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fact. There was not a trace of swagger or of roughness about any of them.
Further back from the jetty, the road was flanked by Japanese school children, boys on the right, girls on the left, about 200 of each, and not a clean-wiped nose in the whole lot. Some say the Japanese believe a sloppy nose is a sign of health in children. Certainly it seems 80.
Behind these gaily-dressed rows of merry little tots there were orowds of solemn, sheepish looking Coreans, tier on tier of them, up the face of a steep little hill overlooking the road from the jetty into the town. If I were asked about the feeling of the Coreans on the subject of Marquis Ito's mission. I should say they did not feel at all. If there is any Corean who really cares much about anything in the world, I have never seen him, and really have seen many Coreans since ten years ago. The crowd to-day showed a casual curiosity, nothing more; here was something to see, something to warrant a cessation of all work (though they seldom require a warrant!), but I do not think the Coreans at large cared a straw about the momentous event or its significance.
The streets of the Japanese settlement were hung with banners and mottoes, simple in the extreme; and most of the Japanese buildings. especially the consulate, post-office. railway station, shipping companies' offices, and prin- cipal shops, were similarly decorated.
On the jetty itself, about 11 am.. stood a small knot of principal personages: Minister Hayashi and his secretary, the whole Japanese Consular staff of Seoul and Chemulpo, about a dozen army officers, and a few civilians. merchants and so on. There were also about a dozen foreigners scattered about. nearly the total muster of Chemulpo. including the British and Chinese Consuls. No other country has a Consul here: Russia had one, but on the outbreak of hostilities he was suddenly panic-stricken. and ran down to the Japanese Consulate. begging to be protected. This sounds like a
yarn," but it is not.
Of course he was perfectly safe and would not have been even asked to take down his flag; the Russian Consul at Fusan stayed at his post till the end of the month, and left of his own accord, being unexceptionably treated up to the time of his departure.
The most prominent feature of the whole bright scene here to-day was a gorgeous sedan chair which the Emperor of Corea sent down from his place at Seoul, for the conveyance of the august person of the Japanese Emperor's special envoy. The chair was upholstered in primitive vermilion and peacock blue; none of your half-hearted medium tints, but plain out- spoken colours that could make themselves heard and felt. The shape of the chair was about the same as the ordinary sort seen in pictures of Old London.
This vehicle was to be carried on the shoulders of eight sturdy Corean bearers, dressed in a kind of uniform. All Corean dresses look like very loosely tied bundles; no form, no shape, no fit, no pattern, just big slack masses of cotton-cloth. The dress of these bearers may be called "uniform," because it was distinctly less slack than most, and had a sash round the middle. And the hat was a trifle more babyish in size and style than the usual Corean hat.
Besides the group of important persons on the jetty, there was a very humble one, though from some points of view as important as almost
any-a photographer. He was a struggling local artist, who had never seen any good chance like this for a long time, so he was very anxious to get a good view. It was an awkward place to manoeuvre a camera, for every position that would command the landing would have the sun straight in front, and that would spoil a photo. After the man had pottered about for half an hour and at last got a fine position, to his dismay a lordly sub-lieutenant brusquely ordered him off! And here was the boat from the Hongkong Maru quite near the jetty now; it would be alongside in two or three minutes, and there was no chance to find another plase. As the photographer looked round des- pairingly, I caught his eye, and on the spur of the moment took him under my protection. The name of a great English paper carries weight, and the official pass from the Japanese War Office carries more, so as my employee the poor photographer was allowed to remain undis-
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
turbed in the very best position. As a matter of fact he was not in my service at all, but he gave me in gratitude the first copies of his photos, and they were far better than those I took for myself. In this case a friend in need is the mother of invention.
And then, after all, Marquis Ito did not come!
When the boat touched the jetty, two natty officials stepped ashore and informed Minister Hayashi that the Marquis was slightly indispos ed after the voyage, and was hardly equal to the task of landing at once and rushing up to the capital without a little rest. So he would tiffin on board, and would be glad if Mr. Hayashi would take tiffin with him; then they could land about three, without hurry or fuss.
This information spread from the jetty all along the lines of waiting people, up the road. and everybody just laughed, that patient, good humoured laugh which takes the place of dis- appointment with Japanese. They had stood for hours, in a blustering dusty wind, eager to sing the Kami-go-yo and to shout Banzai, and to get a momentary glimpse of Japan's Grand Old Man,and it all came to nothing! It was a good joke on them. Shikataganai, it could not be helped, so they all laughed and went home.
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Everybody intended to go down again to the jetty at three o'clock. but another disappoint ment was in store, for Marquis Ito and Minister Hayashi came ashore almost unobserved at 1.30, and simply walked off to the Consulate before anybody knew they had come. No gaudy sedan chair, no soldiers, no school children, no national anthem, no cheers, uo'ovation; the great man. the one on whom largely depends at this critical time the destiny of several nations, came ashore just as if he had been an ordinary mortal.
