The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-10
R|(NIUN MARU FROM JAPAN.
Oriental Steamship Brings Tea,
Mating aad Curios.
JAPAN LOOKING FOR FRIENDS.
Of . War with Russia
Causes the MfkadO'& Ministers 20
Change Their Attitude Toward
the Annexation of Hawaii-Anx-
fous to Concflfate the United
States Steamers for Honolulu.

The steamship R.ojiun Maru. Capt. A. E.
Moses. the largest vessel Of the Nippon
>Yusen Kaisha which has yet come 10 this
port. arrived yesterday AZ noon from the
Orient with a valuable cargo OF tea. mat
ting and curios, consigned 10 Seattle, New
York Chicago. San Francisco and Ottawa.
She sailed from Kobe October Is and ar
rived in Honolulu October IS. For that
port she had SCI japanese passengers. over
so being contract laborers.
For this port she had the following car
go. Tea, 22ss half chests and Ss2 cases:
straw braid. 1873 cases; paper. Is cases;
curios ~ cases. mating. 81 rolls: mer-
chandise, 8 cases: ju.e mats, 10 bales; In
dian eondiment. 3 cases; rice. bags;
sailed Daikon. casks; total. 5.4S2 pack
ages.
There was one passenger. ]. w. Graf.
of this city, returned from a trip through
China and Japan.
The Riojiun Maru has probably the
greatest carrying capacity OF any steamer
that has ever visited this port. She is a
three-decker. of 800 net tonnage. and
can accumulate e.750 tons. Her coal
bunkers have a capacity OF 1900 tons. She
was built four years ago in the north OF
England and on her trial trip showed a
speed OF fourteen knots. The crew num-
beers IS all told. Her dimensions are:
Length. 375 feet; breadth. 40 feet; depth OF
hold. 81 feet. During the recent war she
was used by the Japanese government as
a transport for troops.
Japan Expects War With Russia.
s. Matsumura, manager OF a large Japa-
nese mercantile concern in Honolulu. re-
turned to Honolulu on the Riojiun Maru
after visit of thirty days to his native
land. He is quoted in the press Of Homo
lulu as saying that the japanese govern
ment has abandoned it's position against
the annexation Of Hawaii and will en-
deavor 10 gain the friendship Of the
United States. He said:
Officials and civilians concur In this
plan. So far as the muddle is concerned,
japan Is ready to treat with this govern
ment on almost its own terms. and will
ultimately consent TO any fair result If it
will insure amity and good feeling between
the two countries.
There is more than one reason for all
this. We are going TO war with Russia.
This is as certain as the sun rises and sets.
Russia is preparing for it now. The Sibe-
rIan railway is war enterprise. pure and
simple. Japan is at the other end of that
railroar. Russia is depressing us in Korea
and encfoaching on the mainland of Asia.
Japan has not been Indifferent to these
things. Our new warships were built to
meet the Siberian railway facilities of Rus
STA and the immense army the Bear is os-
tensibly massing against us. Understand,
however. we are not seeking war. Japan
is being forced into it. You know We are a
pIouu UdtiOn, ana Will not BACK very Iar.
Russia has already pressed us as far back
as We can go.
I'm view of the impending struggle the
people of Japan desire 10 be at peace with
all nations, however small they may be.
The friendship of Hawaii Is esteemed high
~. and behind that we look to the United
States as a great power with whom cor
dial relations must be maintained at all
reasonable hazards"
viii Gail at Honolulu.
II seems now assured that Honolulu will
In the near future become a port OF call
for the steamers of the Nippon Yusen
kaisha, which are to run between Hong
kong, Yokohama and Portland under the
three-year contract signed between the
steamship company and President Moeh-
ler OF the Oregon Railroad & Navigation
Company. During the past three years
the Oregon Railroad & Navigation Com
pany has had contract with Samuels,
Samuels & Co, whose steamships the
Chittagong and Mount Lebanon, up 10
within a few months ago made occasional
calls at Honolulu with freight, but finally
abandoned the port as a port of call alto
gether. The contract with Samueis, Sam
uels 4 Co. has now about expired.
II Is understood that In case of annexa-
ton the Oregon Railroad & Navigation
Company Will enter into the island trade
anyhow with a view TO competing in the
sugar trade.
While the Riojinn Maru was In Homo
lulu on October % the American schooner
Maaweema arrived, twenty-nine DAYS
from Seattle with q cargo of 5fs. eos feet Of
lumber and 5oo,ooo shingles for the Oahu
Lumber Company.