The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-09-05
JAPAN IN TRAINING.
The Doughty Ocean Empire Prepnr-
ing For tnc Fray With Russia.

ing For tne Fray With Russia
Japan las increased her. fighting ca
paci;y both l., land a:!'i :!av;sl forces. with
q secrecy III; .il.n@ the astltencss Of even
Russia, : diplomats. Notice this fact,
wLici. appears to h:,.c escaped The OBJ
serv:it"n %. cir Special correspondent.
The records ii IT,. d. since its opeainS
in 1880 prove that -. existence OF u
cabinet in Japan Wa exceedingly brief,
unless. indeed 4 crisis threatened the
nation. nder SUCH circumstances there
is 20 laorc unanimous body OF Elcn rh;ln
JAPAN l.4.>il;urc. although. III order to
stitlc suspicion. discussions are i'll order,
addressed TO tie gallery. i 4 cabinet is
forced TO rcssa. the premiership has IN
yariably passed into the hands OF DIFF
ferent clan
"Observe now that wien Ito stepped
ont his place was taken hr Field Marshtl
Yamasa1a. who. with I1o, belongs to the
Choshiu clan There WIS no need for
the services of ,h;t; old willy diplomat,
MARQUIS Ito. to check Russia. The man
for the hour WAS Yalnagata, the ezpe-
rienccd organizer Of armies. whose et!i-
cheney had been tested. Nor did the diet
indulge il, its usual TRADES against Count
Matsukata personally an unpopular man
with the hierarchy. but the foremost
inanccr. and whose services us such
were imperativrly demanded Japan
needed wei! drilled. well equipped ar
mics without the world being any the
wiser. and Iamagata Undertook u lur-
nish them. Mats,lkata was to provide
the necessary money and 10 doubt has
comnlctcd his work AS soon rs lama
oata resigns and is succeeded by Mar
| n11is Ito it will be token that lioSillltlas
orc imminent. Under 10 other clrcum-
stances will Ito be called upon to take the
helm.
Japan has recently placed seycra!
loans in England. Her minister to Lon
don. Mr.. Kato T.ke&ki. is on Il visit
home and recently delivered an address
upon England of so complimentary
tenor as to suggest that further favors IN
pccuniary direction will be highly ac-
ceptablc. The terms Of the address caus-
ed unqualified surprise, because, without
any tangible reason, strong antl-EnS-
lish sentiment prevails.
another fact, which has been passed
over without attracting comment, is the
recent promotion Of Mr.. Komura from
the Japanese legation at Washington to
that at St. Petersburg. The only Rus
sian diplomat who inspires feelings akin
to fear in Tokyo is Count Cassini, who,
when representing the car at Peklng.
with the great suavity deprived Japan OF
the fruits Of all her victories and appro.
priated them to his own country. 1t VIII
not cause any surprise il this most astute
Of diplomats were called at any time TO
the foreign office at St. Petersburg. where
his intimate knowledge OF Japan, Korea
and China will soon be Of the greatest
service.
..It IS scarcely necessary to mention
that the Tsikishima. the largest and
deadliest Of sea monsters. is hurrylng TO
ioin Japan's By no means despicable feet.
The Full and the Yashima. two huge bat
tleships. have been ready for some time.
Almost every dockyard in England. Ger
many and France has been pressed INTO
service to help increase Japan's navy. Ihe
| United States contributed two cruisers,
the Kasaei and the Chtose. Nor were
the dockyards Of Japan idle. All these
ships are manned by crews to whom no
command will be more cheering than that
OF Clear for action Every man OF
them has been taught and knows tha:
Japans discontinue in the retrocesslon
OF Port Arthur and the Lao Tong PEN
,nsula was the work of this foe, and such
knowledge will nerve the muscle and steel
| the heart."-R. van Bergen in Ainslee's 8
| MagaZine.