Arrived at the Consulate at 1.40, he received visitors without ceremony up to the time of his departure. 3.30. The crowd soon gathered. lining the streets thickly in the immediate vicinity, waiting to get a peep at the Marquis on his way to the station. It was mainly a Japanese crowd, quite of the usual sort, with a few soldiers here and there, a few housemaids and nursegirls with babies, and a predominance of the eternal small boy. The chief amuse- ment of the crowd WES to pass remarks on Marquis Ito's distinguished visitors as they went in and out. The Corean is a never-failing source of merriment to the Japanese; the slatternly-looking uniforms of the Corean police and military officers, designed in imitation of Japanese, are in painful, pitiful contrast. In all Asia, and perhaps in all the world, there is no nation quite so clean, neat, and spruce as the Japanese, while the Corean is the worst sloven in the world.
14
(and
I
[April 18. 1904 asked for one of the secretaries, I was received by a quiet, pleasant man who talked with me for about an hour. questioned him a great deal, and discussed freely, and finally I asked,
Is there any chance to see Minister Hayashi, or is he too busy nowadays, and too much bothered already by newspaper men?" Placidly he answered, “I am Minister Hayashi; the secretary was out, so I thought I could tell you what you wished to know." This frank simplicity and willingness to do a service is a characteristic which I have found to be practically universal among the Japanese, and I have been among them, off and on, during fifteen years. High-and-mightiness is one of the rarest things among them.
Marquis Ito had no time for more than a few words with each caller. Then he entered the warm-hued sedan chair and was borne at a trot
to the railway station, hotly pursued by the large crowd. The troops lined, the station yard. The hurrying crowd just regained breath enough to shout one Banzai as the Marquis disappeared into the train, and that ended the proceedings. He settled down com. fortably, in a palace car built for the Corean Emperor, and did not trouble about further goodbyes, or speeches on the platform, or bowing to the cheers, or anything. The train puffed off, and the rain came on. Towards evening there was a little snow.
THE TSAR AND HIS ADVISERS.
[FROM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] A perusal of the course taken after Count Lamsdorff's interview with the Tsar at the beginning of August, as recorded in the Japan- ese Blue-book just issued, will readily afford to the unprejudiced reader a full and sufficient explanation of what might otherwise appear a strangely abrupt method of breaking off pro- fessedly friendly relations. As a fact the guiding hand of Count Lamsdorff is missing in all the subsequent correspondence. Like weak monarchs in all ages, the Tsar, distrusting his regular advisers, yet not feeling himself strong enough to dismiss them entirely, sought to adopt a middle course and employ amateur advisers to extricate him from the mess into. which his own folly had entangled him. The appointment of Admiral Alexieff as virtually Russian satrap in the Far East relieved of any obligation to report to any of the Tsar's responsible Ministers, was only one of a series of gigantic blunders which have gone far in destroying the prestige of the Empire. The Tsar is well known to have surrounded himself with a crowd of irresponsible Ministers, to whom he has recourse when in his eyes the ordinary holders of office are not Herein was a good illustration of the saying competent.Constitutionally in Russia, as else- that clothes make the man." There was a
where, it is held that when once a Minister has striking contrast between the firm, smart step-lost the confidence of his master the latter is out and the ashamed-looking slouch. The bound to dismiss him; but so plain a course has Japanese, knowing that he looks spick and span, not recommended itself to the mind of the Tsar, and that the sword at his side is his friend and who thinks his interests best subserved by setting constant companion, almost a part of himself, is a check on the movements of his own Ministers. obviously blood-relation of the Corean, has the In connection with this habit of the Tsar the same features, the same everything, yet is name of a M. Besabrasoff is widely mentioned. strangely unlike in manner and bearing, for the M. Besabrasoff is known to have two darling Corean is conscious of his own slatternliness, interests in view. In the first place, he is a and his whole appearance seems to say, "I know hater of M. De Witte, and is generally credited I am no credit, but I really have no energy to with the inception of the plot which removed buck up.
His very facial expression invites him from his portfolio as Minister of Finance; people to laugh at him, and be sorry for him. secondly, he is known as the originator of a Marquis Ito received them in turn, in a quiet, scheme for exploiting very much in his own unassuming, kindly manner. This caused mild interests the possessions of Russia in Central surprise among the Coreans, for they thought Asia; these schemes met with no favour from & King Stork was coming into their frog-pond. M. de Witte, whence the cause of his revenge. They are not alone in this idea, for I have seen Thirdly, the Tsar, having heedlessly placed it suggested in Europe and America that Japan himself in the hands of Admiral Alexieff, finds is likely to ride roughshod over Corea. No himself entangled in the meshes of his, crooked greater mistake could be made than to think so. policy, and finds no way of escape without Those writers who anticipate a tendency to having recourse to his regular Ministers whom become overbearing, or to develop swelled he thoroughly distrusts. More dark assertions head," on the part of the Japanese, do not know are openly made about the dark superstitions them. I suppose nearly all nations have their which cast a cloud over the private life of the Chauvinists, their Jingoes, their Maffickers, but Tsar; that he believes himself under the special I am sure Japan has less of this element than ban of Heaven is apparent in his daily acts. most of the great nations. There is no more His extraordinary appeal to the higher Powers friendly, unassuming gentleman in the world in his declaration of war against Japan is only than the Japanese of the dominant class; and one instance out of many. The extraordinary their power over the masses is greater than in police precautions which he considers necessary western nations.
to safeguard his person are only indications of a morbid fear of assassination, which is rendering his life a blacker death than death itself. In fact there is every reason to believe that the present
As an illustration of unaffected modesty and kindliness I may mention a recent incident in Seoul. I went to the Japanese Legation
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