The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-05-02
JAPS BEGAN WAR
WITHOUT NOTICE
Russians Accuse the Mlkado's
Government With Many
Sharp Practices.

CH1fN, April S.-Whatever the truth
may be, the Russians in the far
East are profoundly convinced that Japan
began the war with treacherous prema-
tureness, in, proof of which they point,
among other things, to the fact that the
mikado's declaration of war was dated
Feb. y, and that the Russian minister
left Tokyo on the same date. while the
Russian ships had been suddenly attacked
in Chemulpo and Port Arthur on the Sth
and 9Th
This matter can only be dealt with by
one in possession of a number of facts,
which people in the far East have not yet
got hold of, but in one minor detail which
came under my own notice Japan seems
TO me to have been guilty of a little sharp
practice though of course other authori-
ties are entitled to take different view of
the matter. shall tell the story as clear
ly as possible, suppressing some names
that have promised not to give.
On Monday, Feb. 8. the stranger who
landed in Port Arthur found himself i'm
mediately in an atmosphere charged to
the highest degree with electricity, and
no matter how languid and blase he may
have felt on coming ashore he soon be-
came excited, nervous, full of expectation
and vague dread.
The Saratoff, the principal restaurant in
the place. was so thronged with people
that no standing room was left, and the
RUSSIAN walters had even given up in de-
spair the "seichass' Immediately with
which they had been previously in the
habit of making customers wait for hours
before being served. They had evidently
come to the conclusion that on such an
occasion 1t was useless for them to hold
out even the faint hope signifled by the
"SeichaSs."
The congestion was too great The linn
tied resources of the Saratoff were, IN
fact, overwhelmed, and the Armenian pro-
prietor looked on helpless and dumfounded
through his enormous mustaches. like
a torpedoed battleship looking at a fleet
OF the enemy's transports. Besides, no
body thought of eating; every one was too
busy talking: and finally. in the midst of
such a babel, the familiar "seichass"
would have been unheard and unheeded.
Something Interesting.
The izvoscheeks'' had gone on strike
few days before, so that crowds of people
collected in the middle of the street I'M
disturbed by the fear of being run over
by one of these rapid vehicles. Suddenly
there was a movement among these peo-
An 'izvoscheek'' appeared-a sorry
looking one: The people fell back from it
Xoscheek' such a curiosity as all that?
The soldiers and policemen saluted the
"izyoscheek- A hush fell on the crowd of
gabblers. Something unusual was taking
place The people in the rear craned their
necks. The "izvoscheek" came nearer.
What was in it? 1t was something I'M
usual.
Seated inside was a figure which ex-
cited an odd mixture of feelings, an OBJ
ject which was at the same time ludicrous
and ominous. 1t was M. Midzuno, the
japanese consul from Chifu
Behind the carriage came motley col
lection of Japanese. those that had not yet
fled from Port Arthur The men did not
form a striking procession In shabby
Eropean clothes and ancient hats, they
looked like a collection of bankrupt tai
Tors. Behind them came a number of rich
ly dressed japanese women, many of them
young and handsome. and most of them
smiling right and left at the Russian Of
fcerS with that excessively light and easy
manner which marks the women Of GER
tain class all over the world.
M. Midzuno had chartered an English
steamer. the Foochow, and came over
from Chifu on her in order to carry all
the Japanese out of Port Arthur and
Dalny He had first spoken on the sub
ject to NJ. Tiedelmann the Russian con-
sui in Chifu and NJ. Tiedelmann, while
protesting to believe that there would be
no war and that in any case the Japanese
in LiaoTung would never be injured OBJ
tanned every facility for his brother con-
sui that is, he got quarantine abolished
in his favor, and he granted him a special
pass which would dispense with all trou-
But excuse me" said NJ. Midzuno, my
constable is going with me. Please give
him special pass also"
NJ Tiedelmann was only too happy to
give the consul a special pass. He laughed
as he did so. The consul of his imperial
majesty the emperor of Japan evidently
meant to go in style Well, there was no
harm in humoring him.
Russian Hospitality
In Port Arthur the consul and the con-
stable were treated with true Russian hos
pitality the consul at the table of the
great men of the place, the constable in
the Scullery. The consul saw NJ Plancon,
the head of the diplomatic bureau in Port
A 3 ana mad an interesting converse
ton with him. He ttfined with the gov
ernor of Kuan-Tung province. Some of
the military and naval leaders of the Rus
slams were present at the tiffin, and in
Sl1VOniP CtNv1p 10
tOaStS
Consul Mdzuno beamed with delight,
but insisted on going away early. He
probably knew what Russian tiffin means
Besides. important work still remained
for him to do. Accordingly he left by the
FoochoW in the afternoon, went to Dalny
got all the Japanese who had been left
at Dalny aboard and then steered for.
Chifu
Eighteen miles off Port Arthur he met
the japanese squadron, and when abreast
of the flagship the FoOchow lowered a
boat and in a short time the consul and
his constable were in Admiral Togo's cabin
Here the constable laid before the admiral
a chart on which the positions of all the
RUSSIAN vessels were marked and probably
told him OF the careless watch that was
being kept.
The admiral asked many questions about
things which only naval men will think
of, and these questions were answered
No champagne was consumed no Sake"
even, but as the FoochoW steamed aWav
uSE cargo OF refugees Ch6ered for the mi
kado and his feet. That was all the
show of enthusiasm there was, and dare
say 1t was unsatisfactory from European
point of view, for the japanese do not
know how to cheer.
Talked Business.
In fact, there was a hard businesslike
air about this rather remarkable and of
course, quite accidental meeting which
must have cOntrasted strongly with the
enthusiasm Of the Russian officers in Port
Arthur when, at about the same moment
they sat down to dine at Admiral Starck's
in honor of Mrs. StarckS birthday
Admiral Togo kept the chart the con-
stable had given him, and as a matter of
fact, 1t turned out useful.
The constable went home, and when the
Columbia came flying fun speed from
Port Arthur the following evening the
consul and the constable were neither Of
them astonished at the news it brought
However, In order to celebrate the oc-
casion worthily the constable laid aside
his humble garb and appeared in the
consular drawing room in the uniform
of a japanese naval commander As q
matter of fact, he was, and is a naval
commander. He had been for a long
time stationed at Chifu, picking up hints
visiting Port Arthur himself. and send
ing trustworthy agents out in all direc-
he got to know more about the Russian
fleet than Admiral Starck knew himself.
On the evening of Feb. the consul
told the present writer the above story
and the constable nodded confederation.
Afterward the constable got a pencil and
piece Of paper, and, without reference
10 any maps, he drew, in the bold sweep