The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-12-31

gunnery and drill. He had observed
the growth of conceit, which, like rust
beneath a coat of paint, led men to
believe so devoutly in American SUI
periority that they neglected to ana
lyze the actual power which could
positively be developed. BY process
of elimination he estimated the fight
ing value of the American navy, dis
carding vessels still in service but
obsolete, and others still on paper but
looked upon by the unsophisticated as
a part of the nations strength. Ma
tional prowess he regarded as small
factor when granting equality.
Seigo's observations had been so
careful and his conclusions so logical,
that reports sent to and passed upon
by the elder statesmen of Japan had
led them to feel certain of victory
long before war was declared. Nor
had his predictions in the opening
events been unfulfilled. True he had
not expected the abandonment of the
Philippines; but he had confidently
foretold the period of torpidity, Of con-
fusion and lack of cohesion, which had
followed. 1t was with satisfaction,
therefore, that he observed the trend Of
events when hostilities were finally
declared, and from the quetude Of his
study saw the whole country waiting
for the government to act while ap-
parently it remained somnolent.
| The surrender of the islands came
as the first perplexing problem for
which he could neither account nor
understand, and his activities prior to
that event were nothing when COM
pared with those subsequent. He was
too adroit ever to have appeared as
laborer in the limelight, and was
therefore eminently fitted to drop from
sight at the outbreak, when his fell
low countrymen were leaving by hun
dreds seeking places of refuge across
the border lines north and south or
embarking on the high seas for for
eign ports. Singularly enough, race
prejudice in the eastern states had
never reached the point of acute dis
elimination which made the denizens
of that section classify the Japanese
and Chinese in one broad category as
orientals; it was therefore easy fol-
Seigo to don the garb of a laundry
man in the city of Washington, i'm
provise a pigtail, and without inter
ruption assume to pursue this voca
tion.
Fertile of resource, he readily dis
covered that In situation where an
, archy might thrive the followers O
the red flag would be his most val
; liable spies. Without difficulty h
, allied himself with this element, ant
| gained friendly footing with them b!
I ostensibly favoring the advancement
1 of their cause in Russian domains
: Their confidence in him was strength
$ ened by the fact that he was accom-
= plished in their language, which h
e spoke fuently, and was liberal con
g tributor to their treasury.
i Having thus ingratiated himself
}. the next step was made easy. He sc
n lected such tools from the ranks G
= these malcontents as seemed bes
fitted to his hands, and thereby Ell
|. tablished a means of securing new
O that would have been impossible /
!. any other way. From his little hove
g he directed these men as seemed bes
l. assigning them to tasks of more c
a less magnitude, and paying lavishi
d for anything of value; and to his ol
g. scure place there came divers me
Y when night time offered the cloak
5, darkness to the furtive.
d Seigo's most valuable ally was on
h Meredith. of English parentage, and
S. man who for years resided on Cro'
IS street, Paterson, N.sJ., that unfo
K tunate city whose very industry on
Is peacefulness had made It the gathe
is ing place of the Reds. Meredith WI
In q machinist by trade, and an employ