The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-16
Emotions Occasionally Break
Through Oriental Wall
Of Ice.
SCENES IN TOXIC THEATRE
Men. DO All the Actirg-Dramas
From RealrLife Often
Presented.
(By Eleanor Franklin, Our Special Cor
I. 49,. 49, -rnsnnndn1lt In Innan.i 1900.

respondent in Japan.j
TOXIC, June Ill have lived ~ Japan,
on different occasions for many months,
but not until yesterday had ever been
able to "sit through Japanese plny
Yesterday aid | went ut half past three
In the afternoon. was In ti1no 10 SEQ the
first curtain rise, and remained to sec
the last one fall at the conclusion OF the
eleventh act, nearly seven hours later,
and 1t was a modern drama IN modern
theatre, acted by modern actors Of the
newest school. While we sat there gath
ering much food for reflection on tho cyl
dent Decentralization OF this most
Oriental nation, the fleet of Admiral Togo
was engaging the Baltic squadron up IN
Tsushma Strait in n naval battle such
as has never been fought before In the
worlds history, but we knew nothing
about 1t. II we had ! dare say we could
hardly have awaited so calmly the end Of
the much less interesting drama we wore
witnessing. We should have been out
eagerly listening for the excited jangling
or the bells of the gogai boys who always
follow SO tardily upon the heel Of inter"
3csting r,linor from the seat Of war.
Took It Very Coolly.
The news that the Baltic fleet about
which VIC in Toxic had talked hourly
these months past. hds been met and
practically destroyed is twenty-four
hours old now, but it has not yet become
s"offinial," so one Is supposed to know
nothing. This IS a part of the narvelouE.
Japanese System The arsenal blew
up this morning, killing or wounding q
couple OF hundred worlemen. and this is
the subject of paramount interest There
are dark hints Of Russia spies. Of treach-
cry, and the air is electric. The great
battle is still raging off the western
coast, and Japan is achieving ono of the
greatest victories In all her history,
suppose or in all the wo2d's history, for
that matter, If the rumors have any
foundation at all. but 1t doesn't seem
to matter much In Toxic. There will be
an official announcement tonight proba-
bly,, but Toxic will merely say: '.Oh, SO
desuka?' Us that SOP and go on her
way Nothing else could possibly be eX-
pected And one of these days, when
there is no battle raging and no electric
expectancy in the air, suppose we may
go to the Meiti Theatre and see 1t all
acted in wenrlsome detail by those mar
yelous actors OF. the newest school, n 2
s$ should not bp surprised, however, to
find that the name of the Ncijl Theatre
bad been changed by the time 'rhe Fall
Of Mukdcn," THE Siege Of Port Ar
thur and ''rhc Destruction OF the Bal
tic Fleet are ready, for productions be-
rause already there is noticeable re-
sentiment In Japan against the use of the
word "cnlightcnment'' in connection with
anything Japanese. he err of cnllght-
enment, or mciji, began thirty-eght years
ago, when Japan was In need Of cnlight-
enment, and recognized the fact; but In
shc meantime she has learned that tho
world may sit at her feet and gather
wisdom, and in the meantime two Port
Arthlrs,-aa LAO Yang, Il Mukden. and
The easy destruction Of one of the worlds
greatest nnvles have all been achieved
BY her. and are only high peaks In whole
mountains Of achievement. One gets
heartily tired Of singing Japan's praises
but what is ono to do? There Is 'Yamato
damashii," the spirit of Japan invlnciblc,
which might command the world and one
wonders IL the world will not have to
unite against Its aggressions in the not
very far-off future. 1t remains to be
seen whether It's aggressivcncss extends
Beyond the point of most vigorous and
1nasterful self-dcfense, and If 1t does, it