The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-02-29
JAPANESE CENSORSHIP.
Baron Hayashi Defends the Severity
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Baron Tfayashi Defends the Severity ofIt
 London, Feb S2.-In reference to the severity of the censorship exercised by the Japanese government over the news despatches of foreign correspondents, Baron Hayashi, the Japanese minister to Great Britain, said to the Associated Press to-day:
 T have had numerous representations from English and other newspapers up- on this subject, but I believe that our position in the case is not only right but will be admitted to be such by those who look carefully into the cir cumstances.
 We are fighting against numerical odds which are quite out of proportion to the odsd against any combatant in recent wars. We are fighting for oru existence and our only hope of main- taining it is to strike swiftly and se- cretly at the beginning. To get in the first blow means more to us than, I think, it has ever meant to any belliger- ent, and to ensure this it is vital for us to demand a degree of secrecy which had not been necessary in any recent warfare Even at the risk of alternating temporarily the friendship of the press of the world, we must prevent even a whisper of our real intentions reaching our powerful enemy.
 Before war was declared I knew that our military authorities had decided that our censorship must be more rigid than ever before attempted. One line would have ruined our first attack on Port Arthur-one line might ruin our projected land operations.
 When we fought China we gave the war correspondents free latitude and in many cases they took advantage of this to predict our future movements That did not matter much when China was our enemy but against a power like Russia, so immensely superior in even tual resources, it might turn the scale. When you fight for life, everything else becomes of minor importance.
 T cannot believe that Japan will lose friends in the world because she has been obliged to inf1ict such careful censorship. do not think the present rigor of this censorship will be contin- ued very long, but momentarily the conditions of the campaign make even insignificant movements clues towards our main naval and military objectives. When our preliminary operations are complete have no doube .the censor ship will be relaxed.
 "Our own press and people are under going the same regimen. There is no discrimination and I think you will find as much if not more news from the Japanese side in the New York and London papers as you will in the lead ing Japanese organs"
 Baron Hayashi does not expect that his government will issue any procla- nation of the blockade of Port Arthur until the Japanese are able to cut teh communications by which food supplies now reach that place. He points out that New Chwang is practically block aded by the ice. If, when the ice breaks up the naval necessity still exists the minister says Japan probably will issue a proclamation. It does not look as if there will be any immediate serious land action, but it appears possible that Vice Admiral Togo may make another attempt to bottle up Port Arthur by sinking across the channel one of the old Chinese battleships captured in the war between Japan and China.