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Show . JAPAN'S SALVATION RESTS ON CAMPAIGN OF SILENCE Mikado's Representative at London Explains Why His Country Is Insistent Upon Such a Rigid Censorship Over News Being Sent Out. LONDON, Feb. 2S. In reference to the severity of the censorship exercised by the Japanese Government over the news dispatches of foreign correspondents, correspond-ents, Baron Hayaskl, tho Japanese Minister to Great Britain, said to the Associated Press today: "I have had numerous representations from English and other newspapers ipon this subject, but I believe that our position in the case Is not only right, but will bo admitted to be such by those who look carefully Into tho circumstances. "We are fighting against numerical uuus hjiiuu urc quite out ol proportion to the odds against any combatant in . recent wars. We are fighting for our existence, and our only hope of main- 1 taining it is to strike swiftly and se- i cretly at the beginning. To get In the first blows means more to us than, I think, It has ever meant to any belllg- I erent, and to ensure this it is vital for I us to demand a degree of secrecy which i has not been necessary in any recent . warfare. Even at the risk of allenat- ' ing temporarily the friendship of the press of the world, we must prevent even a whisper of our real intentions reaching our powerful enemy. "Before war was declared I knew that our military authorities had decided de-cided that our censurship must be more I rigid than ever before attempted. One ( line would have ruined our first attack on Port Arthur one line might ruin our projected land operations. "When we fought China we gave the war correspondents free latitude, and in many cases they took advantage of i this to predict our future movements. I That did not matter much when China wna our enemy, but against a power like Russia, so immensely superior In eventual resources, it might turn the scale. When you fight for life everything every-thing else becomes of minor Importance. Import-ance. "I cannot believe that Japan will lose friends in the world because she has been obliged to Impose such a careful censorship. I do not think the present rigor of tills censorship will be continued contin-ued very long, but momentarily the conditions of the campaign make even Insignificant movements cluos toward our main naval and military objectives. When our preliminary operations are complete I have no doubt the censorship censor-ship will be relaxed. "Our own press and people are undergoing under-going the same regimen. There Is no discrimination, and I think you will 1 find as much If not more news of the war from tho Japanese side in the New-York New-York and London papars as you will In theleading aJpanese organs." Baron Hayashl docs not expect that his Government will fssue any proclamation procla-mation of the blockade of Port Arthur until the Japanese are able to cut the communication by which food supplies now reach that place. He polntu out that Newchwang Is practically blockaded block-aded by the ice. When the Ice breaks up, and If the naval necessity still exists, ex-ists, the Minister says that Japan probably will issue a blockade proclamation. procla-mation. It does not look as if there will be any immediate serious land action, but it appears possible that Vice-Admiral Togo may make another attempt to bottle up Port Arthur by sinking across tho channel one of the old Chinese battleships bat-tleships captured during the war between be-tween Japan and China |