The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-06-05
THEY HAVE J
TROUBLES
Picture Men inaJapat1 Are Kept
Under Strict Stirveil-
lance New.
especial Correspondent to Tho Tines nnnee !,

lance New. ].
especial Correspondent to tho Ilfnes-
Dlspatch)
: KOBE, JAPAN, juno 4.--Since tne Gee.
iarntion OF war Japan has changed from
paradise to d ,purgatory Tor me picture
man, instead OF being the gracious as
s sjatat THAT he used to DO 10
tho foreign nrtist the Japanese
classes all picture men In the or ono sweep.
Ing category Of war corresponding N.e..s
alias Russian spy-at.rr,d dogs ms st s,,s
fn.'Intern ! Il "A many obstacles as possl-
hie hctwe.n him and the making OF any
nictures or sketches whatsoever. Ihis
ri,rveiIlance lsi OF course, more rigorous
within what Ia termed stratesieal
soneo a radius OF from three 70 i've
miles or a fortification or iEilitary c '"
ter OF any descriptions.
~ ow q so happens that ono Of the most
nicturcsoue BITS In all Japan is tho
Straits OF shlmonoseki. Mt Mol, where
the southern end OF tho main Island OF the
japan group Is narrowly separated from
the northern end OF the large island OF
Kyushu and where the Famous lnianu
sea terminates. This Is one OF the mos.
important strategic center In japan, and an,
iorts gurnount the rounding hills
Looking in every direction, and the whole
vicinity Is jealously guarded It is just
hore that many an Ignorant picture man
comes to grief. and where nc gets q les
sor In red tape and humiliation tnat u
calculated to last him the balance OF MS
days. 1t Is required that every passenger g
ship passing through the 1nland Sea
have a printed placard posted \ warming
passengers that 1t Is forbidden TO take
photogra or make sketches In GER
tain localities, and that any infringement
Of the regulations will meet with sum-
f mary punishment. Occasionally these no.
uces do not appcar-in English. at least
and sometimes when they DC, the passen.
gers do not find It entirely convenient
!. to read them, so that the unsuspecting
Kodak man goes onward to his fatc little
':enlizlng what awaits him.
Z. A few months ago a friend ol tno
writer was passing through japan en-
route to Korea. He took passage IN
small coast steamer from Kobe 70 Mox
Pc (Korea). He also took an Eastman
rocket kodak, which he used here ana
there with the usual recklessness OF an
amateur. AS his ship steamed into that
unspeakably lovely spoti-Moji-his sou!
was stirred with intense enthusiasm and
he snapped right and left to his heartb
delight in rash disregard-as well as PHI.
ful ignorance--of forts. "strategicai zone
and what-not OF this forbidden locality.
until he got his kodak filled with "gems
going to send home as souvenirs OF his
trip. One OF his felow-passengerr---a
Japanese--took considerable interest N
him and his efforts to get all that was
going, and seemed delighted that for
eigner should seem 30 appreoiative OF
his native land. and was Inclined 10 be 60
chummy with him that no actually ac-
eornpanicd the young man and his VIE
ashore to give them some directions as
10 the sights best worth seeing. Upon
getting ashore he very politely tipped his
hat TO his new.found friends by way OF
farewell, and spoke few hasty words
to the jinrikshn coolies. telling them
where to take these foreigners. a rev
moments later tho young pair found
Themselves stopping in front Of tho po--
lice station. where the coolies delivered
the message which had been given them
TO tho authorities. which was, IN orlet.
to the effect that these foreigners nave
been taking pictures OF the forts ana
other surroundings and are hereby re !.
ported Tho young pair thought ina.
the coolies had stopped there to MAKE
@inauirjestas to the location OF the resi-
dence OF some American friends VINO
lived in the town whom they had prom
iscd to spend the few hours ashore WILL
and to take dinner. and their surprise
may be ina glned when they were IN
formed in '.breaking English. that they
had been guilty OF most serious ntesGh
of the regulations. which was punlsnaole
with heavy fine and the forfeiture OF
the apparatus. Fortunately. however. the
young man bethought himself to send tor
his friend whose residence he was tryinE
to find, to come to his relief. and having
secured his services. they all went 70
the judges office and were subjected 70
a hopeless cross-examinat!on. az tho con-
clusIon Of which the authorities had elicl-
ted sufficient information to publish an
exhaustive biographical sketch, had they
been SO inclined. for 1t reached back into
the remote ancestry and forward INTO
generations yet unborn. 30 I'm told by
an eyewitness. The films were taken
and developed, at the expense OF the
owner. and the dreams OF pictures" de-
stroyed. But for the fact OF the Amerl-
can friend being a resident OF some years
at that place, and being we'll known to
the authorities. and being able to e1.
plain In good Japanese that It had al
been done In total ignorance and with no
intention of offending, and that ab1ect
and voluminous apologies were MADE, Is
might have resulted very seriously,
though they did not confiscate the kodak
or impose the fine. However, the deten-
tion and the examination, ana the whole
some advice" consumed some ak hours
and came to all end Just In time for the
travellers to resume their voyage, WIN
smarting sense Of humiliation, q gnaW'
Ing hunger from having missed dinner
and wiser. though sadder spirits.
The writer enjoys q faint reputation as
an amateur artist. and, unfortunately
for him. this reputation has been exag-
gerated out Of all proportion to the facA.
a few weeks ago he started out from
Kobe aong the lines OF the sanyo ana
Kyushu railways, in the direction OF
Ehimonosek Though 1t was not pri-
marily picture hunt. and though nag
given out no intention publicly that
was going any whittier. no sooner nao
taken my ticket than the authorities got
wind of 1t and telegraphed ahead 70 sew
eral points to be on the look-out Tor me-
went first to H,roshima-the most I'M
portant military post In this part OF "a
pan, where the Emperor had ms resi-
dence during the period OF the Japan.
China war some years ago, and the port
from which many OF the militia ana sup
plies are transported during the pres.
ent war-and Just the morning OF tne
day of my departure thence the authori-
ties discovered my Whereabouts Ct the
house OF an American friend. Where
escaped just IN time to leave him 70 re.
4 ,,1fA