The San Francisco call., 1904-03-14

and there were plenty Of signs of eX-
citement But merely as a demorstra-
ton it was nothing at all to one who
has seen New York or London under
similar circumstances. regiment
going to State camp causes almost as
much commotion in New York, and if
Company II of Binghamton were
ordered out on strike duty, there would
be much more show of excitement in
the ParlOr City. 1t was not, in fact, the
show OF feeling itself that made it note
worthy. but that ii was shown. 1t was
the contrast to the awesome quiet of
the preceding days that made it sug-
gestive.
There was no organization about the
demonstration that followed. One of
I the newspaper extras suggested that
something Of that sort ought TO be
done, but no committee was appointed,
and there was nothing formal about ii.
( It was simply the spontaneous ebulli-
tion of spirits a truly popular show
of jubilation. The word went around
about midday that there would be a
demonstration, and of their own accord
the people began to gather at Hibiya
Park about dusk
At that hour, wherever one went
about the city. little groups Of men and
boys, and even women and children,
were seen hurrying along to the meet
ing place. They carried for the most
part gay lanterns of bamboo and paper,
all decorated with red lines or figures
on the white paper. These were sus-
pended from lcng, slender strips of
bamboo, so that they were swung over
the heads of those who carried them
and bobbed back and forth as the peo-
pie walked.
''OLD GLORY BORNE ALOFT.
Now and then flags were carried with
> t,n 10, . 1,n a,r-T tn.D
white flag with red ball center which
is the national flag of Japan. but some
times the rising sun banner of the army
and navy. Occasionally also a Union
Jack or the Stars and Stripes showed
where some marchers appreciated the
friendship Of Great Britain and the
United States.
And now, too, there were cheers.
had begun to think the japanese had
forgotten how to cheer, but the ban
zais that went up last night were more
than enough TO remove that suspicion.
Even the children showed that they
could yell as well as their elders. The
crowd rushing through the streets met
every ricksha with banZais, and the
foreigner who looked like an American
or an Englishman was followed where
ever he went by plenty Of cheers.
BY o'clock Hibiya Park was crowd
ed with paraders. The students of the
military and naval schools were out en-
masse, and they carried torches instead
Of lanterns. Two or three bands had
been engaged also and songs had been
improvised for the occasion. In a re
markably orderly fashion the process
sion was formed at the park and began
TO march toward the grounds Of the
Imperial Palace.
There was no attempt at regular or
ganiZation, but of their own accord and
= < them @ 81 n
in a very good column and marched
along. Part of the time ii was column
Of fOurs, sometimes more and some
times fewer They marched when they
felt like it and stopped when they
pleased TO cheer or sing.
On the fanks of the column hung
throngs of men and women who were
not carrying lanterns or torches, but
who proceeded with the column and
were in fact part of ii. Mounted po-
licemen, carving red and white Ian
terms, rode along with the column, but
there was no occasion for the display
Of their authority. The crowd was
good natured and orderly throughout.
MARCH TO THE PALACE.
At the gate in front of the Imperial
Palace the head Of the procession halt
ed. The paraders pressed against the
gate and the railings that guard the
moat and cheered and waved their
lanterns frantically. From the palace
there was no sign that any one within
knew anything of what was going on
The building itself could not be distin-
guished in the dark from the gate, but
that did not diminish the enthusiasm
Of the marchers in the least
When the head of the column halt
ed all those behind stopped also, and
there was no crowding forward Each
seemed perfectly willing TO wait pa
tiently for his turn to stand before the
gate and cheer. When those at the
head had cheered enough to satisfy
them for a while they moved on.
When the next section stopped those
in the lead waited also. There was no
hurry anywhere, no crowding and
pushing. II was a fine, clear starlit
night, dark enough to give full effect
to the lantern display, which was very
fine. All over the spacious grounds in
front of the palace there were lanterns
carried by persons who did not care
to join the marching column, and the
great mass Of them, with those in the
column, was like a multitude of giant
firefiIes swayed about by a gently
moving breeze.
Only the students had attempted to
make more show than by the use of
lanterns. They had rugged up. few
transparencies. About these there
WAS lnG Only dlOnR the
column. The outsiders were so anx-
ious TO get close enough to read the
inscriptions that the boys were unable
TO hold their transparencies against
the rush: So they employed a couple
of stout wrestlers for each transpar-
ency, and after that the crowd might
shove as ii would with no damage to
the display. A few banners with long
inscriptions We're also carried.
1t took nearly two hours for all the
paraders 10 cheer themselves out in
, front Of the palace. for there were three
or four thousand of them. When they
finally got away they went down to the
Navy Department and repeated the
performance. But here they were not
so slow. Perhaps their throats were
tired with yelling. from the Navy
Department the procession broke up.
the paraders going away i'm little
groups, as they had come scattering
through the streets back to their
homes, but still carrying their lanterns
and still with a husky cheer at the
slightest provocation. 1t was after
midnight before the grounds around
the department buildings were cleared
of the lantern bearers.
During all this demonstration the