Evening star., 1905-10-28
Views of Editor IshikaWa Of
the Toxic Hochi Shinbun.
INDEMNITY IMPOSSIBLE
PORTSMOUTH TREATY YIELDED
ALL THAT WAS POSSIBLE
Mikado's Empire Now in Position for q
Great Trade Boom-Strong
American Sentiment.

For several days during the past week
Mr.. Yasujiro Ishikawa, editor of the Hochi
Shfnbun Of Toxic. was a guest at the jap
anese legation in this city. enjoying his
first visit to Washington. Mr.. Ishikawa
came to the United States with Baron Ko-
mura to attend the Portsmouth peace con-
ference In the interests of his newspaper,
which Is regarded as one OF the largest
and most influential of the Japanese ma
tive journals. Upon the close Of the con-
ference he travelled extensively through the
eastern portion of this country, studying
conditions, and he was on the last stage Of
his journey before leaving for Japan when
he departed from Washington Thursday A
reporter for The Star was granted an in
teryiew with Mr.. Ishikawa on the eve of
his departure.
The Japanese editor Is a rotund man of
medium height and middle age. with a
genial manner and a ready command of
English, notwithstanding the fact that this
Is his first visit to the United States. He
has free working use of the English idiom.
and although he occasionally pauses to Sc
lect the word exactly meeting the needs of
his thought, he speaks with exceptional
fluency. He greatly admires all things
American and departs for his home highly
appreclative OF the services the people of
this country have rendered his nation in
Its time of stress.
Exciting Times at Portsmouth.
Il was at Portsmouth throughout the
four weeks of the peace conference" said
Mr. Ishikawa to The Star reporter. ut
was very exciting time indeed. especially
when the announcement made that
peace had been agreed upon by the ENJOYS.
We expected this result, but feared that
something might go wrong at the last mo-
ment. So when the final declaration was
heard that the negotia tions were success
full we all felt greatly relieved.
Il do not believe that there was at any
time chance foG Japan to secure an in
demnity from Russia, and l know that our
people are now coming to understand this
situation and to see that the end attained
by Baron Komurtl and Minister Takahira
was the wisest gay out Of the war. 1t
would have cost Japan very heavily indeed
in money and lives to continue the cam
paign. Russia would never have paid an
indemnity. or that l am satisfied. She
has. in fact never paid any money for end
ing wars. 1t Is contrary to her traditions
and she would have fought bitterly il
Japan had pressed this point and forced
resumption of hostilities.
From a military point of view Japan
would have had a very hard time to cap
ture Vladivostok and Harbin The military
situation was growing more difficult for
Japan and comparatively more easy for
Russia as the frontier was pressed west
ward. 1t might have seemed to the people
of Europe and America that Japan would
have had an easy time continuing the re-
markabie successes of the campaign, but
this We knew to be erroneous.
England Concerned
Furthermore. Great Britain would not
have liked to have Japan capture Harbin
and Fladivostok. There lay one of our
chief embarrassments. We have all along
desired to keep the friendship between ia
pan and England unbroken. and it was
worth far more to Japan to hold Dngland's
good Will than to fight for these positions
or for the indemnity. England had shown
signs of uDeasiness at the Japanese prog
ress toward the end of utterly wiping Rus
sia OFF the map of eastern Asia 1t Is well
known that England fears that to the ex-
tent that Russia Is checked off from the
sea in that section she will be eager for an
outlet to the Indian ocean through Persia
or perhaps even across the Indian frontier.
consequently strong feeling of regard for
Japan IS today felt in England because of
the yielding at Portsmouth. which greatly
slmplifed international politics.
fhe peace we gained was worth far more
than the 6O0,000.000 of indemnity we had
asked for in our first proposals. which rep
resented the cost of the war to us. There
was, l. think, no hope in the minds of the
ENJOYS that they could secure this conces-
sion, but they urged 1t a matter OF self
respect, for we all felt that Russia should
pay it.
Whites "victory"
"Mr. Witte left the United States declar-
Ing, with many variations. that Russia had
scored glorious victory at Portsmouth. I
for one have been unable to understand
his conception of a victory, and took oc-
caslon In a speech made before the Y M
=. A. or Boston. shortly after the end of
lne conference. to state my difficulty Of
IN yya xs-it n
accomplish. We had driven Russia back
from the territory she unrighteously occu-
pied, taken from her Port Arthur and
Dainy. which she had fortified and built up
at enormous expense, secured from her all
the railroad rights and construction
through southern Manchuria. secured one
haif-and the most valuable half-of Sakha-
lin Island, obtained some highly priced
fishing rights in the northern waters and
pledged Russia to the open-door policy in
Manchuria. All we did not get was the
price of the war which had yielded these
results. and in view OF the greater good
that flowed to US from the war, we feel
that we accomplished much
Yet l do not feel like saying that this
was Japans victory that was scored at
Portsmouth. Rather do feel that II was
the victory Of President Roosevelt, whose
intervention was SO effective in bringing
about the meeting and the results. Indeed,
more broadly should say that it was
victory for humanity, a victory for the
principles Of Christian. love.
A Trade Campaign.
"Japan's task from now on is to fight In
the field of commerce, for prestige In the
worlds markets. Our war with Russia was
for self-existence and not for money That
We have thoroughly demonstrated by our
course at Portsmouth. Our seif-existence
as nation was not alone assured by the
treaty of Portsmouth but was doubly as
surcd by the treaty with England which fol-
lowed shortly afterward That pact. which
,s to run for twice the length of fits prede-
cessor ties UP the peace Of the orient for
ten years, and assures Japan of a suficient
time TO recoup from the war cost and to
establish herself IN the world of commerce
as an important factor