The Irish standard., 1905-05-13
COUNT CAsS|N|
Russian Ambassador at Wash
ington Discusses War.
Says English Press Sends Out
Lying Reports.

eral Kuropatkin ordered his troops to
| treat Japanese captives and wounded
not as enemies, but as considerably
as they would their brothers. These
orders have been obeyed. They will
continue to be obeyed. That Baron
| Kaneko, the active Japanese gentle
man, whom l do not know should
have so low an estimate of the intel
ligence of the American public as to
tell such unfounded stories of cruel
treatment of Japanese prisoners as he
matter of astonishment to me-"
Such was the comment made by
Count Cassini. the Russian Ambassa-
dor, in regard to a speech recently
made by Baron Kentora Keneko at a
meeting in New York city, for the
purpose of raising funds for the wld
ows and orphans of japanese soldiers.
Baron Kaneko, who has made many
speeches and written many articles
for publication in the United States
since the war began, charges Russia
with breaking every article of the
Geneva Convention, violating every
principle of humanity and outraging
every maxim of decency. Count Cas-
sini declared he would not let the
accusations pass unnoticed and said:
with the Russian armies are Amer
ican officers, acting as attaches. There
also are newspapers correspondents,
representing the American press. The
gentlemen are granted facilities for
seeing what is going on. They are
not constantly guarded and barred
from a view Of the operations, as is
the case in the Japanese armies.
Their eyes are open and they are per-
mitted to see. Is it not strange that
some of these gentlemen, disinter.
ested as they unquestionably are, have
not mentioned something of the cruel
ties described by Baron Kaneko, if
such wrongs are practiced?
"The answer is obvious. No such
cruelties have occurred or will occur.
The Russian soldier is not by nature
cruel. He has no desire to wilfully
injury those who fall helpless into
his power.
ut is incredible that Baron Kaneko
should believe sufficient crudulity ex-
lists in this country to permit him to
put forward such statesments as his
tale that two hundred Japanese cap
tives were led, bound together,
through the streets of Mukden, that
their Russian captors invited the
Chinese populace to offer them insult.
"As to the charge that Russia has
broken every article of the Geneva
Convention. have only to say that
the Japanese gentlemen is apparently
forgetful of his own Governments
fragrant disregard of the ethics of in
ternational intercourse.
1T is known to all the world that
the Japanese, without warning, made
torpedo attacks on the Russian fleet
at Port Arthur, and attacked the
Variag and Korietz at Chemulpo, o
neutral harbor, before war had been
declared. 1t was the more defiant
of international comfy in that assur-
ances had aready been given the Unit
ed States that Japan would not begin
hostilities until after formal de-
cleration of war. This Is no partisan
statement. 1t was plainly shown in
the correspondence published by the
American State Department, showing
that the Japanese Minister of Foreign
Affairs had given such assurances to
Mr. Griscom, American Minister at
Toxic Yet Papan speaks of Russia
violating maxims of decency, princi-
pies of humanity and breaking the
provisions of the Geneva Convention.
Japan is too young nation to pre-
sums to give lessons in cilivigation
and custom to the European govern
ments and America.
Baron Kaneko declares that while
Japanese soldiers have blood and
breath to fight they never surrender.
Among the nations of Europe and
America it has long been accepted
that the soldier who finds himself in
an inextricable situation, doomed to
defeat, may surrender without loss Of
honor or question of bravery. If the
japanese, as Baron Kaneko insists,
prefer death to surrender, the stand
ard of civilization of his people does
not seem to have advanced as far as
he is wont to claim"
Later on Russia will have internal
quite, says the Catholic Press of
Australia, and her army will be able
to persue it work unhampered,
There is not the least doubt that the
riots in St. Petersburg were fomented
by the secret service money Of Japan
! and her friends with view Of en-
barrassing Russian military authori-
ties at an awkward moment. The
manner in which the English press
has exaggerated the acts of the mill
tary and rioters show up England's
keen enterest in Russia's discontinue.
Since Russia has determined to fight
the war to finish it is natural that