The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-09-09
THE WAR DRAMA IN JAPAN
Japan's Hero Spies---A Trust OF Three Cen
turjes--The Festival of the
Dead.

ly, Marquis Girei, considering that the
time had come to employ the money
recently repaired to the tomb of Yo-
shinas and solemnly informed the spir-
it of the dead that the gold was about
to be employed for national purposes
in accordance with the will of the
family's illustrious ancestor, Iyeyasu.
Thereafter the Marquis handed over to
the treasury the gold that had been
held in trust more than 300 years.
Already public thought invests the
memory of the Japanese youths exc
cuted by the Russians in Manchuria
with a halo like to that set upon the
brows of the forty-seven Romies. who,
fearless of death, destroyed their lord S
slayer after years of preparation and
anxious waiting. This crown of
glory has never dimmed; incense burns
constantly at their shrine, willing
hands keep fresh flowers on their
graves, while their unquenchable spirit
burns in the hearts of their country
men. prompting wellnigh impossible
/, deeds.
Down from the bleak Manchuria hills
the story of the execution of Oki and
Yokohama is borne. Somewhere in,
Japan flowers are set and incense
burned before an empty tomb, and
sisters of these two strong hearted and
most unfortunate men cherish their
memory with tears.
tot trio
for their lives and saw them die. The
place with only four walls and a roof,
and the three judges sat at desks
scarcely worthy of the name.
Oki and Yokokawa walked in with
absolute composure. They showed no
bravado, and no one from their deme-
amor could have inferred that death
confronted them.
1t was well understood that the trial
could be only a mere formality-the
sentence was prewritten. The accused
men made no concealment. They
frankly described themselves as two of
four comrades who had set out from
Pekin for the purpose of wrecking the
Manchurian railway with dynamite.
After a long journey on foot they
had reached their destination, only to
be seized by Cossa clks. They asked for
no mercy. offered no excuse.
One called himself a Colonel; the
other took the title of Captain. Of
course they We're merely poor stud
ents; but who will say they sinned In
contriving, by assuming military til
ties, thai a career given to the SER
vice of their country should not have
| a felon's end by the rope, and that
they should at least have military
execution
| The court after five minutes de-
| liberation sentenced them to death and
| in an hours time Kuropatkin, believ-
ing them to be japanese officers, con-
| firmed the judgment, ordering that 1t
be carried out in military fashion.
| That was what the two men desired.
: They marched with steady, unfalt-
ering steps to the place of execution
a verst distant, and advancing to the
spot indicated drew themselves UP &c
the full limit of their comparatively
small stature and with quiet eyes and
smiling lips faced the firing squad.
When the Russians would have
blindfolded them they put aside the
bandages. gently but firmly, and fell
looking death squarely in the face.
It is not Oriental fatalism tina
prompts these acts in the japanese
nor is it seeking death because it il
predetermined by resistless fate, bu
rather is it the spontaneous outgrowtl
of burning patriotism forcing them t
offer their lives to their country. Chill
dren are imbued with this patriotism
from earliest babyhood by the yer.
nature OF their toys.
There is no great event in ancien
national history but what is repro
duced to meet the wants of even tn
poorest child. No great military her
but is perpetuated in ivory. wood o
clay ina es as familiar in name an
face to the wee tots in kimono an
obi as the people with whom the,
daily associate, while their swords
drums, guns. trumpets and nunition
of war, though made of wood. tin o
paper. are identical in shape with tn
real things
The streets are full of babies strap