The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-04-08

anese Minister of the InteriOr-Jus-
 tice of AIikado's Attitude-Sarcastic
 Reference to Plea That Russia should
 be Allowed to Save Her Face.
 London, April 7.-Baron suyematsu, former Japanese minister of the inter for, has written an interesting and significant article for the Outlook, un- der the heading ''War and Indemnity The Japanese Claim The whole trend of the article is intended to show that Japan will carry on the war until Rus sia consents to pay indemnity. The baron says:
 i A canon of the Japanese .bushido is, one should not unsheath the sword un- less in case of absolute necessity nor restore it to it's sheath unless one is to- tally overcome or has secured equitable satisfaction for ones cause This is out ideal in international intercourse. The sword of Japan is drawn and the aim for which it was unsheathed has scarcely been attained. We want a peace which will secure tranquility in the far east for at least a generation or two. ...
 ''The world should know that in the present war Japan staked her very ex- istence, whereas with the enemy it was a mere war of caprice. Why, then, in case of defeat. should not Russia be made responsible in equitable accord ance with the nature of the affair? I believe. therefore, that in case of the adversary asking for peace the satisfac- tion which she will have to make to Japan should include making good the material loss of Japan, in other words, indemnity.
 Baron Suyematsu says further: Japan has not formulated definite terms of peace because she might be accused of slinning the bear before it is shot. We have, however. outlined our idea"
 The article cleverly argues out the righteousness of Japans position in de- manding indemnity as basic condi- ton and controverts the idea which the writer says, he finds prevalent outside of Japan, that Japan is willing to make peace at any price. Some say" the baron continues, that for humanity's S sale an arnistice should be concluded with a view to negotiate peace. It is all-rsssrell to talk of humanity, but no injustice must be perpetrated in the name of humanity. If a proposition arising out of the question Of humanity gives more advantage to one than another of the eontending parties it cannot be justice.
 Baron Suyematsu treats sarcastically the special plea that Russia should be allowed to save her face" and com pares Japan to a dwarf fighting a kiant and says: 'srhe public at large seems to have gauged the relative value of Russia and Japan. They are glad that the large bubble which had been causing a nightmare to so many people for 50 long a time has been pricked They have seen that it was no use to suppress Japan's aspiration by the combined force Of western powers. Yet there seems floating in the air some sort of compassion for our adversary. This I deem an inconsistency arising out of some psychological instability" !"
 Baron Suyematsu refers to the an- nouncement of St. Petersburg early in the war that an enormous indemnity would be demanded and that the terms would be dictated in Tolzio. We are far from assuming such an attitude" !" the writer says, .'but we believe that justice ought to be done No more sen- tinent shall be allowed to decide the merits Of the case" .z.4
 Tn conclusion Baron Suyematsu says: Some say that Japan might be in duced to forego a claim for indemnity provided England and America gave good assurance for future peace. We appreciate, of course, the general sem timents of England and America. We are anxious to maintain the best friendship with these two countries, more particularly than other countries We should, therefore, be very sorry if we were to be told that we should fore go on account of that friendship any claim to which we deem justice entities us to demand. '
 x This article is followed by one under the heading "Russia's Alternative by Archibald Ross Colquheun, author of "Greater America 7 who has travelled extensively in, and written voluminous- ly regarding the far east. In this ar ticle the writer scouts the possibility of intervention, and says that the only possibility of peace is in direct negotia- tion and the payment of indemnity of at least $500,00O000 either in money or in kind, and describes Sakhalin and Vladivostok as of small monetary value to Japan. This article concludes: If Russia will not retire from the posi- tion which she has striven gallantly but unsuocessfully to hold and, finally will not accede to a proposition in which there is nothing degrading, but which merely follows time-honored cus- tom, the alternative is simply contin- uance of the war