The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-02
The CALM OF The JAPANESE
IF THEY DIDN'T RUBBER IN NEW
YORK 1T WAS NO WONDER.

+ Men or NIPPON 10 SNOW kl1oUtOn- Iypta
cal Instances OF Their ADathy--IAck at
Interest In New York Sights Explained,
When the sailors and officers from the
Japanese cruisers Tsukuba and Chitose
saw New York from the top OF rubberneok
wagons they gave not as much outward
manifestation of enthusiasm as O group
Of upstate folks from Cayuga county
might have done. They looked at tia hiah
buildings. took in the sights Of Broadway
and saw the subway jAms-al this WITH taO
calm Of one who had been q part OF these
things for years.
Yet not one out OF 500 Of these little
men had ever before seen a buililnE higher
than FIVE stories; probably there were
fifty who had read Of subway trains; II IN
possible that three out OF every dozen
officers had ridden in an automobile some
where in Shanghai. where the roads ore
wide enough. Susrecting these facts In
Fart. there were some New Workers who
wondered retulantly why the Japanese
visitors did not 60 into spasms OF astonish-
ment at the wonders Of the city
The reason why none OF the Japanese
stretched his neck or cracked his mouth
over New York city is the same that
impels little Kato. the rickshaw man, 10
smile should you suddenly tell him that his
father has died. The same impulse masks
+ the face of Tsuru-san, who brings the
stranger his tea in the Fujlya Hotel, should
he calamity try to tell her that the cherry
blossoms in her hair are beautiful.
Those who g out from the West 20 hive
in Japan learn one lesson before all others.
and that is that a Japanese face can be an
blank as a stripped signboard In a rain
storm, AND that TO expect Any show OF
emotion from a Japanese is TO ask the i'm
possible.
At no time did strangers marvel mora
over the impassiveness Of the Japanese than
during the tense days OF the war when huD-
dreds of men were leaving railway stations
throughout Japan, never TO return. When
it is recorded how Japanese parents walked
to the stations with their conscript Son.
flying banners of death over his head In
the belief that he would never return and
smiled with elaborate ~poHteness when the
new oldiers we're whisked of TO the war.
then il will be borne In on the impatient
Manhattanite that there was no reason
why a Japanese sailor should exhibit interest
in New York.
Japanese newspapers and illustrated rnaga-
zines told a story Of the fight that is typical
OF Japanese phlegm. II was on the deck
OF Admiral Togo's flagship. the Mikasa,
that the sailors assembled Just when the
feet was leaving the Corean1 port OF Mas
ampho to meet the advancing Russians
in Tsushima.
One Of the ships surgeons brought out .
koto, or elongated harp, very much like the
either, and with the instrument in front Of
him he sat down in the centre Of a circle
of 500 sailors and played songso OF the coun-
tryside. They were homely songs, such %
the fishermen sing when they pull in their
nets or the sendos chant over the sweeps
Of their sampans. All Of the crew came
in on the chorus. swinging through the
quavering measures with strong voices.
For two hours the ships surgeon chanted
the songs and the sailors Joined In Then
surgeon laid out his knives and bandsgea.
the gunner hoisted up his ammunition
the battle was Joined and they fought for
three days
studied calm which has been 80 long a part
Of the Japanese code OF ~politeness as to
be ingrained in he character Of the Mp
bones was furnished when the secret
police suddenly. descended upon the house
Of a foreigner In Toxic and arrested him
on a charge of furnishing military secrets
to the French Government, The foreigner
had once served as military instructor In
the budding Japanese army, had received
a decoration from the Emperor and was IN
every way to be counted one OF he most
influential foreigners in Toxic.
The Government spies did not make Q
move until the letters they had intercepted
showed conclusively that the man was
behNy' 49, 'Naf
because at that time relations between
his country and the Government OF Japan
were at a severe strain.
When the decision TO act was finally
reached q squad Of soldiers and officers
went to the home Of the suspect. The
mar was in bed at the time. He was told
by his Japanese servant that an Officer
from the Government wanted TO see him.
the name OF the officer was familiar to the
foreigner.
He dressed and vent down into the
library OF his home. where the lone officer
whose nam had been given him was
Japanese etiquette and the two sat talking
Of commonplaces for nigh an hour.
Then a second Japanese officer appeared
at the door with a bundle of papers In
greatly as he regretted being the bearer
OF unpleasant news, 1t was his painful duty
to inform him that he was under arrest
on the charge OF being a spy. The papers
the second officer carried IN his hand were
which had been thoroughly searched during
the time thai the first officer entertained
the suspect over the morning tea,
When the accused mar was led out OF
the house on the way to prison he found
a large crowd Of the curious gathered In
front of his gate, attracted hither by the
news Of his Impending arrest. ALI among
the crowd who knew the prisoner bowed
and smiled a customary greeting as he
passed.
Those who recall the scenes OF excite
ment and bubbling patriotism enacted In
New York and other large cities when
troops left for the front during the Spanish
war would have been shocked could they
have seen the apparent apathy that char.
acterized the departure Of great bodies OF
troops from Japanese ports. When the F.,
army Of invasion left Yokohama for Sag
halien there was not so much stir In town
as when an American balloonist made al
from the public gardens.
For three days the soldiers TO the number
OF 81. ZOO had been camping about the city
in public squares and vacant lots. On -.
the morning they marched down TO the
hatoba or iron pier TO a barges for the
transports in the harbor there were not two
dozen flags flying on the line Of march.
For four hours the tramp. tramp Of armed .
men sounded down the broad street and
there was not a cheer. Women leaned out q.
Of second story windows to look upon the
troops and riokshaw men trotted around
from side streets to sit between the shaftt
Of their vehicles and smoke In mute con. .
temptation.
The whole army NJ invasion uaa launched .