Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-10-27
Had Just Left Train at Hardin, ManChuria--Mur
derer Attacks Without Warning Says He Meant
To Avenge His Country Of Prince
|t0s Companions Are Badly Wounded.
TRIBUTES TO ITO'S MEMORY.

Washington, Oct. 26.-The state de-
partment late this afternoon received a
telegram from Mr.. Paddock, the Amer
lean vice consul in charge at Hardin,
ManChuria announcing the assassin
alton of Prince Ito, president of the
privy council of Japan This is the first
authoritative statement at first hand
of the death of the prince that has
reached the department., which, i'll all
probability, will send messages on be-
| half of the President and the secretary
of state, expressing the deep regret of
| this government at the death of Prince
Ito. No announcement, however, to
| that effect will be made until tomor-
row.
Acting Secretary of State Wilson
made a statement as follows:
The news of the assassination of
Prince Ito is a great shock. He had
lately relin4uished his duties as resi-
dent general in Corea a post of the
| greatest difficulty, which he had filled
with masterful skill in spite of his ad
vanced years, with a tact and fair
ness to foreign interests which had
made his regime appreciated by the
| foreign missionary and business in
terests in Corea. among which Amer
| leans predominant above all others.
exec pting the Japanese.
| After this heavy task Prince Ito
had retired TO the comparatively quiet
| duties of president of the privy coun
| eli fchief advisor to the Emperor. that
is) to which official position was added
| that of the greatest Of the "Genero'
| or elder statesman. an appeliation
| having no official status but being be-
slowed by public appreciation upon
! those half dozen men who have rem
| derod their country the most distin-
| euished services. At the age of So years
! Prince Ito was thus to spend the clos
| ing DAYS of a most arduous career.
ITO describe the career of Prince Ito
| from the time when he left Japan as
| boy for England, sailing before the
| mast. to the time when he retired from
his recent post in Corea, would be to
! recount the whole history of modern
| Jaran, with which the life of this man
was so Intimately entwined. His ca
/ rcer throughout has been marked by
d breadth of view and frankness of
expression which make him justly re-
garded as one of the great statesmen of
| the world. Prince Ito was a great read
er of history and biography, especially
| the biography of statesmen, and no
| doubt he drew much of his inspiration
and many of his presidents from the
lives and experiences of statesmen OF
the West This intimate knowledge of
| affairs in Europe and America as we'll
| as the Oeriont, combined with his we'll
known disposition for fairness, made
| bp
| W. rl1
"AlthouSh he was advanced in years
and had led an arduous life. Prince
| Ito was still vigorous and did not hes
itate to subject himself. in the per-
Torrance of his duties to personal
ha rdships from which even stronger
Men might shrink. An illustration of
this was his trip last year. in mid
winter throughout Corea from one end
to tho other of the provinces. in the
course of which. owing to the neces
sarly limited accommodations, he was
subjected to extreme cold and other
personal discomforts which he cheer
| fully bore. In fact. it is stated by those
who have been personally associated
| with the prince for several years that
he appeared to thrive much better I'M
| than even in his more comfortable sur
roundings in Japan.
lie was also man of strong per
| sonal attachments. as was shown by
| his classical friendship with the
| Marquis Irouye and his very pleasant
| relations with the late Crown Prince
| of Corea, to whom he stood in the po-
sition of grand tutor"
Mr.. Wilson had a close personal
| friendship with Prince Ito. and in
speaking of him today said that one
| in conversing with the prince. felt
very strongly the world breadth of his
| point of view and his constant realiz-
alton that the great interests of the
| West in the Far East evidently made
the policies and opinions of western
countries an important factor in any
| profound study of problems in that
part of the world where the interests
of 50 many governments are inter
| twned. Prince Ito, he said was a very
| remarkable man and statesman. espe-
cially in foreign policies and he was
| one of the earliest to travel in Europe
and study its Institutions He was I'M
auestionably the foremost figure in
modern Jaran and his life history