Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-08
GREATLY EN- HUSED
War Excitement in Japan at
High Pitch.
LANTERNS DISPLAYED
WONDERFUL PATRIOTISM IN THE
RURAL DISTRICTS.
Parades Every Night-Battle Scenes
Dramatized-"Extra" Papers
Given Away.
LANTERNS DISPLAYED
RY WILLIAM f.. CURTIS.
SneciaI Correspondence Of The Evening Star ano
Chicago Record Herald.

BY WILLIAM r.. CURTIS.
SpcciaI Correspondence Of The Evening Star ana
Chicago Record Herald
KYOTO. July s, 1904
Although all the lighting is several hun
dr.d miles away, Japan is very much
aliV, 70 the war, and l do not be-
neva =, much enthusiasm or such in
tens, interest was cy--y manifested else
vGc,e as is shown by the country people
of Jli,tu in every event that concerns IT,
The government controls the Telegraph
lines and the mails. and the newspapers
are under the surveillance of a censor, nut
certain official reports from Manchuria ana
th. 1rats are furnished to tn" pubic Caliy
from the war and navy offices. and within
half an hour their contents are known 10
every peasant in every secluded hanlet OF
tl, interior that is reached by telegraph
wires Whenever the slightest news Is re-
Ceivei the newspapers in the cities ana
towns issue extras which are furniShed
free OF charge to all their Subscribers ana
arc given away Ia the public. AT every
urysr,-cr Office throughout the entire
twenty lnar hours YOU VIII fhd on GUY
cwIltiug these EXTRAS dozen or more attn
Iati,. Young newspaper carriers, stripped
to the bun" as you might Siy-that is;
Nc.lriug nothing but Sauze undcGShlftS ana
COTTON trunks that rcHCn onlS from Tue
whist t. thu. middle Of the thighs, like those
won nv professional runners and Jumpers
at sporting events. These carriers remain
at their posts night and day, ana the mo-
meut the little slips containing war INV f
leave the press they grab them and rush
for their routes with jingling bells tied TO
their gi.d!cs 50 that everybody may Know
that something has happened. for the police
prohibit shouting in the streets.
,rhcsa curriers' run their entire routes at
th, top of speed. thrustinS extras INTO the
doors or windows of subscribers Many VI
tu,. latter have bulletin boards hanging on
III. ir outor walls. upon which they paste
In, extras as soon as they are received, so
that those of their ueighbors who cannot
afford To pay for newspapers may nave tle
benefit of the information as soon as any:
f,,-i1.~ each of these bulletins Is usually
. man of Mlnchuril and the surrounding
seas and territories in order that the
readers may note the movements OF tle
army and see where the battle occurred
Groups of people may usually be found IN
front of them readins the latest dispatches,
studNing the maps and discussing the
progress of the war with great lntelIlSence.
Many hpuSeholdcrs cut the war dispatches
and articles bearing on that subject from
tn. newspapers every morning and even
ing and paste them on the boards for the
L-f,ant of every ONE who can read, and few
~. oulc in Japan c1nnOt | suppose there
must be 100 of these private bulletin
h..i,is in this city Of 3;,o.ooo people in adj
dit.,u II those kept up as usual before
tho newspaper and telegraph offices and
other public places
Many Newspapers.
Few countries have so many newspapers
as Japan. There are so published alto
petler. according to the latest census, and
there is scarcely a town without one
Hence every peasant keeps a close watch
of the war. ana the continuous victories of
the japanese army have wrought them up
to an iutonS, pitch of enthusiasm. As they
come To market in the morning and as they
20 home at night the old farmer women
stop before the bulletin boards that hang
along the roadway and get the latest in
form ltipu. and they invest their hard
earned roppers in brilliantly colOred lithO-
graphs Illustrating incidents Of personal
bravery and other episodes of the war. of
COURSE these pictures are pro-Japanese to
the extreme. In every representation of
battle the Russians are hve to one, and
that one valiant son of Nippon is cutting
their heads of running them through
with his sword rapidly as possible
while on their knees they plead for mercy.
TheS Autographs are pasted on the walls
OF houses and are passed from hand to
hand among the peasants as accurate pres
eEtitiOI of actual events, but that is no
more Of deception than is practiced by
the newspapers in their highly cOlored ac-
counts Of the campaigns. y few of the
English newspapers publish the truth as
closely as they dare. and fortunately ev-
erytilng thus far has been so much in
favor Of Japan that II has not been unsafe
t. do 50, but If rcVerSes should come. if the
Russians could possibly manage to win d
battle or recover part of their lost pres
tie" or territory, | do not know who would
dirr communicate that fact to the people
OF this country. They are so inflated with
patriotism and glory and their own Prov
eSS at present that they would not listen
10 bad news.
Celebrations are held every night We
lrt.al- 81.
Hotel upon the park that surrounds it,
which Is the public rendezvous in this part
of the city, and watch what we would call
torchliSht professions that are organized
almost very evening to celebrate good
news from the front. The paraders carry
lanterns, however. rather than torches
which Is great Improvement, and the Ian
terms mad" of Opaque paper. are painted
with brilliant patriotic symbols and senti-
ments. 1t does not take much to get up Il
parade of several thousand people, who
march around the streets for hour or
two swinging their lanterns in unison. sing
ing the national anthem and shouting ban
ZaI until they are hoarse that they
cannot make themselves heard.
'.Banzai" the Greeting.
"Banzai' is the Hail Columbia" or the
"vive Ia republique' of Japan The word
literally means ten thousand years" and
IT is the salutatiOn that was offered the en-
perOr by the people whenever he appeared
in public In ancient times. 1t means Japan
forever. Everywhere you go you are sure
to hear somebody shouting "banzai." 1t
IL now and since the war the commonest
word Of greeting. When two gentlemen
meet they say "banzai instead OF good
morning. and when they part they say
'bdnZLi' instead of goodbye. Little chill
dren cry "banzai you pass them in
the street. and the merchants use the word
20 call attention to their advertisements.
But with all this excitement and enthusi-
assn and marching and shouting there Is
no disorder. no drinking. fighting. no
angry words or gestures, pushing or
showing but the crowds are as well be-
haved and as respectful to each other as
they could possibly be. There is only one
heart in Japan today. and 1t beats with
common purpose with common interest
and a single thought.
\ flag floats in front of every house and
a number of flags over many houses. BY
common consent. or, perhaps. by municipal
rsgulati ton the bamboo poles to which the
flags are attached are placed at a certain
height and at a certain angle beside every
front door. and there is usually an ar
rangement for hanging over every door at
night a lantern. which is covered with
patriotic devices The lanterns are all uni
form in size and style for each street and
hung at the same height. Thus in
the daytime, whenever good news Is re-
ceived, and IL comes several times a week
he nf NO oil sud- ay1x Ii,,a