INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY
After the Japanese officer had taken his abrupt departure Phil looked
despondent.
“This thing must not occur, Phil,” Sydney cried out earnestly, laying
his hand affectionately upon the shoulder of his classmate. “The whole
miserable affair can and must be explained. To fight this duel would
only heap fuel on the already smouldering fire of misunderstanding
between the two countries. It is our duty,” he urged, “to go to Taki
and unmask this man Impey; don’t you see by remaining passive we are
aiding him in his designs, whatever they may be?”
Phil sat unmoved, apparently unheeding his friend’s appeal.
“You haven’t considered, Syd,” he replied sadly. “These Japanese are
not like our own people. I have done bodily injury to an officer of the
Emperor of Japan in his sacred uniform. Until he kills me the shame
cannot be wiped out. So you see,” he ended hopelessly, “I must fight;
there is no other way.”
“But,” Sydney persisted unconvinced, “suppose we told him where you
found the document and that you had the best of intentions and were
going to give it to him, when you found it had been taken away from
you. Couldn’t you then apologize for your act, explaining that he
misunderstood you entirely? Surely Taki will be influenced by his
academy training to believe you are not afraid, but that your only wish
is to aid the two governments to remain on peaceful terms.”
Phil’s answer was prevented by a knock on the door, and the man who
they believed was at the bottom of their trouble came in.
The two midshipmen did not attempt to conceal that his presence was
unwelcome; but unheeding the evident coldness of his reception, he
sat down calmly in a vacant chair, regarding the Americans with a
complacent smile on his face.
“I have done all I could to dissuade Lieutenant Takishima,” Impey
began. The midshipmen winced, for they fully believed that his
protestations of friendship for them were only feigned.
“But he insists upon the challenge. These Japanese are mediæval in
their methods of thought. He even talked of hara-kiri. He said he would
be forever disgraced. His soul revolted at the thought that violent
hands had been laid upon him. You know how these fellows feel.”
“I didn’t ask for your good offices, Mr. Impey,” Phil exclaimed in
sudden anger. “I am fully able to look out for myself.”
“As you please,” Impey returned in a hurt voice, giving an expressive
shrug to his massive shoulders. “Of course you have thought how the
duel is going to influence affairs?”
“Your interest in our doings, Mr. Impey, for an outsider, seems to me
quite extraordinary.” Phil spoke in a quieter voice. “Perhaps if you
would be good enough to explain a few points to us this duel which you
profess to wish to avoid might be averted.”
Impey’s face flushed, while an uneasiness crept into his crafty eyes.
“Only the interest of friendship,” he declared quickly. “I have always
had the confidence of your ambassador.”
“Maybe you wouldn’t mind telling us,” Phil asked, “how you came by the
lost naval document I found in the hand of one of the secret service
men who assaulted you in your rooms last night.” Impey regarded Phil in
much surprise.
“I can easily,” he declared. His face had suddenly cleared. “Was it you
then who answered my call for help? I heard your answer just as I was
losing consciousness.”
Phil waved the question aside.
“It was found by a friend and given to me,” Impey continued after a
pause. “I recognized it as an important paper, but at that time I
knew nothing of its character. I can translate Japanese, and instead
of going to the prime minister’s ball, I made a translation of that
letter. One of my friends, Randall, was with me and had just gone out
when I was attacked. He discovered me afterward unconscious on the
floor of my room.”
Phil was about to interrupt with another question, but Impey hastened
on.
“You took it then from my assailants, but how did it go to the
sailors?” Impey asked. “They claim to have found it at the theatre, and
they brought it on board my yacht at Yokohama, and they are there at
this moment--my prisoners. In the interest of peace and for your good
I have held them until I could come to you and privately explain the
situation.”
For the fraction of a second there was silence. To Phil, Impey’s voice
sounded insincere, yet everything pointed to its being the truth.
Suddenly Sydney jumped to his feet, his eyes bright with amazement.
“Then why did Taki take the stand he did? He did not know our
connection with this document?” he asked.
Impey’s face was wreathed in smiles.
“That is quite simple to explain. Captain Inaba believes that you, Mr.
Perry, had the letter, for the sailors said they showed it to your
Japanese steward and he was in Captain Inaba’s office this morning. I
saw him come away from there myself.”
The two midshipmen exchanged rapid glances. Had they been mistaken in
their estimate of Impey? Was he after all playing square? Yet the
conversation on the train was still unexplained.
“Were you on the special train that brought us to Tokyo yesterday?”
Phil suddenly asked, while Impey, apparently unconscious of the
intended trap being laid for him by the midshipman, nodded, his face
still smiling.
