Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-05
FAR EAST
HOW JAPANESE
RECEIVED TREATY
Special Cablprram to Tie Star,

TOXIC, November 4-Now that 1t Is all
over many interesting things in connection
with the matter and the manner of the re-
ception of the peace treaty by Japan are
coming out. Throughout the whole war
alike when confronted by difficulties and
cheercd by victories the people had MAIN
tanned such staid self-possessed demean-
or that nothing in the nature Of violent
agitation could have been reasonably eX-
pected. 1t Is now easy to see that under
meath this quiet determination to face and
overcome every trouble growing out of the
conduct of the war. there was growing up
an exaggerated estimate of the titles which
her signal and successive victories con-
ferred on the country. One may almost
say that it was Japans first foreign war.
Her fight with China ten years previously
had not furnished any experience of what
might be expected with a European power
in the lists. and above all Of what penalty
any European power would be prepared to
pay for defeat. Besides their successes had
surprised the japanese themselves. Nat
urally they did not take the field with any
fear of being beaten. but most assuredly
they did not expect Russia to be so easily
or badly beaten; and gaining the mastery
over such an opponent they conceived large
Newspaper articles helped to deepen this
impression. They propagated the doctrine
not explicitly. but by implication, that ia
pan as a victor would be in a position to
dictate terms to Russia as vanquished and
that the latter would be bound to acquiesce
in any ordinarily reasonable arrangement
No one thought of pointing out that Russia
could not be crushed by blows struck in the
far east and that unless the war were
carried to the very gates of st. Petersburg
she would always remain competent to re-
ject humfliating conditions Of peace. 1t Is
not to be denied. too. that the receipt of
a substantial indemnity would have been
very welcome to the Japanese. Want of
capital checks their national development
and to have the want supplied just at the
moment when new era of enterprise
opened after the war would have been
most fortunate. while on the other hand to
enter that era with a burden of a greatly
increased debt was an unpleasant contin-
gency. Up to the very last moment moth
Ing occurred to shake the general conf
dence In happy issue of the conference.
Russia talked of not paying an indemnity
and not ceding territory, but the man in
the Japanese street chung to the conviction
that she had no choice and that she must
ultimately bow to the inevitable.
When then the news came that not only
had the demand for an indemnity been
withdrawn altogether, but also that the
northern half of Sakhalin was to be re-
stored to Russia, the effect resembled that
of thunder in clear sky. The proud Ella
ton of victory was suddenly changed for a
vague and disduieting sense of defeat Men
imagined that the results achieved on the
battlefield had been a sacrifice in the coun-
Gil chamber. and above all that the great
purpose of the war, permanent peace had
not been attained Unfortunately the press
which at this time ought to have exercised
d steadying influence, abandoned itself to
the vertigo of the masses. With a few ex-
ceptions the newspapers refrained from
discussion and filed their columns with
defamation. Not stopping to think what
Japan had really won or to consider why
she could not win more they denounced the
peace as worse than inglorious and as SUBJ
verting the aim of the war. These writings
accompanied In some cases by shockingy
suggestive cartoons did much to inf1ame
the public mind. In Japan almost every
body reads the newspapers. They circulate
widely among the lowest orders In Japan,
too. there are politicians ready to place
themselves at the head of any popular out
burst directed against cabinet composed
of so-called "clan statesmen" These poll
ticians are an aftermath of the days when
the country made its struggle for represen-
tatiye institutions. They have outliyed
their time but not their aspirations or their
faith in clamor and invective Such men
took the lead In tanning and giving shape
to the excitement aroused by the peace
terms and an era of platform agitation and
mass meetings was quickly inaugurated-
-.
The great political party, the seiyu-kai,
stood aloof from any hostile demonstration
against the treaty Its leader, MARQUIS
Saionji, delivered a moderate and well rea-
soned address. not attempting to deny that
grounds existed for disappointment, but
declaring that the nations plain duty now
was to shoulder its burdens manfuliy and
to set itself to consolidate the advantages
of Its newly won position. Naturally the
other party. the progressists. ranged them
selves on the opposite side. They did not
claim that the ratification of the treaty
could be withheld-that was frankly admit
ted to be impossible. But they commended
that the ministry should expatiate its fall
ure by resigning at once Neither party.
however, took any share in the mass meet
ings and platform crusades of the extrem-
lists whose avowed object was to prevent
the ratification of the treaty and contrive
that the war should be continued. To these
extremists the rfff-ran of the population
attached themselves, yet no apprehension
OF serious disturbance was entertained. for
the Japanese are by nature order loving,
and their relations with the police have al
deed the best judges declare that no dis
turbance would have occurred at all had
not the police committed a most unfortu-
note tactical blunder by attempting to ex-
clude the people from a park which, being
the property of the municipality. should
not have been closed without the latter's
approval. 1t should be understood that in
Toxic the police do not form part Of the
municipal machine; their chief takes his in
structions direct from the minister of state
for home affairs. There Is consequently
tinge of jealousy in the attitude of the
citizens towards the chief of police, and
when they found the Hibiya Park blocked
against their ingress by an arbitrary order
of that of1cial they proceeded at once to
tear down the barriers. Up to that time
there was no reason to suppose that they
contemplated anything Beyond voting cer-
tain resolutions which were to be read from
a rostrum in the park, and then proceeding
to sing the national anthem in the vicin-
ity of the palace. But there was much
combustible material in the atmosphere,
and 1t burst into flame when the action
of the police supplied the spark.
1t Is now claimed that there was nothing
really antt-American In the character of
the riots. 1t can be confidently asserted
that the Japanese who threw the stone at
the carriage of Mr. Hartman, the Ameri-
can railway magnate, and the other Jap
anese who hustled the jinrikisha men Of