Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-02-05


tracted anything like the attention
given to that Of Miss Eliza Ruhamah
Scidmore in a recent issue of the Out
look. Several weeks ago the Star-Bul-
Ietin referred editorialIy to this arti-
Gle. A large part Of it is published
herewith. Miss Scidmore has lived in
Japan for many years and is aeknowi-
edged to be an unusually accurate OBJ
server as we'll az an interesting writer.
She recently passed through Honolulu
on her way to the states -.
Japan joined very slowly and DELHI
erately, evidently reluctantly, in the
great war last summer; responded, as
bound by her alliance to do whenever
requested, and this time Ito protect
British commerce in the eastern seas.
So quietly and so slowly did the wheels
of government move towards that end
that many hoped until the very last
moment that Japan would not be en-
broiled at all. 1t meant setback to
all political plans and the breaking of
the promise to reduce taxation by
which Count Okuma's party had come
to power, in opposition to the military
clique which had ruled so long unhin-
dered and continually demanded more
million for more armament The &c.
10000 yen surplus in the treasury.
which gave opportunity to reduce the
business tax under which the mercan-
tile classes were groaning, vanished
into the 10000, 900 yen appropriated for
the Shantung expedition, and the mer-
chants stoically accepted the situation.
Throughout the whole affair Japan
has been calm, quiet, self-contained-a
splendid object-lesson of how to go to
war and not lose your head. There
was no boasting, no hurrahing, no
noisy "On to Tsingtau!" The troops
moved unseen, the expedition embark
ing from southern ports, and northern
troops moving down by night trains to
replace the departed garrisons in Kiu-
shiu Castle towns. All the rules of
war on land and sea, all The Hague
conventions and all the etiquette of
slaughter on land, in the air, on and
under the sea, have been scrupulous-
lyaobserved--a war with velvet gloves
our platonic war with Germany,
as F. Miyaoka has SO cleverly de.
scribed it. =.H ~--
Disregarding the Austrian example
in ultimatums, Japan allowed Ger.
many week to return an answer to-
her advice, and a month for disarma-'
ment and withdrawal should Germany,
accept the advice. Upon receipt of the
ultimatum in Berlin every Japanese in
Germany was clapped into prison, the
German government explaining that it
could not otherwise protect them. Jap
anese embassy efncials could not see
or communicate with them, nor get
the list of their names. One hundred
and seyenty-eight Japanese professors
and Students Wallets, acrobats, shop
keepers, and even children, were so de-
tanned, with no definite charge against
any one of them. Next the German
government seized G250,000 of Japa.
nese government money deposited in
the Deutsche bank in Berlin, and grim
war was on without any answer being
returned to the ultimatum.
Neither the ultimatum nor the dec
laration of war made any difference
whatever in the condition of the Ger
man residents in Japan No disturb
ance or demonstration was made, no
change occurred in their relations or
conditions. German reseryists contin-
ued to leave for America and Using
tau-even by Japanese vessels-and
no one was arrested or molested.
simultaneously with the declaration
| of war the minister of home affairs,
alarmed by the savage ways of war
In Christian Europe, ISSUED ins.ruc-
tons concerning the protection Of Ger.
man subjects in Japan, securing them
the same protection of person, prop
erty and honor as before If they con-
Quoted themselves without prejudice
to the interests of Japan and her al
| lies. The minister of education warn
ed teachers not to make imprudent re
marks that might rouse the luminosity
of young students, and urged them to
show every kindness and facility to
German teachers and students who
might be called to the colors. The
chief of police in Toxic reminded peo-
| pie that, although the two govern
ments had entered into hostilities for
good reasons" the people of the two
countries as individuals should not act
against each other in any way, and
that the citizens of Toxic should be
more magnanimous than tHer to those
Germans who chose to remain; that
they should not hold publiA meetings
to inspire luminosity, but always to be
worthy members of civilized, country.
Wherefore German RESIDENT went
about their affairs as freely as Amer.
lean or Spanish residents. OF a Ger
man teachers in government employ
only three left to join the coltrs at
Tsingtau, over so German teacheks re.
NAMED in private employ, and mo
students or classes showed disrepeet
or turbulence. German mining emf.
neers continued their duties at distant
mountain villages among thousands OF
laborers, and even the German editor
of subsidized newspaper continued
his criticisms of everything Japanese,
his philippines against England, and
Hobson prophecies of waf between ia
pan and America After one warning
| by the police his journal was sup
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