“Then how can you explain as a friend of the Americans, and holding
the confidence of the American ambassador, your action in assuring
a Japanese companion that America was negotiating for the Chinese
squadron when you know that it is untrue?” Phil’s voice held a ring
of triumph. He watched Impey’s face intently, certain of surprising
a guilty start, but he was doomed to disappointment. Instead the
foreigner continued to placidly smile.
“I am afraid as detectives you are but a qualified success,” Impey said
in a patronizing voice. “You have unfortunately followed a blind trail.
Everything I have done has been with Mr. Tillotson’s fullest approval.
In order to surprise their secret from them I intentionally made the
Japanese officials believe that the United States was negotiating for
the ships of the new Chinese navy. That I was successful was shown by
the contents of the lost letter.”
The two lads stood nonplussed before the wily foreigner. Phil doubted
that the ambassador would give his sanction to such a method. Impey’s
conduct was inexplicable to the midshipman. Instead of an enemy, as
they had come to believe him, was he in reality a friend who had warned
their government, through Mr. Tillotson, of an act which would harm the
“balance of power” in the Far East?
Try as he would Phil felt it was difficult to regard Impey in this new
rôle of friend. Down in the bottom of his heart, he yet mistrusted him.
“Then, as matters stand,” Sydney exclaimed perplexedly, “Perry and
I are believed to be responsible for the lost document, and we are
supposed to have sent it to our ship by the two sailors. Your part in
translating it and giving the contents to the ambassador is not known
by the Japanese at all?”
Impey nodded, as he answered quickly:
“Captain Inaba knows that I held the letter last night, but he still
thinks I am working for him. My men from the yacht were returning on
board, for I was on the point of taking a trip on her. They met your
two sailors and the Japanese steward on the train. As easily happens
in a foreign country, they became acquainted, and your sailors went by
invitation on board the yacht. There they displayed this lost document,
which my men knew at once was important. When I went on board, ready
to sail, they told me of it, and I found they had imprisoned your
sailors, fearing they might get in trouble ashore if they were arrested
with this paper on their persons. I at once hastened back to Tokyo to
tell you of it and that was the reason I followed you and Lieutenant
Takishima. I pretended to have business with him to allay suspicion and
I was endeavoring to find an opportunity to confide in one of you when
the unfortunate trouble with the Japanese lieutenant occurred.”
“And you say that Sago, our Japanese steward, has betrayed us by going
to Captain Inaba with his information?” Phil exclaimed.
“I have not the slightest doubt of it.” Impey’s voice was quite
positive. “Captain Inaba is not now in Tokyo; he has gone on a secret
and sudden mission. Lieutenant Takishima, your friend and classmate,
deliberately and openly insulted you. Would you want more proof than
that?”
“What is this secret mission?” both lads asked, their voices rising in
excitement.
“It must be over this same troublesome question--the Chinese ships,”
Impey replied readily. “In my opinion he has gone to intercept them and
thus prevent the United States from seizing them first.”
“Then we can do nothing,” Phil exclaimed, deeply disappointed.
“I don’t see how you can prevent it,” Impey answered seriously,
inwardly smiling at the changed attitude of the two midshipmen.
“Japan is under a military government and controls the actions of
every person within the empire. It is safe to believe that the United
States government will have no news of this move until all danger of
interruption from the war-ships in Manila Bay is passed. Therefore
there will be no instructions to your captain, and without them he
would hardly dare attempt an act which might lead to war. He must stay
in Yokohama harbor while Captain Inaba is hastening with a fast and
doubtless powerful force to seize the Chinese ships.”
“Suppose Japan does seize these ships,” Sydney said quietly. “Where is
the harm to us?”
“I see you have not been in the ambassador’s confidence,” Impey replied
quickly. “China has given to the United States government a sphere of
influence to balance those of Japan, Russia, Germany and the other
countries of Europe. This sphere is immensely valuable and coveted by
Japan, which has without China’s permission begun a railroad connecting
the coal and iron fields with the railroad won from Russia. Japan is
now wealthy and lacks nothing but war-ships. With the addition of the
new Chinese navy she will be in a position to push her railroad clear
through into the American sphere, in fact, force America into the
embarrassing position of refusing this valuable concession from China.”
While Impey talked, the lads’ eyes opened wide in astonishment. They
could not believe that such international dishonesty was possible.
“How do you know all this?” Sydney asked in bewilderment.
Impey shrugged his shoulders.
“I have been born and brought up in the Far East. To me the
undercurrent of Oriental diplomacy is an open book.”
“Does the ambassador know this?” Phil inquired seriously.
“Not all,” Impey confided mysteriously. “I have told him a great deal,
but not being a military man it would do no good to try to convince
him of the danger in the naval supremacy of Japan after acquiring the
Chinese ships.”
