e ready to leave for the front as soon as horses, guns,
ammunition-carts and harness could be procured, it showed with horrible
distinctness how utterly ridiculous our methods of mobilization were.

The London diplomats went around like whipped curs, for all the early
enthusiasm for the Japanese alliance disappeared as soon as the English
merchants began to have such unpleasant experiences with the
unscrupulousness of the Japanese in business matters. As a matter of
fact the alliance had fulfilled its object as soon as Japan had fought
England's war with Russia for her. But the cabinet of St. James adhered
to the treaty, because they feared that if they let go of the hawser, a
word from Tokio would incite India to revolt. The soil there had for
years been prepared for this very contingency, and London, therefore,
turned a deaf ear to the indignation expressed by the rest of the world
at Japan's treacherous violation of peace.

At last at the end of July the transportation of troops to the West
began. But when the police kept a sharp lookout for Japanese or Chinese
spies at the stations where the troops were boarding the trains, they
were looking in the wrong place, for the enemy was smart enough not to
expose himself unnecessarily or to send spies who, as Mongolians, would
at once have fallen victims to the rage of the people if seen anywhere
near the camps.

Besides, such a system of espionage was rendered unnecessary by the
American press, which, instead of benefiting by past experience, took
good care to keep the Japanese well informed concerning the military
measures of the government, and even discussed the organization of the
army and the possibilities of the strategical advance in a way that
seemed particularly reprehensible in the light of the fearful reverses
of the last few months. The government warnings were disregarded
especially by the large dailies, who seemed to find it absolutely
impossible to regard the events of the day in any other light than that
of sensational news to be eagerly competed for.

This competition for news from the seat of war and from the camps had
first to lead to a real catastrophe, before strict discipline could be
enforced in this respect. A few patriotic editors, to be sure, refused
to make use of the material offered them; but the cable dispatches sent
to Europe, the news forwarded triumphantly as a proof that the Americans
were now in a position "to toss the yellow monkeys i