The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-03-04
JAP WAR TALK
ALL BOSH SAYS
MISSIONARY
MlKApo's PEOPLE SENSITIVE
AND MUST NOT BE PRoDDEo
TOO FAR, HOWEVER
THE Y.M.O.A. IN CAMP


bligations-Expert to Make Profit.
c. v. Hibbard, missionary and lee
turer, who has spent the past years
In Japan, takes a stand decidedly in
favor of that nation War talk is
mostly bosh, he said Sunday and add
ed that American preiudices against
the japanese are due mainly to a mis-
understanding of their custome and
manners.
"The Japs haven't the least desire
to fight the United States" SAID MI.
Hibbard, but they are very sensitive
and proud. Their pride has undoubt-
edly been wounded by the California
affair. and there is q possibility OF
war IL their feelings are plodded too
far.
'Hobson is the greatest agitator OF
war with japan Don't think that
Bobson himself believes more than
half of what he says of the probaDlll-
ties Of Japanese conflict. He says
Il merely to impress upon congress
and the people, the need of strength
cning the navy.
"Tha American dstrust of the Jap
anese is due largely to a misconcep-
ton of them and their ideas. 1t is
true that their standard Of commercial
honesty is vastly different from our
own. The impression prevails through
out the United that the Japanese are
fhteving and artful by nature. ana
untrustworthy generally. This idea Is
totally erroneous, for as matter OF
fact simplicity stands predominant
In the character of the Japanese.
"As / understand it, much OF the
prejudice against the Japanese III Cal
ifornia has been caused by their al
legged unfaithfulness in business mat
ters. A contract as interpreted Dy
them is nothing more than an 'estl-
mate, and by them it Is conslderea
no breach of faith TO failing to fulhll
a contract. In Japan 1t Is entirely
legitimate for man to break con-
tract IL he finds that he can derive no
profit by fulfilling it, And on the
other hand, cases are not infrequent
In which some of the profits are re-
funded If contractor finds that he
has overestimated the job
A story of the Russo-Japanese war,
hitherto untold. filed with instances
of almost uncomfortable hardship and
Unsurpassed fortitude, was narrated
with striking viyidness by Mr.. Hib-.
bard, at the mems mass meeting, at
the Y. M. @. A. Sunday afternoon.
Mr.. Hibbard, chosen with two Jap
anese, to represent the Y. M. c. A.
In the Japanese army, was one OF the
very few white men who stayed with
Kuroki's contingent throughout the
conflict. He stayed through the years
campaign in Manchuria, following In
the wake of the army up the battle
of Mukden, when the war was virtual
ly ended.
In the beginning of his lecture, Mr..
Hubbard spoke of the wide difference
between the Russian, and the Japan
ese nations in regard to their ability
20 carry on war. Russia" he said,
seemed to have blinded herself to
the realization of the full extent of
the struggle. On the other hand, ia
pan had been preparing for the con-
fiict for ten years.
mo army ever went to the front
more superbly trained. 1t was the SUI
preme effort of e. desperate nation,
and the result of years Of perfection.
I'VE experienced some difficulty in
gaining the permission of the higher
officers of the state to accompany the
army. Anything that pertained to
Christianity, or bare reference to the
name of Jesus Christ was distasteful
to the japanese. In time, however,
the Y. M. c. A. partially overcame this
distrust of our religion and finally
gained a reluctant consent for cur rep
yesentatiyes to go with the army For
certain reasons, two Christian Japan
csc and myself were chosen to repre-
sent the Y. M, G. A. In the army.
''We embarked in little boat of
perhaps not more than 200 tons bur
den, and laden with merchandise for
the army On board were many trad
lions for the Japanese army Here
when We sought to establish ourselves
we met with anything but encourage
ment. The same mistrust and hatred
Of Christianity that prevailed at home,
was found In the army. 1t was re-
garded as significant of lack Of patri-
otism to profess Christianity, and the
Japanese generally evinced utter dis
gust whenever they came into our
ers fastening TO Manchurla, for the
purpose of making profit from the sale
of goods to the army, The cabin in
which we slept was so crowded that
when we lay down our elbows would
touch and 1t was with difficulty that
we could tuN over Even the rats
were placed In discomfort by our
CLOSE quarters and to move about
they were forced to pass over our
bodies.
"We finally arrived at the mouth of
the Yellow river the base of opera
presence When we ventured upon
the streets we were invariably met
with cries of 'rotan,' which means spy. |
I'VE found the hospitals, without
exception, daDlorably poor. do not
mean to decry the medical department |
of the army, for the surgeons did all
within their power to alleviate the suf- |
feTings OF the soldiers. But the hos |
pitfalls themselves were miserable how
bis. They were filthy, without light |
or heat and devoid OF any form OF
comfort whatever. The men were |
stretched out upon little piles of |
straw upon the hopr without covering.
and the temperature ranged below
Zero. Here they would lie. day after |
day, without proper nourishment, with |
no diversion whatever to shorten the |
long weary hours. Each day there |
were corpses carried out and each |
soldier wondered II he would be next, |
or II he would be one Of the few that |
would survive and 60 bsok TO Japan. |
The suffering was Intense. yet II was |
borne with that stole Indifference for
which the Japs are remarkable. | saw
one man take an eRe which had been |