New Ulm review., 1911-03-01
JAPS NAY CURE
FAKE EXPLORERS
Harakiri Recommended to Their
Own Dr. Cook.
LIEUTENANT SA|RASE 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 II new remedy In Japan
for the cure Of polar explorers who
are suspected Of taking. 1t is haraki-
ii, which the discredited discoverer is
urged to perform upon himself with
the aid Of a short sword.
The Yamato, a Tokyo newspaper,
makes this recommendation to Lieu
tenant Shirasc 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 Shi-
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 year ago this officer an
nounced that he was going to head
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 lieutenants 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.
AS 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 was
made president. Benefit wrestling
matches and theatrical performances
were given In Tokyo, Osaka and Yoko-.
hama. aud everything seemed to be
running fairly.
But recently enthusiasm began to
wane when 1t 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 lie could not find the
proper ship. Every time he tried to
buy a boat its owners conspired to
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 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
a 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 iaughingstock to the world. He is
more a 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"