The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-18
DEPARTURE OF THE
RUSSIAN MINISTER

TOXIC, Japan, Feb. l5.-The going OF
Baron De Rosen, the Russian minister, had
a pathetic side. He was personally fond
Of the Japanese. Like the French ambas-
sador in Berlin, in 1870 he had been a
peace man. Whether not he. too, had
informed his country of the enemy's pre-
paredness. and been scoffed at for his
pains by his overconfdent superiors, his
tory may vet relate Weeks ago. when re-
ports came from Port Arthur that Admiral
>Alexieff was convinced that there would
be no war. people here wondered how he
could so far misunderstood Japanese dip
lomacy. Japan began hostilities of her own
initiative. She carefully chose the hour of
her first offensive blow. She may have
expected to catch Russia unawares, but
there is no reason why the Russian should
have permitted her to. Japan played pre-
cisely within the letter of the law Russia
had for years made capital out of prom
Uses. Japan made capital out OF sudden de-
cisive action.
For. months before the negotiations had
/ been taken entirely out of De Rosen's hands
He merely was a messenger who carried
letters from his government to the Foreign
Office, and, saying, Your Excellency, /
have the honor to present he was gone
Aside from his official worries. he suffered
the acutest pain from affection. The
legate 10 a country when war is declared
against his own is usually shelved De
Rosen may get small post 1t is unlikely
he will ever get another important one.
With the knowledge that his career was
closed, half i'll, he had to wait four days In
miserable loneliness in that massive brick
legation building which is now closed for
how long?
The news of the destruction of the Variag
and the Korietz at Chemulpo. of the oc-
cupation of Seoul, of the vital injuries 10
two battleshlps and cruiser at Port
Arthur coming bit by bit. were brought to
him while he was yet in the enemy's land,
waiting helplesSly on the date of the de-
parture of the French steamer from Yoko-
hama. While Japan's swift successes fairly
electrified the air, his fellow ministers,
| bound to avoid any reference TO the war,
had to pay their farewell calls when he
knew that the actual sympathies of every
| foreigner in Japan were against Russia.
| From the palace where victory reigned
| came valuable presents in token of a royal
| adieu, without malice, borne by polite
messengers to the house of defeat. Finally,
the day of his going was the japanese
Fourth of July
| The train for Yokohama which the baron
1 chose went at the evening before the de-
| papture of the steamer. AS the carriage
| passed out of. the legation gates. faint
murmur rose from the bystanders-a muir
muir of curiosity rather than assault The
| police escort was scarcely needed. Toxic,
| which has no slums. seems to have no
mobs The crowd which banked the open
| space the police made at Shimbashi station
1 was WnOlly quiet MOI diOne the leSdllOn
| people were there to bid him once more
bon voyage, but many Japanese officials
| awaited his arrival in a room upstairs. 1t
was an incident of the bureaucratic system
which grinds to the same fineness on all
| occasions that the ministers had to buy
| their platform tickets in due course. From
| the station itself the crowd was entirely
| excluded. The train was the regular one
going at that hour. and the usual stream
| of getas went clicking over the concrete TO
the second and third class compartments.
| Two or three minutes before the gong was
| sounded, the baron, looking i'll and worn,
| leading. the legation folk and the japanese
] officials followed him TO his compartment,
where, after the Russians had entered, the
others paused. and then bowed as the train
| pulled out, with no guard except a few
| soldiers in the compartment ahead of the
| baron's. A carriage met him at the YokO-
| hama station, anG the police saw him
aboard the Yarra, which to bear him
| to Europe. The next morning a few near
| friends were on the pier. He smiled as the
| steamer drew away, taking him out of a
| land that he liked and that liked him.
ICoDyright. 1904 bv Golfers Weekly l