The Washington herald., 1907-09-15

got about Corea In this way was really
valuable in the recent war with Russia.
In the war with China she also got infor-
nation that she made use Of. II related
chiefly 10 the matter OF roads and of
water supplies. Japan knew every
stream, hill, road, mine, and the Ike In
Corea. There are no good maps Of that
territory. and so Il was OF great value.
Over here there would be no such need
Our maps can be secured anywhere. The
channels IN all our harbors are marked.
Japan knows all about them She knows
where all our forts are ard how many
guns there are in them.
But IN Corea It was different. I re-
member being in Seoul q dozen years ago
and started out in the country for a walk
soon saw a naturalist in Corean cos
tune out catching bugs with a net He
was going over hills and into valleys
Finally I stumbled across him late in the
afternoon and found he was sketching
the streams and roads. I had met him al
the club. He spoke English. He had 20
confess what he was about and I felt
under obligations 10 keep still about the
matter.
Several years went by, and I was with
one OF our war ships far up the interior
of China We had a gathering CT foreign
ers one night and I was introduced 10 a
japanese. dressed in European fashion,
who said that he spoke no other language
than his own, except French. We had a
few words together and then separated.
He did not seem inclined to converse.
learned that he had been all through that
region. ostensibly TO see II It would pay
10 establish banks and other japanese
agencies IN that country. ANY one could
see that there was no need OF banks in a
region where there were no large cities.
and I smiled.
Keep Eye on Them.
Later IN the evening I came upon this
Japanese alone. I dropped all pretence Of
speaking French with him and addressed
him in English saying that the last time
I had met him was when he was making
sketches near Seoul while pretending 20
be a Corean. He answered at once in
English. owned his identity, and said he
was doing the same th.ng IN China. He
put me on my honor not % expose him
and Of course I kept silent.
such incidents as these have become
known generally among American naval
officers. and-the result has been that We
have always kept our ewes on the Japan
ese. We have found highly educated men
working As laborers in cities where there
arc iOrtihcations. We have found expert
chemists at work in factories. We have
known Of trained geologists at work IN
mines. We have had men Of fine families
serving on warships as servants. Where
ever information was to be obtained that
might some cay be valuable 20 Japan in
time Of war, there we have found Jap
anese az work.
1t has not deceived any intelligent off,
Ger IN our service. We know practically
what Japan has secured iu the way q
Information in this manner, and she could
have got the information more easily BY
merely asking for H. There are few
secrets IN war-maklns. The manufacture
Of armor and OF certain highly explosive
compounds. such as Shimose powder.
which the japanese themselves make
may have some secrets about them. but
about making war there are none. The
best trained army. other things being
equal. wins. The best trained guuners
on ships, other things being equal. win.