“Captain Rodgers should be told this at once,” Phil exclaimed, rising
and taking Impey’s arm. The lad’s manner had now entirely changed. The
startling news made him now regard Impey as a friend and ally, trusting
him as completely as he would have mistrusted him an hour ago.
“I am very sorry that I have misjudged you.” The lad’s voice was
apologetic.
“I am only glad that I have been able to convince you of the danger to
your country,” Impey answered quickly, “but wait; no good can be gained
by going to Captain Rodgers. As I said before, he cannot act without
orders, and orders cannot come, as all cablegrams will be stopped by
the imperial government until Captain Inaba has secured the Chinese
ships.”
The midshipmen stared helplessly at Impey, an anxious question in their
eyes.
“The yacht ‘Sylvia’ is our only hope,” Impey whispered in an impressive
voice. “She is faster than a scout cruiser, and is coaled and ready to
sail. With her we can steam south until we get the fleet at Manila by
wireless, and then send them the news. That would allow the American
admiral to sail, intercept the Chinese squadron before Captain Inaba
could reach them, and take the Chinese ships under the American flag
into Manila Bay.”
The midshipmen paled at the daring of the plan.
“The admiral in Manila would not dare act without direct orders from
Washington,” Phil cried earnestly, “and would Washington give such
orders without knowing all?”
“There would not be time to wait for Washington to confirm the
admiral’s decision. He would have to act promptly, using his own
discretion and take the consequences. I think you will find the admiral
will act without a second’s hesitation when he gets the wireless that
we shall send him.”
“But,” Sydney exclaimed, “what right would our admiral have to seize
the ships of a friendly country? If Japan chooses to set aside
international etiquette and commit this act of piracy on the high seas,
that is not sufficient warrant for us to do the same thing.”
“But suppose the admiral held a written agreement signed by the Chinese
highest authority, the Wai-Wu-Pu, turning over the ships to the
protection of the United States?” Impey asked.
“But where is this agreement?” Phil exclaimed incredulously.
“In my pocket,” Impey returned, smiling at the surprise on the lads’
faces.
“That would clear the admiral in so far as China was concerned,”
Phil exclaimed, “but he would want direct authority, signed by the
Secretary of the Navy, for such an important step.”
Impey shrugged his shoulders and gazed upon the midshipman pityingly.
“Your admiral of course must make his own choice of action, but I
believe he would consider our news sufficient warrant to act,” he
replied, rising to his feet and holding out his hand in farewell.
The lads a half hour before would have purposely failed to see the
friendly advance of one they had decided was their enemy, but now they
grasped him by the arms and insisted upon a further explanation.
“It is not likely the Japanese authorities would allow the ‘Sylvia’ to
sail?” Phil questioned eagerly. “They are probably now watching all who
go on board.”
“There’s your opportunity,” Impey replied forcefully. “You are naval
men, and have been educated to run risks. I offer you the yacht, and
point out the only way to checkmate Captain Inaba’s move.”
“What will you do?” Phil asked eagerly.
“I cannot appear at all,” Impey explained quickly and impressively.
“There’s an English steamer sailing at midnight for Manila direct, or
I shall go aboard the ‘Alaska’ for safety, leaving the yacht in your
hands.”
“We cannot leave our ship in that way!” Phil exclaimed. “Captain
Rodgers must be told our plans, and I am sure he would refuse to let us
go. If he thought the cause was urgent he would sail with the ‘Alaska’
and wireless the situation to Manila on the way south.”
Impey’s face became suddenly grave, and he drew closer to the
midshipman, casting his eyes apprehensively toward the door.
“That is the gravest danger. The ambassador is the only other person
who knows,” he said in a low, impressive whisper. “The Japanese
battle-ships have orders to prevent by force the sailing of the
‘Alaska.’ We do not dare give this alarming information to your
captain. If he knew he would gladly fight his way out of Yokohama Bay.
We bow to him as a naval man, but we are not willing to use his ready
diplomacy. The yacht would cause no comment. The secret document will
be delivered to the Japanese officials, and in the night the ‘Sylvia’
can easily steal away. Your ambassador can without arousing suspicion
requisition your services from your captain, telling him that he needs
you for secret duty, and nothing more.
“I wish you could avoid this meeting with Takishima,” Impey added
nervously. “If anything should happen the opportunity would be lost.”
He rose again from his chair and moved toward the door. “I shall see
the ambassador at once, and endeavor to hurry the plans along. He will
send for you. Meanwhile,” he urged, “do your best to propitiate that
fire-eating little Oriental.”
The three shook hands, and the door closed behind the conspirator.
Phil and Sydney gazed at each other in blank amazement. Where was the
key to the problem? Who could be trusted?