The San Francisco call., 1907-06-16
as The Kaaue Grdains"
Jorrnrl OF 2 Russian

Jorrnrl OF Russian Prisoners Wife in
Japan. Published By Henri. Holt & Co.
New Yo-s. Price si.50.
If many OF the facts contained in this
book are true, one must completely
revolutionize ali preconceived ideas
about the treatment the Russian pris-
oners received at the hands OF the
japanese
AZ the Hague conference in 1899 a
convention was adopted with a rule
that prisoners of war shall be treated.
as regards food. quarters and clothing.
on The same footing as the troops of
the government which has captured
them" All nations agreed to this and
the czaT has no right to complain be-
cause his soldiers were fed with ash.
boiled rice. picked plums and Uaikon
and o2iy scanty supply Of meat
cooked with SOY. That is really ali
the cars subjects can fad to complain
Of for this book tells rs tFeir food
was clean. their quarters spotlezs and
sanitary and that many deiicacies were
allowed tcea. one Of waieh was bread
foIr
The rank and file hal never ex-
perienced such Iuxury, but TO the off,
GERS such a simple regime was a great
hardship. The author says:
They ste offers, forget tia; ;acre are M
boiel rs sueii ia Ma:ss,ama swbor- re n,sin
bod OF Russian prisoners were keno and thar
th- s'oyerDncnt FURNISHES hcTe .ifueii pr.yae-y
aad inn-e foreign comforts than ;nr tourist cai,
comma ad Ia lea house. while the rank a:d
i'e are in heaFen of :.ien;-. cleanliness. com
Fort end jaie1ess fAey sevtr Graamet. of hesosc.
and i;st ccptrasfs saarply With tI7e suffering
French prisoners in dresden. sflgde5arg May
ence. tim and Augsburg. in christian German
in 1870.
The object OF the book seems to BE
TO show how human. or rather how
civilized. was the treatment the Rus
SLAMS received at the hands of these
little yellow monkeys whom they
have so Systematically reviled. A bit
OF description OF the 2uSS.an officers
wards can be quoted:
Here fhcT Eve. two 70 each Above free 10
wander in and ont AMI visit each o.i.cr aud 20
10 sdj9inias wards. wien thcy are able 70 waIS.
IL e not ny ices or = erls2n at all.
Sareiy there Is the fGi,esi ii.,erty Within t7,e
l'aTrar1s There are no fetters. no restrictions.
Everything IS plain 10 degree simple. hycienic
these things. J wonder II there is anything ut
all TO complain Of The prisoners lot could NOT
be q happier ose. ahd for one would less
willingly be , prisoner Of WAT in some places
oaE think OF in Russia.
The thing yvhieh would scarcely y,
commented upon IN Any o:iier nation
al this stage Of els iliz2tion was the
lack Of censorship in the matter cf
reading books. etc. Things strictly
tahoeed at home they could freely
enjoy. and they took full advantage
OF tho opportunity to read and dis
cGss many topics they had never boen
able to before The book says.
II is amazing what advanced and liberal
sentiments they dare voice dare continually
and openly discrss hero IN fhis freedom. And
what contradiction. F-eedo;a in prison, Free
dom OF speech in pagan Asia tic country, but
not in our own christian country There is no
censorship OF what we rcGd hero save as the
censor cuts out notes OF military affairs in the
Kobe paper, ard what the censor cuts for
Dairniji, the OF 0gaFi leaves untouched.
OF course IL was not all joy to the
rank and file or to the officers either.
They encountered many disagreeable
individuals. little martinets, petty off,
GERS. who had never had any author
ity before and consequently abused it.
being filled with a sense OF their own
Importance. There are many refer
ences TO people in the public eye all
through the book. but one which
pleased US most is That Terrible
American President, II Strenuossv One
cannot but doubt after reading this
book, that it is really the work of the
wife OF a Russian prisoner"--it rather
might be the work OF an American
war correspondent and it certainly II
not at all feminine In style. It is only
fairly well written, but the subject
matter is all very interesting.