The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-21

TOXIC, March lave have received the
first home papers with accounts of the
early days of the war. They convince us
of what we had supposed from the first
that New York and London far more
excited over the war than Toxic. Reading
the pages and pages of wild accounts,
wildly Illustrated. a foreign resident ex-
claimed: What a devil OF a row they
are making about it,
1t takes imag ination for any dweller in
this peaceful town to realize that he is in
the capital of nation engaged in the
most stupendous struggle of modern times.
Last week | wrote that we were still wait
ing; this week / write The same. Nomi-
nally at least, the correspondents have
made little progress. The general stan
has selected FIVE American and eight Brit
ish correspondents, who are 10 proceed 10
the front as first contingent. Mr.. Yokoya-
ma tells us this morning that we must De
ready to start on the 10Th. Mr.. Yokoyama is
our impresario-the contractor who is going
to supply us with European food and bring
up transport on the campaign. On the
Goth he hopes to have us, our horses, our
tents and our blanket rolls all aboard
small steamer which will sail under sealed
orders. Soon thereafter we shall at least
see soldiers in the field.
But many weeks may pass before we see
any fighting. The winter campaign, which
delighted the fearful fancy of some of the
rumor-mongers on the China coast, seems
no more in the domain of military practice
i'm the Orient than in the Occident. We
know enough to know that the period or
preparation is not yet complete. 1t goes
without saying that the navy could strike
without moments warning. 1t could be
on footing without exciting sus-
picion. The army went as far as II might
without making the countrys intention
ton reveals still others than the first ap-
parent reason for the timelness of Initial
ing operations as soon as the Nisshin and
the Kausage had left Singapore. war
begun in winter Is quite unexpected TO the
Russian navy, which now know was
thoroughly taken by surprise. a war begun
in winter serves the Japanese army, be-
cause Japan can make better use of the
intervening time before the weather per-
mits actual campaigning than Russia can:
With the warm days of April, Japan VIII
be ready to strike on land. Will Russia be
ready to receive the blow? Actions will
| come in as quick sequence and with as lit
| tie warning those of the navy.
The city was no sooner empty OF one
| lot of reservists than another appeared
| In the last few days we have seen repe.-
tition of the scenes of the first week of
| the war. Another army has sprung out
| of kimonos into blouses. Many of the
members are veterans. The medals which
| they wear tell of battles against the Chi
nese in 1S94-95. They will assist to make
again the conquest of ground which they
| once won. Some of them are stopped with
| hard labor. but, more than the
Younger men who have gone before Them
| they perhaps have the quality which wins
victories. They are married, and, of course,
being japanese, have large families.
SIGNIFICANT INCIDENT.
| One incident not characteristic of all,
but, nevertheless, significant of the steel
that is in the blood of a race which sacri-
fees everything to patriotism: When one
of the twelve-year men was called. he sue
ceeded in placing his children in the care of
relatives except one little girl. None could
| take her. So, doing what seemed to him
| q mercy and duty, he cut her throat. 1t
| is said that the officers praise him for the
| deed. According to their view, he loved his
| child so much that he would not see her
| suffer. but he loved his country more. OF
| course, he expects to be killed. His fare
| we'll to his family was for eternity They
| will boast far more of a father who died
| in battle than of a father who fought and
| still lived. There ~ another story of two
! men who were missing when the company
/ was lined up for roll call. One of them was
| found. He explained that family affairs
had detained him, and he had had no real
| intention of DESERVING.
| IF that is So said the officer in charge,
| "you can prove ii by taking your own life. -
The man drew his small knife and de-
| clared his willingness to plunge ii into his
abdomen there and then. But hara-kiri is
| against the law, we'll against the
spirit of modern Japan. Since you want
to die for your country, you may" said
| the officer 1--WE will take you back into
| the ranks" These are two of many stories
| going the rounds, which. If difficult of veri-
| fication by the foreigner with his limited
| means none the less show the temper of
| the people and the times.
| Nothing is more significant of where the
| news in the home papers comes from than
| the infrequency and the brevity of the dis
| matches from Toxic The cable CORE
| spondent Ever how his dspa tches
| were sent. che authorities cut out what
ever they thought undesirable, and. with
these eliminations. whether it made sense
| or not. the dispatch was sent. No maligni-
~ was intended by this, for Japan is unused
| TO a censorship, being a free country and
| having none in time of peace. When the
cable correspondent pointed out the un-
| their Willingness TO remedy Ii. An arrange
| ment is to be made whereby the writer
| may see the elisions, and at least make
| sense of the message before IL is sent. The
| truth is that there is. little 10 send in Toxic
| except facts and official reports. You can
| hear more rumors in an hour in Shanghai
| than in a week here. All the rumors from
| every Chinese port are sent by the in
defatigable army of news venders Never
! has the world many wild reports
| as those that appear in the home papers
| We here wondered how the sixteen pa &c
| morning edition was To fill the space which
| the Importance of the war demanded Now
| we understand the secret at the same time
| that xe foresee heavy dividends for the
| coming year for all the cable companies In
the Orient Probably the spread heads
give no one more satisfaction than the
officers of the general staff. Anything that
leads TO confusion of information serves
| their purpose-the general staff working
so quietly. quietly, so quietly.
JAPANESE NOT OvER-CONFIDENT
What is now most impressive TO the for
eigner is that the elation of victory has