The Harlowton news., 1911-01-20
JAPS may CURE
FAKE EXPLORERS
Hdrakiri Recommended to Their
Own Dr.. Cook.
LIEUTENANT SHIRASE TARGET.

Officer Who Raised Funds From Patri.
otic Countrymen to Outfit Antartic
Expedition That Was to Beat Eng.
land to Goal Finds Himself In Pre-.
dicament.
They have new remedy in Japan
for the cure Of polar explorers who
are suspected Of taking 1t is haraki-
ri, which the discredited discoverer is
urged to perform upon himself with
the aid Of short sword.
The Yamato, Tokyo newspaper,
makes this recommendation to Lieu
tenant Shirase Of the imperial navy,
the Japanese DR.. Cook. The lieuten-
ants case is even sadder than that of
the Brooklyn explorer, for, far from
plodding over purple snow fields and
feeding gumdrops to the little children
Of the frozen world, Lieutenant Shl-
rase has not even left Japan on the
antarctic expedition which he had
planned.
Now his countrymen have begun to
believe that he never intended to leave
Japan and certainly that he never will.
The situation which Lieutenant Shi-
rase faces is embarrassing
Japanese Patriotism Aroused.
About a year ago this officer an
nounced that he was going to head a
quick dash to the south pole by way
OF New Zealand and the Auckland is
lands and that he intended getting
away from his base before Captain
Scott, at the head of the British ant
arctic expedition, had made start
The lieutenant's scheme found wide
favor. The patriotism of Japan was
stirred, and everybody began to figure
on the elation that would be theirs
after Lieutenant Shirase had nailed
the sun flag to the neither pole
-v- ASH matter of course contributions to
equip the lieutenant's expedition began
TO come In to him plentifully. The
Asah1, one of the influential papers of
Tokyo, placed itself at the head of the
Expedition Supporting society, Of
which the fiery Count Okuma was
made president. Benefit wrestling
matches and theatrical performances
were given in Tokyo, Osaka and Yoko-
hama, and everything seemed to be
running fairly.
But recently enthusiasm began to
wane when it was seen that though
the head Of the expedition had all of
the funds necessary he was making no
move to be off. The lieutenant on his
part said that he could not find the
proper ship. Every time he tried to
buy boat its owners conspired to
beat him on the price.
Sake an Obstacle.
Then disorder broke out in the Dick
ed crew which had been selected
against the time when a boat would
be purchased and the expedition would
be In readiness to start. 1t was said
that Captain Nomura, the navigator,
was inclined to court the sake jug too
often and that discipline fell to pieces.
So the Asahi withdrew it's support
from the project and repudiated Lieu
tenant Shirase. Then Count Okuma al
lowed that he had been betrayed into
false position, and he, too. withdrew
his support. The count is now trying
to refund the contributions which had
been put in his hands, and some OF
the refunding will probably have to be
done out of that wise statesman's own
pocket.
Therefore, the Yamato gravely says
Lieutenant Shirase has made an ig-
noble failure and held Japan up as !
a laughingstock to the world He is |
more traitor than the American, DR.. |
Cook, for at least DR.. Cook did some |
thing, even though not all he claimed |
to have done. Lieutenant Shirase
should apologize to the people he has
thus misled by committing harakiri"