New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-06
SITUATION IN JAPAN.
Little Probability of Var, Say
Premier and Other Officials.

To-day there sre over twenty foreign warships
n Toxic Bay. flying all their flags and nring
salutes in honor Of the japanese Emperor
birthday We cannot see them from TOXIC a.
they are at Yokohama, fifteen miles down the
bsy. but we hear the noise, and renect "ha'
rnonentous significance there may De IN II
For ,ha-e hiss never previously been anything
IKE such q large number OF warshlps mere
,,spa-l, there have been two or three at most
e,-s, On This anniversary. Now there are eight
..,.-f~ar six British three German, TWO
y--s-cb Two Italian. one Austrian and g japan
csc OF Two; TO Russian. II seems 10 me there Is
FOOD FOR thought here. I leave the reader to
e-aw his own differences. rs the situation may
have changed when this letter arrives.
Il is about the most difficult thing in the
,ro-r5 10 interview the Premier Of any country,
sust al the tine when he is saying 10 his CAB
s1st or 10 himself: We may be forced into war
81 any moment now" The typical japanese
gentleman is the most courteous in the world.
-bis is no mere saying and his courtesy is not
merely O. forms and ceremonies. but is OF the
heart. have found II so in a dozen years of
Intercourse. there are writers who have not
found The same, yet they would II they knew
The real japanese. SO have been most kindly
received by some OF the highest men in the land
-rnen who knew me OF old. and who could find
t,-~e even in this crisis TO be pleasant TO an
a.
courtesy in the world Cabinet minister must
not say much 10 the press regarding important
affairs Of state.
Nevertheless. having gained hearing and
some insight into the true inwardness" Of the
stuetlon was able TO persuade the Premier
indeed, he could not help seeing for himsel.
when the case Was put 10 him thus-that the
state OF public opinion in America and England
IS OF vital Importance to Japan at this tuncture;
governments may say DO what they think
best but they have 10 keep close TO the line Of
the peoples wishes while the people have 10
depend mainly on Information sent by distant
correspondents OF the responsible class of news
papers. So contrary to the traditional reserve
which character.zes the statesmen Of most Old
World capitals. Premier Count Katsura and
oths- ministers spoke 10 me freely, considering
the circumstances.
had over an hours conversation with the
Premier. ana he authorized me 10 publish the
following statement;
First. Japan IS, above all DESTROYS OF peace:
ro- peace at any price" but peace with hon
or" There is no real reason TO doubt that this
VIII be secured The reports Of Russo-Japanese
disputes being so grave as 10 threaten war are
altogether wrong. Il Is true that there are
earnest discussions between The diplomats OF
--e 1870 powers. but il is wholly untrue that
they are growing CT have al any time grown so
serious rs 70 cause alarm. The Premier could.
OF course not allow any hint 10 come from him
concerning the present state Of the negotiations.
bevu1d asserting autho-itatively that the diff
.-.-Ias between japan and Russia are not so
Erea- as popularity supposed.
Second as 70 the relations between the gov
eminent and people Of Japan in reference to the
questions az Issue WIKI Russia: Il is not true
thai This government might be forced into war
hy popular cLarnOr. In Japan the people would
never Try To dictate 70 the government in any
matter n foreign policy Further it is wrong
To imagine The japanese are warIike at heart
They infinitely prefer peace, and are more pa
ue1r and forbearing than most races. When
driven 10 fEhr their ardor IS great. hence the
world wrongly i-fers a fonduess for war II is
not true thar there is a war party" in the Cab
Let OF -l the country, the ministers are Of one
mind, and The country at large supports them.
The electorate never asserts itself outside Of
home politics.
IL This Connection, there has been much com
reIt 0a the number Of fighting" men in The
government. besides General Terauchi. Minis
Ter for War, and Admiral Yamarnoto Minister
for The Navy. there is General Katsura the
Premier. and there was until recently General
Ko-ama as Minister for Home Affairs Also.
there are Field AIarshals Ovarna and Yamagata.
me leading men IN the Privy Council after Mar
GUS Ito But the Premier points out 10 me
KAT The strongest opponents OF war are usually
hose who most closely know its horrors; and
remember General Katsura himself having
ZONE terrible experiences in the Maachurian
F1ter campaign, IN the Chino-Japanese war Of
lo7-55- He IS a soldier when duty calls but
hater Of way when circumstances allow him
any choice And he is sure all Japan's states
n-71 realize WHAT war costs, - suffering as Wen
Is money and prosperity. even with victories:
and they all favor peace War is not 10 be
contemplated unless absolutely forced on them
l'F ne defence OF their country's existence
-aat is precisely the question: At what point
@o1a 1hey think war necessary? Where would
hey draw tie line?
Inere is prevalent motto that II war does
no. come now il Is merely postponed; that
Russia and Japan have TO fight some day; that
Iey are inevitably destined to cross each
oIasrs path try how they will 10 avoid ii:
slo that the sooner they have 1t OUT the
'el'er- Count Katsura admits that many peo-
L-e Think So but he is OF contrary opinion
-4s Two countries DO Gene in contact, their
V'ehA clash az certain points. but these are
1'-7,S Tor arrangement, rot for war. True,
-sz-1 mas shown and is showing a noticeable
--'-y ID aocurlulating huge naval and mill
- FORCES IN The Far East while Japan also
SC pl- herself in a state OF complete readi-
77l' CUT these are natural and proper pre-
- 49, not necessarily implying any Hkeli-
- " var Business men insure property
-. i-e or sapwreck. not because these
reo,ss are considered probable: it is eK-
rs-,r., NC misfortune VIII be avoided in the
has 10 te-e Of things, yet the contingency
quite certain ~e@Il-St as Inut as L II was
- tue some rsr...-- - -.