Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-09
Attack by Japanese on the
American Consulate.
ENGENDERS HARD FEELING
Protest of Consul Straight Gets
Scant Attention.
CHINESE THOROUGHLY CoWED
They Are Afraid to Resent Any
Liberties the Japanese May Take.
Was a Lively Fight.

PEKINCi April a-The American lega-
ton here has received no information re-
gardng the invasion of the American
the resultant encounter between the Jap
anese and the native staff Of the consul
late. The Japanese legation also was
questioned. and here partial verifcation
was obtained. together with expressions
of regret that such small matter"
should have been cabled to the United
States. An olnciaI of the Japanese lega-
ton quoted Japanese newspaper pub
Gshed in Mukden as saying that Willard
D. Straight. the American consul general
there. is an excitable man. given to ex-
aggerating trif1es and difficult to deal
with. Otherwise the legation minimized
the occurrence and deplored 1t.
court of inquiry has been ordered by
NJ. Kato. the Japanese consul general at
Mukden. and full report will not be sub
mitted to either Washington or Picking
pending the report of this court. 1t Is
hoped that this investigation will lead to
an acceptable explanation and proper
reparation.
Kato Was Indifferent.
A detailed account of the incident has
been obtained from an authoritative
source. This shows that the conduct of
M. Kato in the beginning might be de-
scribed as extraordinarily is even said
that he was insolent. When the matter
was brought to his attention he offered no
apology nor did he express regret. and he
asked Mr.. Straight to prove his own state
ments as against the verbal declarations
of the japanese thugs involved. This Mr..
Straight declined to do. but he permitted
a Japanese official to examine the scene
of the onslaught and to conduct an inves-
tigation.
The allegation that NJ. Kato showed
lack of considera ton in his relations with
the American consul general has created
q bad impression here. Mr.. Straight twice
made formal representation of the serious
ness of invading a consulate protected by
the flag and dragging the servants of the
consulate out into the highway. At the
second presentation NJ. kato's response
was more cordial. but he sought to dis
credit Mr.. Straight's protest by the dec
laration of a postman that the staff of
the consulate had attacked him. The post
man was bringing a letter to the consul
late.
Unfortunately he sought to enter the
building by a private door, which was
barred. and encountered the opposition of
the Chinese servants of the consulate At
this point Mr. Straight interviewed and
conducted the postman to the main en-
trance.
Guns Were Pulled.
The postman went away. to return in a
no ,ba do
the. attack. The consulate servants,
armed with sticks. offered resistance. The
postman. in the course of the scuf1ling,
entered Mr.. Straieht's bedroom and hit
one of his personal servants in the face.
accomplices had been captured by the
three other servants. The pOstman made
an attempt to call in reinforcements, but
in this he was not successful.
In the meantime the Chinese police had
arrived on the scene and the invading
Japanese were arrested. The police were
not of much use. for Mr.. Straight found
it necessary personally to guard the pris-
oners with firearm in his hand and thus
to convey them before M. kato. -.
Germany Also Suffered.
Persons who witnessed the encounter
say the postman was at the head of his
four or five countrymen who created the
disturbance and that during the row a
number of disreputable Japanese gathered
In the street and menaced the consulate
NJ. Kato was in bed when Mr.. Straight
and his prisoners arrived at the consulate
and this fact may possibly explain his
apathy in the matter. The Japanese po-
lice made no response to Mr.. Straight's
appeals for aid. The consulate at Muk-
den. unlike the others in China, was not
provided in 1900 with stand of rifles and
revolvers. Consequently its only recourse
for protection lies in the appeal to the
Japanese. The Chinese authorities in
Mukden are thoroughly intimidated by the
Japanese and the Chinese invariably flee
from any difficulty that promises trouble
with foreigner.
Satisfaction is expressed in Picking that
the outrage was not actually committed
upon the person of the American con-
sui general.
This incident has brought out reference
to the fact that last January the Ger
man consulate at Mukden was subjected
TO trespass and outrage at the hands of
Japanese and that Japan showed reIuc-
tance to mete out punishment and give
reparation.