The Harlowton news. [volume] (Harlowton, Mont.) 1909-1914, 1911-03-31
LIEUTENANT SH!RASE TARGET.

O"ooT VINO naisco Funds From Patri.
otto countrymen to Outfit Antartio
Expedition That Was to Beat Eng
land to Goal Finds Himself In Pre-.
dicament.
They have new remedy In Japan
Tor the cure OF polar explorers wis,
are suspected Of taking. 1t is haraki
RI, which the discredited discoverer is
urged to pei form upon himself with
the aid Of a 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 thet OF
the Brooklyn explorer. for. far from
plodding over purple snow fields and
feeding gumdrops to the little children
Of the frozen world, Lieutenant Shi-
rase has not even left Japan on the
antarctic expedition which he ha!
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 Sill.
rase faces Is embarrassing.
Japanese Patriotism Aroused.
About a year ago this officer an.
nounced that he was going to head
quick dash tC the south pole by way
OF New Zealaud 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 lieutenants scheme found wide
taVor. The patriotism Of Japan was
stirred, and everybody began to figure
on the elation that would be theirs
after Lieutenant Shlrase had nailed
the sun flag to the neither pole
AS a matter of course contributions to
equip the lieutenant's expedition began
to come in to him plentifully. The
Asahi, one Of the influential papers of
Tokyo. placed itself at the head of the
Expedition Supporting society, of
which the fiery Count Okuma wa,
made president. Benefit wrestlin,,
matches and theatrical performance
were given in Tokyo. Osaka and Yok
hama. and everything seemed to
running fairly.
But recently enthusiasm began
wane when 1t was seen that thou
the head of the expedition had al
the funds necessary he was makinr
move to be off. The lieutenant on j.
part said that he could not find t.
L. At.
buy boat its owners conspired 10
beat him on the price.
Sake an Obstacle.
Then disorder broke out In the pick
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 its support
from the project and repudiated Lien
tenant Shirase. Then Count Okuma al
lowed that he had been betrayed int
false position, and he, too, withdrer
his support. The count Is now tryh
TO refund the contributions which b.
been put In his hands. and some
The refunding will probably have to /
done out Of that wise statesman's own
pocket
Therefore, the Yamato gravely says:
Lieutenant Shirase has made an TX
noble failure and held Japan up as
laughingstock to the world He is
more traitor than the American, pr
look, for at least DR.. Cook did sone-
hing, even though not all he claimed
o have done. Lieutenant Shirasa
hould apologize to the people he has
hl l<a1