Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-04-18
Miseellaneuus Readins.
cAPTlvEs OF JAPAN.
Burden Imposed by Keeping Russian
Prisoners.

Burden Imposed by Keeping Russian
Prisoners.
| Aside from the tremendous burden
Of the active campaign itself, japan
must find herself saddled with a heavy
Indirect expense In caring for her
Russian prisoners. Already there are
at different prison camps, that Is, the
places which have been chosen as
headquarters for receiving the prison.
re-. some 10000 Russian captives, off,
GERS, privates and supernumerariea
| (these last including few women and
several children), all Of whom have
to be clothed. fed and guarded, and II
all of the Port Arthur garrison who are
not to be permitted to return to Rus
sia on parole are taken to Japan tnis
number will be very materially In
creased, without taking into consider
alton any more who may be captured
In other engagements. At very
moderate estimate these three Items
Of primary expense, namely, food.
clothing and guards, cannot be much
less than 80 sen day, and at that
rate the total which Japan will have
to provide for one years maintenance
of her prisoners Of war Is upward Of
100000 yens and there Is the disa-
greable fact confronting the Japanese
government that II Is probably impos-
'ible Tor 1t to use the labor Of these
prisoners In any advantageous way.
No wonder, then, that the people Of
Japan are grumbling at this heavy ex-
pense that Is added to their already
onerous burden. The legitimate ex-
penses of the war they. bear cheerful
ly. as a matter Of principle, although
these have already reached sum quite
twice as great as that which was an
npunced by the government at the
commencement Of hostilities; but
there is noticeable in the vernacular
press a disposition to ask II the au-
thorities are not needlessly coddling
the prisoners, In a sentimental way,
and IL the men cannot be compelled to
do something that shall at least con-
tribute toward their keep, II not pay
the whole expense thereof, Yet, there
is not revolt at the expressed inten-
ton of their government to DO what It
can to make the Russian prisoners at
least comfortable.
Big Appstltes.
Russians justly have the reputation
of being hearty eaters. and they are
not accustomed to the simple diet
which Is satisfying to the Japanese,
so that even II the prisoners are kept
upon a diet that, to them might seem
almost abstemious, the cost Of 1t
would quickly run away with three
times the sum that Is sufficient to
feed a Japanese prisoner. In the Ja-
panese jails 1t can hardly be necessary
to spend more than 10 sen a day for
the food Of a native prisoner, who gets
no meat. but little fish and absolutely
nothing in the way of what a native of
that land would call "luxuries." With
the Russian prisoners 1t Is very diff
ferent.
To keep them we'll they must have
a good deal Of meat and other things
that are never dreamed Of In arrang-
ing the fare in Japanese prisons at
ordinary times: to such an extent Is
this true that the prices Of meat and
vegetables have nearly doubled In the
last few months. So that 1t will be
seen at once 30 sen a day for food Is
not an extravagant sum to allow per
capita to those Russian prisoners.
This leaves only 20 sen for clothing.
medical attendance and expense Of
guards. a sum scarcely sufficient, and
It Is quite likely that the estimate of
so sen a day will be almost doubled
when the bills are actually settled.
Besides this burden of expense there Is
staring Japan in the face the grave
danger to her people Of an outbreak Of
disease among the Russian prisoners.
IN spite Of every reasonable effort on
he part of the Japanese guards. 1t IL
we'll nigh impossible to make Russian
prisoners take necessary sanitary pre-
cautions.
Possible Epidemic.
II an epidemic Of dysentery. or small
pox. or something even worse should
break out at any one Of the prison
camps 1t will have sad effects upon
the Japanese people In the neighbor-
hood, and may spread all over the
country; and with the approach OF
warm weather that danger will be-
come a positive menace. It would be
interesting to know just how the ia
panese prisoners In Russian hands are
faring. Exact knowledge Is not avail
able, and besides, the number cannot
be comparable with that Of the Rus
sian prisoners In Japan, for no such
disaster as the surrender of Por: a"
thur, when the disparity between the
number Of Japanese prisoners actual
ly accounted for with the number that
must have fallen into Russian hands
became evident, has yet occurred,
and is not likely to be Effected
Shanghai Mercury.
THE Tools OF GENIUs.-Some of the
greatest discoveries in physics and
chemistry have been made with the
simplest forms Of apparatus and un-
der the most modest conditions OF
laboratory equipment. One need only
recall the achievements of the famous
John Dalton and in later time Of Sir
Gabriel Stokes to illustrate the point.
A. .1.-.sa. tha Iottar O dominant 0f