The San Francisco call., 1904-03-13

Japanese questions In such a delicate
manner. Is a graduate Of Harvard
College. and Minister Kurino at st.
petersburg also is a graduate OF the
same institution. Going a little far
tner down the line of notable charac-
tiers on our side of the war. we dis
cover another graduate of one of your
foremost colleges in the person of the
commander of the Japanese fleet on
Fort Arthur, under whose direction
the first gun Of the hostilities was
fred. Men with the learning of those
that l have Just mentioned are not
likely to make many mistakes in the
management OF the war.
In every way Japan has followed
American ideas and methods and we
are as near the type OF American as
could be expected of an Oriental race.
To be sure, our color Is yellow and
our stature unlike that of the Ameri-
cans, but our minds and hearts are
just the same. While studying In
your colleges the men who are now
handling many of the important de-
tails of this war read of Bunker Hill
and they have seen Valley Forge,
where the immortal washington and
his soldiers. poorly clad and fed in
midwinter. defended their homes with
their payonets. The same feeling
that buoyed the hopes of those gallant
soldiers exists with the Japanese to-
day.
WHAT FAILURE MEANS.
IF we should fail in this war l am
afraid the faith Of our people in Amer
lea would cease. We are a unit In the
opinion that we are right in this strug-
gle. From the highest in the land, the
Emperor, to the lowliest of his subjects.
the poor coolie, from the aged to the
child, there is but one trend of feeling,
and that Is that right is on our side,
that We must fight on and on until JUS
tfce is done us. We are fighting for
principle and are governing ourselves
by international law. We have resorted
to no barbarian methods of warfare.
and none will be permitted. There have
been from time to time stories pub
lished of alleged barbarities practiced
by our military forces. but none of
them have ever been confirmed. and 1
am satisfied that they are untrue. Rus
sia's methods of warfare, notwithstand-
ing her boasted claims. were exempli-
fed several days ago, when. after a
japanese major and a squad of soldiers
had fallen into the hands of her troops,
they were marched through the streets
of Mukden for the edification Of a lot
of Russians and Chinese and deeply
humiliated. Where was the humanity
that Russia had been boasting of? Was
that Christianity? Was it a principle of
the Greek orthodox church. or was II a
relic Of barbarism? Now contrast the
treatment accorded the Russian sailors
by the Japanese when the former were
rescued from the sinking ships after
the bombardment off Chemulpo. Our
navy men, after enforcing the custom
ary oath from the prisoners that they
would not return to the fighting lines
for service, escorted them to the near
est shore, where they were released
without molestation.
GOVERNED BY HUMANITY.
I'VE do not know just how the
war will end. but so long as it lasts
the world will find Japan striving
within the bounds of international law
and humanity. The world, by the
way, has not yet stopped to consider
what the outcome OF this war may
mean. We believe that we are fight
ing for the peace of Asia, and, conse-