The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-02-21
WAS Friend Of Tycoon of Cliry-
A sartllen1uinr Kingdom More
8sI Than Fifty Years Ago.
BELIEVES IN THEIR Il: r FORCE I.
discovered Their Marvellous La
tent Power Before Civilization
Aw,kc Them to Activity.


/ Especial to The Timcs.D ispatch.)
.sl2 1x1NGToN. VA. FEB. Off for some
s reason there should BIO such revulsion
sof feeling among tho people OF Virginia
d that there would DO only one man left TO
h sympathize with the japanese ana WISH
III them the victory lii tho unequal war
38s which. they are waging against Russin.
e. would know without being told that that
sole champion Of the Jnps was John NJ
VI Brooke. 81 Lexington, formerly Of tho
United states and Confederate t,nvies.
IA Hi . years ago he first learned to admire
the characteristics which have made
friends for the little yellow men among
s8s nil the nutions OF Christendom, nnd even
then he began the prediction that the tlm y,
Il would corne when tho nations Of the earth
Is 4 would stnnd amazed Mt the rapid strides
the people OF the Chrysanthemum King
III dom would make In everything TINT per.
tains to advancement In accordance with
+ accidental ideas Of what constitutes prog
ress towards higher civilization.
ran down from washington e Lex Lex
tnrtot the other day and spent some
Il hours with Col. Brooke III his home AZ
WI Lexington. Tho old sailor. living now
" souvenirs and curlos, picked up IN III
E quarters OF the earth still has the clear
sE4 est recollections Of his earliest ncquaint-
q ance with the Japanese, and to say O word
~ detraction OF their qualities as men, or
sAs8 ne q, people Bile OF! reaching the nigh.
81 est plans OF civilization, is to invite an
argument that will not end until Col.
3s5 Brooke's opponent has admitted MS err
II rOr. n,
u RI ri
b o,,ened the ports Of Japan to the nations
~ Of the world when Col Brooke first Went
10 japan. He was then first lieutenant
NJ IN Tho navy. He docs not recall whether
II was In the year 1854 or 1855 that g :. Z
Al f,rst visited Japun under the celebrated
~ Comodore Rodgers.
JAPAN FIFTY YEARS AGO.
! He saw something OF tho islands and
the people on this cruise, and IN the fol-
A lowing year he was IN command OF the
Fenimore Cooper, vessel OF the United
states navy which made soundings be-
Is tween San Francisco and tho Sandwich
Il Island and Japan He chnrted many OF
a the harbors Of Japan, and while IN the
N discharge of this work he learned to know
81 tho Japanese and to admire their char
i acter. That the Japs learned to love
a.'Barooki,, rs they called him IN ana or
fort to pronounce his name, is well de-
mOQSIrateQa Dy Inc pIeScH1s, oSeb.i '~t.
nriceless, which Col. Brooke still treas
lures as his dearest possessions.
ss Col. Brooke Is now past his seventy
Eli seventh year, and does not recall nll the
"details Of his voyages and adventures hs
sss he once did. When L visited him ne was
suffering with a severe cold that MADE
81 consideration difficult for him. fie could
& not 60 into the minutiae OF his adven-
lures as fully as evidently he desired. but
~ rDo ka
recollections Of his experiences with the
Japs were among the most pleasant OF
his Ions, life. He hopes to live to sec ia
" pan yet overcome the Russians ana be
s8 como the dominant power IN Asia, after
8 the British.
The Feninore Cooper, on which Col
& Brooke made the voyage TO Japan II
6 1855, was a very small vessel, only seven
IS ty-fIve feet IN length, and was purchased
by the government from private persons
who had built her for use as n pilot boa
off New York. Yet she encountered u,
storms of the Pacific in aTrnanner which
50. would have done credit to much large
vessel, and Col Brooke thought he hn
one OF the staunchest crafts IN the navy
But long after he had reached japan u
went to tho northern portion OF tho Is
lands and while he was away storm
s# drove the Fenimore ,s:oopcr on the beach
Il discovered that She was. entirely unsca
worthy, many Of her timbers being rot
5 ten He still rcjoices that he did not nj
III tenl71t to make tho return trip In her.
DANGER TO FOREIGNERS.
VEL There was not much civilization In ia
pan as the people know the word to-day,
said Colonel Brooke, when I was there
There was no feeling against foreigner
manifested among the higher Glasses, an
the officials OF government were uniform
\ ~ friendly, but among the common pee
pie there was sentiment that we wcr
intrudars, and VIC were in more or les
danger at all times. never went Int
the streets Of Yokohama after Mghtfal
\ where we were stationed tho greater POI
ton Of the time, without having my swor
drawn ready for defense at a moment
notice.
sThe fact that one OF the royal famil
OF Russia, a Romanoff, was murdered .
H. the Japanese, seems TO be lost sight or
these days; yet 1t Is q fact. One nlgf
I was seated at my quarters. near II
street when I heard a commotion SOFT
distance away, and ran to the spot.
found this Russian, who was Q naval OIL
t Ger from aboard n Russian man OF WI
IT'S In the harbor, lying on the ground, groal
Ing and evidently in great pain. son
Of my mon had run up. and made the
nearby house, and we carried the woun
ed man to our quarters. He was terrib
wounded with sword. A cut three
four inches In depth extended oblique
across his back and he was bleeding pr
fusely. He managed to ask Tor waite
HI and died In an hour or So
Colonel Brooke does not know that T
E9E Russian government ever undertook
obtain redress from Japan for the murd
E OF one of the reigning family.
Colonel Brooke was close observer
the habits and customs OF the Japanes
He saw enough to convince him that tn
were people OF great promise. Color
Brooke endeayored by every means pr
II slble 10 obtain the confidence OF the pt
II ole. and his kind and just treatment ma
them his strong friends. The Tycoon
came one OF lis friends, and among
souvenirs which Colonel Brooke cherish
there Is none upon which SO high va