Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1904-08-03
Former Lexingtonian Writes OF
Oriental War
u. S. S. NEW ORLEANS,

>, U. S. S. NEW ORLEANS
n CHRFOo, CHINA, June %, go
DEAR GAZETTE :-Japanese victo
y ries over their Russian antagonist
y are becoming more common eacl
: week.
r l believe that a great many peopl
in Virginia as elsewhere in the L. s
= are OF the opinion that the japanese
"the little brown men, of the ia
East are, in a large measure, response
7 bic for'the war which is now on be.
r tween Russia and Japan. Whateve
) the be lief o. the people at home, an
gratified that the Americans in Asia
have a more correct appreciation Of
the facts regarding the situation
When the question ITO which power
do you place the responsibility of the
war; is asked of an American OF
European. you will invariably re.
ceive the reply: Tile Cars Viceroy,
Admiral .Alexeieff. He alone was the
evil genius of the situation, who
deliberately contrived to bring OIL "A
war with Japan by prescribing such
terms OF settlement as he knew to be
inadequate and inadInissible he
invariably prolonged negotiations by
tedious and unnecessary delays, which,
to say the least, were exasperating
tothe japanese governm ent Off Gals"
AS the war progresses and we note
new victories by the japanese Amy
1t is becoming quite evident that this
pompous old digntaiy of the Cars
chosen set evoked in the little
brown heathens," as he has called
them, a Cyclone. with which his gov
eminent does not seem qualified to
successfully cope.
For several months prior to the
outbreak of hostiities, and during
period of patient negotiating on the
part OF Japan, happened to be in
that country; spent several months
in the ports of Nagasake, Kobe, Yoka-
hona and Tokyo, and visited several
inland towns, which afforded me an
excellent opportunity of learning, as
near as possible, the sentiment of the |
japanese people concerning their
disposition towards Russia. which |
in all cases seemed identical with
that expressed to me by Japanese
government official in the Ika Hotel
at lkao, last year, which was to the
effect that Japan did not wish to be-
come involved in a conflict with
Russia, aud that the Emperor would
do everything in his power to effect a
peaceful settlement Of existing diff
culties. Can this fact be denied by
any one who is at all familiar with
the correspondence between Russia
and the little brown heatheas"
relative to the Manchuri,,n situations?
Ii there were any japanese students 6
of the Greek classics, doubtless some
of them at this junct ure would Join
With the men OF Rhamnus in declaring .
he retributive divinity, Nemesis, to
De the legitimate offspring of Oceanus,
since it was Father Ocean who gave
hem their first advantage over their
in Manchuria and X orea,
mi IL ctill oi1infr he,
"A many ways. The brilliant mind of
captain A. II. Mahan Of the U. s.
Navy. impaired to nations something
II the Importance or having Father /
ocean on ones side, and the japanese
re driving the lesson home.
Another thought presents itself,
hat Hesaid could not have been far
'rong in his contention that this
anne fateful one is the daughter of
Wight. since night is the symbol of
arkness, and darkness the synonym
I Ignorance. Here we come to the a
cry threshold Of the innermost a
au,e OF Russia's successive defeats
nd disasters in Manchuria and Korea. -,
is the japanese school-master =,
no is driving the Muscovites from
leir "impregnable" strongholds. I
is he, with his civilized methods.
no has within IA few years, taught
Is countrynen to transform junks
lto battleships. and coasters into
'rmlGable cruisers, and impaired
le intelligence which has devised
ne plans of attacking them success
lily; made their guns and inculcated
lat true spirit Of patriotism which
pounds In the heart of every man,
oman and child in Nippon-"The +.
nd Of the rising SUM-" In Japan
ere is no desire to keep the nation
the dark in order that hereditary
ristocracy may the better maintain
ancient fatalities. There is no
Eruption in Japan's governmental
stem. The stigma of dishonesty NJ
es not even rest upon the municipal V
ardians of her cities and towns, as -.
so common in our own country.
There are four times as many chill u
al In school in Japan, than in
ssia in proportion TO the popula-
n of the two Lations. The universal
)eriencc of mankind is crystallized r
the proverbial wisdom Know. L
ge is Power" Russia will not to
e 1t thus. She goes on depending
her prestige and power upon the y
lighted being who can obey with
thinking. IT is dangerous to think L
Russia. Spain has burnt those of :.
sons for thinking. Russia has - :.
zen h ers, crushing their souls with
ling chains in che erless arctic