(From rae "Jaray Trices.")
On the morning of the 18th, Messrs, Massanosuke Kato, Kumakichi Oishi and Jun-chiro Otsu, all on the standing committee of the Progressive Party, waited on Admiral Baron Yamamoto, Minister of the Navy, at the Admiralty office, and submitted the following "Your Excellenay:—It was only the other day that the nation, with the Government, had to grieve over the sinking of the Kinshu Mara by Russia's Vladivostock fleet. We believe that the authorities have since then been most watchful. But we have now. the disaster that has befallen the Hitachi Mara and other vessels; and the occasion was tantamount to allowing a defenceless feet of ships to proceed to sea in the face of an enemy; we people, whose sons and brothers are engaged in the war, cannot obtain a day's pence of mind, as we are filled with harassing anxieties. We beseech the authorities to make public their views on the event in question, and the means they propose to take for ensuring future safety, in all frankness within the limits that the divalgence 18 nob injurious."
In reply the Minister sid: "To begin with, seeing that you have prefaced your remarks with a reference to the Kinshu Mara disaster, I cannot help feeling it to be your ides that, whereas the occurrence was in the nature of a warning against the repetition of sach a disaster, the one that has now, taken place: should be ascribed to the neglect of duty on the part of those in charge of the matter. I therefore will first speak of the Kinshu Maru affair. She was originally commissioned to keep the 'Kamimura squadron' sapphod with drinking water and coal, Uwing, however, to unfavourable weather, she was obliged to seek shelter in Gensan Bay, along with a torpedo-boat. While there, she was asked by our garrison at that place to convey a party of soldiers who were to reconnoitre a certain locality. While engaged in this work, the weather became bad and the torpedo-boat was obliged to leave the Kinshn Maru and seek safety at a certain spot. About the sume time owing to dense fog the 'Kamimura squadron' missed the Viadivostock ships, and it was while thus left alone that the catastrophe occurred to the Kinsha Mara, she being sunk by the enemy. There were some persons taken prisoners by the enemy at the time; but as only a one-sided statement is at present obtainable, nothing definite can be said as to who should be held responsible for that unfortunate affair. Coming next to the latest occurrence, it is necessary first to speak of the attempts which have been made to block the Port Arthur channel. A section of the Public seems to find fault with the attempt, they believe a large number of lives were risked for mere spectacular effect. True, the sttempin ware vary, bamerdow viewed from
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.