The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-10-10
The Wind in the Trees.

a radical clew TO your national
opinion on Anglo-Japanese relations
don't want your good humored,
superficial opinion, but the one you
hold deep down--the one you would
really express II suddenly faced with
grave issue. All, yes," as Pelham
would speak, you will tell me, OF
course, that English opinion is as
solid now as 1t ever was on the alll-
ance, and II may be so. Personally
think 1t Is, but there is Just little
doubt. There are people In Japan
who say that King Edwards diplo-
macy has rendered you independent
of our friendship-that these coali-
tions with Italy, France and Spain
no longer leave you Isolated"
"Oh! But that is sheer nonsense,
your excellency," broke in Pelham,
Indignantly.
II think II is, but we Japanese are
proud race, and before l make my
hnal decision on matter that grave
ly affects my country. l want to be
quite sure. At the present moment, i"
he continued, with grave earnestness,
Il personally stand for the whole
spirit of Japan. The Emperor has
| intrusted to my decision a question
that will determine our national fu-
ture, and as this question centres
around English public opinion, I am
anxious to apply to the latter GER
tain test Now, when people test a
thing, Mr.. Pelham" he went on.
they don't as rule test the entire
bulk-they are content with a SAM
pie. You remember the wind in the
trees?' Well, want you to create
second wind in the trees, and the
way propose to do It is through
your newspaper, The Rapier. The
latter stands for the largest sample
OF public opinion available, and to 1t
propose to apply the following test:
Here and he drew packet of pa
pers from his pocket and handed
them to Pelham. "is series of three
newspaper articles which l wish you
to publish in your newspaper-the
first to appear tomorrow, the others
consecutively for three days. They
are, as you see, wholly unfriendly
to the present happy understanding
between our countries, and my aim in
publishing them is to probe the great
section of Englishmen who read your
paper. and,/ IL possible, force them
to express an opinion"
"To put it crudely, your excellency
wants to twist sample of the Lions
tail, and see If he will roar?" said
Pelham, grimly, as he glanced
through the typewritten sheets in his
hand.
"That is the point-will he roar?"
smiled his excellency. But your
paper? The publication of these ar
ticles may affect its sale?" he added
a moment latter, as he rose to go.
Perhaps, your excellency, but a
promise is principle" said Pelham,
shaking hands, "and, like you, l be-
lieve that the gods, in some way OF
other, take care of the principles.
The words, almost unconsciously
uttered, seemed to have a strange
solemnity, and long after the Japa-
nese statesman had driven away they
fingered like an echo in Pelham's s
brain, and gave him the confidence
he needed at the end of a second and
more deliberate perusal OF the arti-
cles.
The latter were brilliant, incisive
and evidently written by political
expert of the first rank, but they ran
counter to everything on the Japa-
nese question that had hitherto ap-
peared in Pelham's newspaper.
In essence they resolved them
selves into violent attack on the po-
litical relationship his readers held
most sacred, and, but for this theory,
that the carrying out of a principal
never yet permanently injured a man
Pelham would have been appalled, at
the prospect that awaited his Japa-
nese excellency's curious test.
Nor were his anticipations falsifle
when The Rapier appeared the fol-
lowing morning, for soon kilograms
and letters from all quarters began
to herald the coming storm.
These, one and all, demanded the
unequiyocal withdrawal of the arti-
cles begun that morning. and con-
tinued at a rate which left Pelham
with no doubt of the unqualified sue
cess of his excellency's experiment; ;
hour by hour the commotion gath
cred volume. and next day. when the
second article appeared. attacking
the spontaneity of the welcome then
being extended by London to the
Japanese prince, the outburst of an
cry protest that followed was in
every sense national and complete.
Indignation meetings were hastily
convened in many places throughout
the country, and virtuous rivals
lectured The Rapier on its lack OF
public good taste; everywhere hur-
ricane of denial met the accusation
against the nations hospitality, and
finally deputation actually waited
on the Government and demanded
the immediate suppression OF the
articles.
Pelham had waited for this, as he
had waited for a more or less mega
tive effect on the circulation OF his
paper, but the second, and even the
third and last day came, without
either event having happened.
On the contrary, the sales of The
Rapier far outpaced the output OF