The recent crisis was wuch more serious at first imagined, principally, I believe, because the military chiefs threatened to sweep the country into war while the slumbering Russophobism of the people being fully aroused there was not a voice raised in fe your of peace.
On Saturday lest we were trembling on ths verve of a great e-nflict—not trembling, perhaps, but certainly on the verge, Had Russia not backed down there would, think, have been war. Most well-infern ed Japanese said there was no danger—no danger at all—but when questioned as to the grounds of this optimism they could only say,—''Oh, of course Russia will give way." It was likely that Russia would give way, but it was not certain, and there was on the other hand no unlikelihood in our northern friend declining to take a diplomatic fall at the hands of little Japan or in pushing bluf'too far, Russia' somewhat supercilious answer to Japan's first representation was certainly risky and seemed to be based on information supplied. to his Government by the Russian Minister here to the effect that Jupan was only trying to produce, in her well-known imitative fashion, a facsimile bluff resembling as much as possible the superior and highly finished Russiun article. But a thousand symptoms soon showed that, whatever Marqu's Ito's intentions were at first in making a protest, the whole nation had made up its mind that if Russia did not withdraw the Manchurian convention she would have to fight. I was much surprised indeed at the unanimous jingoism of th penple—students, merchants, literary men, and clerks all speaking calmly of helping the Government with their last sen if necessary in case there was war. But that word people includes in this case a very limited proportion of the Occidentaliced Japanese, The common folk were not touched apparently at any time by the Manchurian controversy: they certainly exhibited no interest in the matter. On the 3rd of April, a date which is always observed as a holiday here in honour of the first emperor of Japan, some 50,000 labourers were attracted to beautiful spot on the Sumida river by the promise, on the part of a Tokio puper, of a free lunch. The police authorities only allowed 5,000, as a matter of fact, to enter the énelasure, but ths other 45,000 were not far distant and hence the opportunity for see ug the raw material of Dai-Nippon was unique, But during all that day the writer (who was present at the fate) witnessed no anti-Russian demonstration of any kind, The only demonstration that took place was directed against the unfortunate paper that had arranged the outing, by the 45,00C hungry souls that had had no dinner, Twas alarmed to see huge ornamental ar hes toppling over, imitation temples shaking to their foundations, and other fearsome manifestations while all the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.