustration
of the methods by which the bittereet,
antagonism of the Japanese is soms-
times kindled against foreigners. 10 may
not be amies to tell precisely how the
story OF the Port Arthur misdeeds orig.
lually became known here. The earliest
detailed accounts were brought from the
,eat OF war by four foreign newspaper
correspondents, who, desiring to send
dispatches at the earliest moment, were
siven transportation as soon as a steam
or could be spared for this and other
purposes.
HOW THE NEWS WAS SENT.
One of these correspondents. Thomas
Cowan, representing the London Times
and China Mail, stopped at Hiroshima.
where several cabinet ministers were in
attendance upon the emperor. To Wis
count Mutsu he related everything he
had witnessed in connection with the
excssses OF Chinese and apanese troops,
and straightway proceeded to telegraph
the same news to the journals for which
he acted.
His report was that the sight of Jap
anese corpses, horribly desecrated, had
enraged the excited victors beyond con-
troll of their officers that the town had
consequently been pillaged and practic-
ally every Chinaman in it killed, to-
gether with few women included by
accident, and that many Chinese bodieH
were stripped and hacked, ripped
open, disem boweled and dismem bered. :"
Cowan added that he had seen Chinese
resisting to the last moment; that many
of them, lin plain clothes. with con-
1ad Fol To- r nrk in l.a
fight" and that ''explosive bullets were
found"
Viecount Mutsu expressed intense sur.
prise and grief and was unwilling to be-
lievs what he heard, hoping that later
advices would give q different turn to
the affirm. He announced that an in
vestigation would be made. He showed
no disposition to interfere with the free
discharge OF the correspondents duty
and the reports were telegraphed to
their destination from headquarters on
December LIST. The representative OF
the London Standard, Villers, and the
World and Examiner correspondent,
Creelman, came to Yokohama without
interrupting their voyage, arriving at
the end OF November. Creelman was
DESTROYS for the transmission of his
news without delay and believing that
he would not be permitted to use the
telegraph from Hiroshima, he forwarded
his dispatch by mail to Hongkong from
which place il was wired December 11th,
although re-tranemitted to Japan within
day or two for the information OF the
government. 1t has not yet been pub
lished, as the authorities feel assured
that the appearance of such q state
ment while their own investigation was
in progress would seriously rstard the
steps they have set on foot.
THE GOVERNMENTS FIRST KNOWLEDGE.
The government learned only on De.
eember Goth, and by mere chance, that
the message had not gone directly from
Japan. Meanwhile, during the second
week in December, obscure references to
the atrocities alleged to have been com
mitted by Japanese troops began to ap-
pear in one OF the English newspapers
published in Yokohama. As the polio v
of this newspaper is hostile to Japan,
the accusations produced but slight
impression at the outset. but when they
assumed circumHtantial shape it was
evident that they were based upon
intelligence believed to be wholly trust
worthy. Their persistent repetition
made il necessary for the Associated
Press correspondent to ask for full in
formation from the government. An
answer was received to the effect that
the facts were at the disposition OF the
American press whenever applied
for, but with the unders landing
that until the official court OF
inquiry should be concluded, no
premature betrayal OF the facts
should be made in Japan.
At this iuncture came the fret indi.
cation that the subject was attracting
attention in America. The New York
World took measures to obtain from the
Japanese government, through an indie
pendent channel, an explanation of the
alleged massacre. In obedience to she
Worlds request, q declaration OF the
governments position was telegraphed,
the sender being entirely ignorant that
any previous statement had been for
warded. The governmental attitude
WAS further set forth in message to the
Associated Press. By this time much
agitation had been created in Japan,
the charges In the Yokohama journal
before mentioned having been more than
once repeated on the authority of eye
witnesses. Japanese newspapers and
one foreign paper, not hostile to Japan,
had expressed strong disbelief in the
publications that Japanese soldiers
should have disgraced themselves, upon
which the direct testimony Of Messrs.
Creelman and Villiers was brought
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