The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-18

TOXIC, Japan, Feb. 10.-Yesterday the
Japanese lanterns were telescopes; tonight
they are aiight: tonight Toxic hears only
of victory. All day the men who sell the
extras have been hurrying through the
streets, their cries drowning the decorous
tinkle of their bells The bulletins. seldom
as long as a sheet of foolscap, have been
sweetmeats TO the public. whose stomach
could not have surfeit of such news. This
We do know: The cruiser Variag and the
gunboat Korietz are wrecks at Chemulpo.
and Admiral Togo has dealt a telling blow
at Port Arthur. Much more we hope, want
ing to believe every happy rumor that ink
makes on paper and sends broadcast with
clarion voice-prioe. one SEN.
The Japanese does not cheer until he has
won. The population of the town seems
twenty times what il was the night war
begun. Toxic, having something to be
proud Of opens its doors and shows its
head. The little Buddhist images, with
far-off, subtle smiles, wake up and blink
The paper windowed houses that husbanded
doubts and fears, and the tense expectancy
of a people who think of their Emperor
fortune before their own, send their occu-
pants forth. Il not to merry-making, at
least to walk up and down. Streets that
were dark last night dance with globes of
yellow light tonight.
Since a mild form of insanity has
prevailed l say a mild form-the violent
form which other races would have shown
may come when we have taken Mukden
and Hardin. ooh. you cold. phlegmatic Eng
fish! you of the wild orgy of a Mafeking
night in London. if you would really study
self-control observe another island people
who at this hour think they have won
victory meaning as much to them as
Trafalgar to YOU'D
AT night the sun had picturesque sub
stitute. The Japanese lantern does not
belong in q land where you read from left
to right horizontally. but TO a land where
you read from right to left perpendicularly.
The lantern goes with the people. their
houses their costume and their manners.
You must come to Japan to understand the
lantern; you must be in Toxic on the night
of victory to realize that it is living
thing. The lights began to appear just as
official confirmation of the extras swept
over the city with joyous authority.
In columns of twos and threes-an i'll
lighted city serving pictorial end-wind-
ing in and out through the streets ran the
yellow balls of light, clear-cut against the
darkness, while under them was the roar of
song and cheer They went to the ad-
miralty, and from the steps of the big
building of European architecture, the
minister of marine made them speech.
All this was Occidental The foreigners
interest lay further on when the parade,
with its crest of moons, passed across the
moat and through the double gates that
open at the corner of the palace Enclosure
on to the park that faces the gates through
which the state carriages pass to the most
exclusive of courts.
Across the length of the park the lantern
bearers formed in close order. Every face
was turned toward the palace The Ian
terms were raised high the "Banzais!
rang out "Dai Nippon banzai. Dai Nippon
banzail BanZai, banzai. banzai!' The dim
light showed the students of the naval
school in their neat-ftting Western uniforms
they who had missed fighting for their
beloved country by being born three OF
four years too late. The classes ahead OF
them were keeping watch on decks in the
cold Northern seas. The best they could
do TO split their threats in the cold
moist night air. AT their heels in the freer
garb. of kimonos, were the students of the
university, with their future of developing
and civilizing the lands that the navy and
army should win.
isn't it pretty near time that the Mikadc
showed himself?" a foreigner asked. AL
faces were turned toward, all eyes were
looking toward, a wall of darkness. Out
of it was visible only the white sides OF
one of the buildings in the Enclosure.
If this had been ST. Petersburg, and the
Russians had won. can imagine how the
| Car might have appeared in a doorway fOl
a moment, under a blaze of light That
would be part of the mise en- scene fol
that land; a part that would receive the
approval of David Belasco. Japan is diff
| ferent-always different This is an EN-
| peror whose ancestors have sat on the
| throne from lime immemorial. If Palestine
were to-day a free Jewish nation, and the
| Jews an inherently warlike people wht
! had never known conquest, the descendant
of Moses. who sat on the throne. would
| mean to them what their Emperor does Il
! the Japanese. The services and the sur
roundings of divinity hedge him around
/ in, xr-lf oh la lives IL
sight of the park. He could not see The
dancing lanterns that leaped skyward will
the cries OF "BanzaiI" If he had wished
to show himself to the people, there wa: