The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1904-03-07


actually on between Japan and Russia
one of the most. important points for
the japanese army to arrange for is
army transportation. There are now
many ships sailing under the japanese
flag and more than SO of them have
been requisitioned for the transport
saryice. Among them are the fine lin
ers of the Toya Kisen Kaisha, running
between San Francisco and Hongkong
and of the Nippon Yusen Kaisha, run.
ming between Seattle and Hongkong
We travelled from San Francisco to
Yokohama on the steamship America
Maru, belonging to the Toya company
The war risk was 30 heavy that there
was practically no cargo in tho ship
and hardly dozen first-class passengers,
although the steerage was crowded
with japanese on their way home to
offer their services to their country.
Up to the time we reached Homo
lulu, January 81, there was little
we sailed from San Francisco was much
less warhke than it had been Even at
Honolulu there was no definite news
Of war. But after leaving Honolulu
there was different atmosphere on
the ship. The handful of passengers
joked about the possibility of capture
by the Russians, but underneath the
laughing jokes of the officers there was
q serious strain, if one. cared to look
for it, War might be declared at any
moment and a half-million dollar pas
senger steamer, which was built with
Z view of converting her into COM
merce destroyer or an armed trans
port, would be good prize for a
Russian cruiser.
The usual course from Honolulu to
Yokohama is in straight line north
west But when the course was map
ped out from day to day on the big
chart in the social hall we discovered
that our course was due west almost
on the Goth parallel, about $50 miles
south of the Tropic of Cancer. For
nine days we made this course. until
we were almost directly south of Io-
kohama. Then new course was laid
and we headed almost due north for
Japan.
When the passengers began to real
lie what the ship was doing and why,
and when the officers finally admitted
that there was Il chance that a Rus
sian might be out looking for us. there
was considerable CONSERVATION and the
nervous fear of some of the passengers
was not relieved when, after we had
made cur turn north, the steel shutters
were closed on all stateroom windows
and all the lights in other parts OF
the ship even the masthead lights and
the red and green side lights, were
QNtinguished The commander of the
ship. Captain Philip Going. an English
man. did not leave the bridge that
night
But not sign of a Russian or any
other sort of ship for that matter, did
we see. The next day was beautiful
one and soon after noon the snow
capped peak Of old Full poked its way
above the horizon. Gradually the
whole coast became visible ahead and
at 7 o'clock we were riding at anchor
off the brcakwater at Yokohama.
A few minutes later steam launches
and sampans were racing for the ship.
When the first one came within hailing
distance a shout from its bow was
answered from the waiting Japanese
with such yell ~ had never heard
before, and in it's triumphant echoes
we read the message that war had been
declared. A minute later the quaran-
tine officers came aboard and told us
the story of the naval victory at Port
Arthur.
Then followed a scene such as one
will seldom witness. The Japanese
passengers went wild. They seized and
Rugged the officials. SO that it was
many minutes before they could begin
their official duties. They laughed and
cried, they danced and sang, they hug
ged and kissed each other, they shot
off hrecrackers and played strange
musical instruments, and through it all
they yelled as only men who are deliri-
Gus with JOY can yell. $500.
That evening there was torchlght
procession on shore, 5000 men march
ing with lighted lanterns and yelling at
the top of their voices, for the formal
declaration of war had been made that
day and it was doubly II holiday.
Captain Going was warmly ccngmt-
ulated on bringing the ship through
and when he went ashore he was a
popular hero. Men followed him about
the streets and at the hotel the walters
indulged in regular riot over who
-. Ii,