Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-04
cAPT1vEs OF JAPAN.
The Burden Imposed by Keeping Rus
sian Prisoners.

From the Shanghai Mercury.
Aside from the tremendous burden OF
the active campaign itself. Japan must find
herself saddled with q heavy indirect ex-
pense in caring for her Russian prisoners.
Already there are at the different prison
camps-that is. the places which have
been chosen as headquarters for receiving
the prsoners-some $4,000 Russian cap
tives. officers, privates and supernumeraries
(these last including rev women and sew
eral children), all OF whom have to be
clothed. fed and guarded, and il all of the
Port Arthur garrison who are not to be
permitted to return to Russia on parole are
taken to Japan this number will be very
materially increased. without taking into
consideration any more who may be cap
tured in other engagements. At very
moderate estimate these three items of pri-
mary expense namely. food, clothing and
guards, cannot be much less than so sen a
day, and at that rate the total which Japan
will have to provide for one years main
tenance of her prisoners of war is upward
of 5, C00,00o yen. and there is the disagree
able fact confronting the Japanese govern
ment that 1t is probably impossible for II
to use the labor of those prisoners In any
advantageous way.
No wonder. then, that the people of
Japan are grumblng at this heavy expense
that is added to their already onerous bur
den. The legitimate expenses of the war
they bear cheerfully, as a matter of prin-
ciple, although these have already reached
a sum quite twice great that which
was announced by the government at the
commencement of hostilities: but there is
noticeable In the venacular press a dispo-
sition to ask If the authorities are not
needlessly coddling the prisoners doing
too much for them in a sentimental way,
and If the men cannot be compelled to do
something that shall at least contribute
toward their keep, If not pay the whole ex-
pense thereof Yet there is no open revolt
at the expressed intention Of their govern
ment to do what 1t can to make the Rus
sian prisoners at least comfortable.
Russians justly have the reputation OF
being hearty eaters. and they are not ac-
customed to the simple diet which Is salts
tying to the japanese. SO that even II the
prisoners are kept upon 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 Japa-
nese prisoner. In the Japanese jails 1t can
hardly be necessary to spend more than
10 sen a day for the food of a native pris-
oner. 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 well they must have
good deal of meat and other things that
are never dreamed of In arranging the fare
such an extent Is this true that the prices
of meat and vegeta bles have nearly doubled
in the last few months. So that II will be
seen at once 80 sen day for food Is not an
extravagant sum to allow per capita to
those Russian prisoners.
This leaves only 20 sen for clothing med
ical attendance and expenses of guards q
sum scarcely sufficient and it is quite like
ly that the estimate of 20 sen day will be
almost doubled when the bills are actually
settled. Besides this burden of expenses
there Is staring Japan in the face the grave
danger to her people of an outbreak of dis
ease among the Russian prisoners. In spite
of every reasonable effort on the part of the
Japanese guards it is well nigh impossible
to make the Russian prisoners take neces-
sary sanitary precautions.
If an epidemic of dysentery or smallpox
or something even worse should break out
at any one of the prison camps it will have
sad effects upon the Japanese people in the
neghborhood and may spread all over the
country; and with the approach Of warm
weather that danger will become a positive
menace. 1t would be interesting to know
just how the Japanese prisoners in Russian
hands are farng. Exact knowledge is not
available and besides. the number cannot
be comparable with that of the Russian
prisoners in Japan for no such disaster as
the surrender of Port Arthur has befallen
the Japanese 1t is certain, however that
considerable number of Japanese have
been taken by the Russians but where are
they and how have they been treated? The
disagreeable impression created at the time
of the surrender of Port Arthur, when the
disparity between the number of Japanese
prisoners actually accounted for with the
number that must have fallen into Russian
hands became evident, has not yet been re-
moved and is not likely to be effaced.