Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-02-19
JAPAN'S WAR SPIRIT
Whole Nation Enthusiastic in
Support Of Government.
japanese Have knowledge Of Condi-
tions in Manchuria.
Spy system is Conplcte-Secrst Move
nent of Troops.

Toxic, japan, Feb. 1S.-On the sur
hcc there IS almost no Indication here
abOuts Of the serious crisis which the
salipn is faeins.- Five weeks ago the
aewspabers wcresszs4rintins every day
reports that thc preparations for war
zee going forward rapidly. Then
Gne an imperial ordinance forbiddins
my >refereneeSto the movements of
tscps or war vessels.
A great conspiracy of silence has
ban fet1nedS With tbs. whole Japanese
people as the conspfratorss Reference
t, "thaNcar" sfxedNcsxs smile and a
ioNa, tor Ev.a va NNehe hand; that is
ar ThA manner IN WMch the nation
has .esrond ed toe the official injunction
Of >ilenee% ig-e eSFsoydinary. The
secrecy icgun sspficfsiiH has become
popular and noasssl araxhet would not
Iem " JaBagess EsoN knew any
thing z.
curious effsstsef ahe Japanese
caution is to be ,foiAits IN The book and
rIrtur' shops qpIg Il little while ago
photographs or tsipanese warships
we're III common sale. and pictures of
naval ana military MEN could be had
IN NEST Of the photograph shops. as
Well as many views of the reviews.
drills ana sham battles Now not one
Is to be had all having .beenwithdrawn
hr order Of the government, as if it
! Eerc possible fof the isussians to oh
Rim any informatf5n from such a
seufee of which they had not long ago
Possessed themselves. ~
So secretly has the geyernment acted
Fhat It is doubtful ifshar Il dozen meli
IN all Japan know today exactly what
u the row. is about or couid2detail the
eoarse Of Negotiations with Russia
silce the situation became dangerous
p peace. No statene it Of My sort as
T. tho causes OF the difTererce with
Russia or thoir characterha be-
|kanade by any one in ,authoEHy.ae
the nation is ii Il state of war he
Ifeuse of dein:Snds upon Russia. the
'atre OF whteh> it does not pretend to
5keow nor does it care much. The
EXPERIMENTAL causes of general hatred
" Russia are we'll known to every
sapshesc. The extraordinary patriot
SIT m the Japanese will lead them 10
NlN"'t a war whatever the cause il.
when the time comes. perhaps four
:" I'VE statesmen 1T the head of affairs.
MI" NOW know what all these notes and
'''tieS have said. will think it wise 10
N"Ne p1bliy the information. If they do
hr people will be glad. but if they do
"'' K will he all right. and there will be
~ failure in enthusiasm for the war on
'''-' account. Il is Il situation which
'"uia not exist in the United States.
ffltate and press kilograms have
''fo Closely scrutnizel. and sometimes
secret censorship has been in force.
man who has filed a press telegram
, mas no means of finding out whethe,
| NS message was sent or not. If il was
gHt lie has no means of ascertaininc
"Aether it has been garbled by the
e"S"F No one knew who the censor
Is or tie location of his Office. and il
useless To try To find out anything
"'0"' II from any telegraph people
rFlNate messages which are prepaid
m. 'e slightly the better of the case
men words are deleteti the sender is
"ouiled in the course of a few DAVIS and
u money for those words is refunded
!, al least has the satisfaction OF
owing his message has not gone as
Ne wrote it. "
system of espionage covers the
,hAers and natives alike and il
I, 's anything it misses it is small
hi, uohSiiefs the possible meaning o;
,bn kilograms and also inspects
san, soillss and comings of private per-
Inc other.~day two American.
an out of the Hotel Toxic and startet
por morning walk. Before they ha(
)ors,' ar they discovered they were fol
Both were husky mem The.
~