The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-16
'NOC| RISES IN THE !. ESTIMATION 0F LAPS Generals Act Was Very An
 cient Custom TAKAMINE EXPLAINS Counsel General Numano Declares Nogi Felt He Could do Japan
 More Good by Dying Than
 by Living
CAPTAIN ROBERT F. SCOTT.


 New York. September 15.- Especially All tlss wssiarn v'orid is trying tadas' to grasp the story of the suicide near Tokio of Gen. Mareyesulk NogL the conqueror of Port Arthur, and his Vas sar trained wife. In deep devotion to their dead Emperor Mutsuhito. at the sound of the first gun telling that the funeral train was moving from the Aoyama palace, General Nogi quietly killed himself with a jeweled sword, and the countess as quietly committed the honorable act of self disembowel- ment. a
 Why, yes,n nodded pr. Jokochi Ia kamine today, quite placldly. Dr. Ta- kamine is attending the chemists con- vention.
 General Nogi followed his Emperor in spirit as well as body"
 "Oh," said Consul General Numano, equally imperturbably, The could have lived a long time. perhaps but by death now he will arouse enthusiasm and patriotism and the best qualities of the Japanese. He can now be looked upon as a real Japanese warrior. By his death he will be immortalized It is very simple. He felt that by dying now
  dying at any other time
 New York only shook Its head and looked at Dr Takamine and Mr. Nu- mano in puzzled wonder, as London Is shaking it's head, and St. Louis is shak- ing it's head, and wherever western civ ilization has strung it's telegraph wires hundreds of thousands are trying to make themselves see the bravery and beauty in an act that from copybooks to courts they have heard called cow lardly.
 pr Takamine, whose retorts and lerucibles and occidental learning, have touched only one side of him, tried again to explain more painstakingly The act of q general following his Emperor In death is very ancient custom he said Tt is known and practieed in aib oriental countries. and lis perfectly understood, for example, in Asia and India. 1t is fealty the highest love that general can show to his Emperor that prompts him to Kill himself in this way. [ cannot say who introduced the custom into Japan, or where it originated. It comes from Japan's past--it is very old, indeed
 And General Nogis wife--well, It seems but natural to us that she should be no less loyal to her Emperor than the general was himself.
 General Nogi was an old man. He must have felt it was best to go with the Emperor. He asked himself the tquestion whether he could do more good by going or by remaining, and could do more by dying. Rumors BaseIess
 Tokio. September f5.-The city has been kept in q state of excitennt since tl,e suicide of General Nogi ana his wife, Countess Nogi, by rumora that other per- sons and ended their lives in testimony of their devotion to the departed Emperor Mutsuhito All such reports, however, proved to be haseless
 The ne wspapers of the country are filled with graphic accounts of the. suicide 0: General Nogf and his wife. The under lying note of all editorial utterance is that although suicide shouId be con dernned for q bad example. yet the at in the case Of General Nogi plainly indj- cated splendid adherence 10 the ancient traditional spirit of the co;intry. The newspapers uniformly praisa .i;e Japa- nese soldiers deyotion to his Emperor. Prepared Three Statements General Nopi. before takins his own life, prepared three statemcnls, which he sealed. These statements propahly will be made public tomorrow, Before pibnSlhB iiiS ~ s"oio 'H'o ms throat resulting in the fataiities General Nogi drew his knife across his abdomen. causing the skin to break. Tiiss vas done i'm accord with the ancient customs of Japan. which General Negs was most careful to observe in preparing for death It is now understood that General Nogi paid visit to his closest friends or the day before he ended his lie Among others he visited Prince Aritono Yaina- 
 (Continued on paEe seven)