The Washington herald., 1913-06-27
Court Gossip of Interesting
EpentS on Two Continents

Copyright, iss By a. d. Jscobson)
It In apparent to foreign observers that
the issue between the United States ana
Japan has raised the question Of the re-
lat.ons between the so-called white races
and those of Asia 1t IL Of vital impor-
lance not only to America. but to the
discovering colonies of Great Britain
as we'll It bids fair to become q world
issue.
No one win blame California as to the
stand she has taken. Her sovereign
right is undeniable to make her own laws
as to ownership Of her soil. as long as
these laws do not conflict with those or
the Federal government. This is not the
mistake she has made. The Californians
knew that the Chinese had slant eyes
and could be kicked at will. They IN
ferred that as the Japanese also have
slant eyes they also could be kicked
about. False logic this. An Eskimo does
not differ as much from South Sea
Islander than a Japanese from a CHINA
man. In China the mercantile class Is
supreme. the soldier is looked upon with
contempt In japan the merchant Is
"HeInin'' "a nobody. while the soldier
mas peen esteeineu 2ot she PoSs 49,
years.
The heroes of Japan are the forty
seven Ronins and their tombs at Sen
gakuji are to this day shrines ever ira
grant with the incense and the prayers
OF the people. These men some 200 years
ago devoted themselves to death In order
to avenge their lord. Count Asano Ia
kumi, who had been insulted by kira-
the overload. Takumi struck Ktra with
his sword and was condemned to hara-
kiri suicide, because Kira was of royal
blood. Takumi had 100 Samurai among
his followers, who under the japanese
law were set free by his death to seek
service with other masters.
Fifty-five of these. however, remained
loyal, following the precepts OF Confu-
cius. They dissembled and scattered far
and wide, but their leader, Oishi kura-
nosoke. knew where they could be found.
He sought to allay the apprehension OF
the suspicious Kira by becoming the
town drunkard of Kyoto, but even so
he had to wait nearly two years before
Kira's watchfulness was relaxed. Then
the secret call speedily assembled the
faithful at Yeddo. Only forty-seven
were living They took their arms and
armor which had long lain hidden. They
ate a farewell supper. The air was thick
with snow as they marched to the
yashigf Of Kira. Two warriors crept over
the wall. killed the Waterman, and
opened the gate. Oishi attacked the cas-
tie at front and postern. There was a
great battle-one hundred and fifty
Samurai against the forty-seven-but In
the end the latter prevailed. Oishi Of
fered Kira the sword of the insulted
Takumi that he might use its blade to
commit sepuku, and when Kira had
thrice refused Oishi cut OF his head with
the same blade.
Only fifteen of the forty-seven were
able to walk after the terrible set-to, the
remaining thirty-two were wounded so
seriously that they had to be carried in
litters All Of them wended their way
to the tomb Of their avenged Lord, Ia
kumi. and offered him the head OF Kira,
his slayer. on a sacrifcial table Of white
pine, praying that their masters spirit
would pardon the long delay of his
''hoporable' revenge. Each one of these
forty-seven. by the Shogun's command,
were sentenced to the privilege" OF dy-
ing by hara-kiri, and everyone of them
thrust his own blade into his heart with
smile of satisfaction. because Kira's
insult of Takumi had been wiped out at
last.
This is ancient history. But the same
spirit lives in the Japanese OF today,
and II may be useful 10 the Californians-
the Americans-to know that at the time
of the war with Russia the authorities
OF Sengakuji had to put guards around
the tombs OF Oishi, the leader OF the
forty-seven, and Of his son. and thew
even had to cover the tombstones with
wood work. Every japanese soldier who
could get to Sengakuji, three miles south
of Toxic, Clipped of the sandstone monu-
ment a bit no bigger than a mustard
seed and wrapped it in a prayer-paper,
and sewed 1t inside his coat as an ANU
let, a charm not against death, but with
the prayer that he, the soldier of today.
might die as gloriously in avenginS
Russia's insult to his emperor as Oishi
had died in avenging the insult to his
Lord. Asano Takumi
Such is the spirit Of the japanese at