‘I have requested that his answer should be delivered by ten in the morning of 13 February,’ Ito concluded.
It was the sort of approach, Nicholas thought and hoped, which might go some distance towards redressing the calamitous blow to the reputation of Japanese arms suffered at Port Arthur, especially as Ito accompanied it with gifts, including a case of champagne and beer, and a box of dried fruit. The gunboat duly returned on the morning of 13 February, again flying a flag of truce, but with its ensign at half-mast.
Ito almost snatched at the letter the captain bore. Your answer, Ting had written, just received, gives me much satisfaction, on account of the lives of my men. I have also to express thanks for the things you have sent me, but, as the state of war existing between our countries makes it difficult for me to accept them, I beg to return them herewith, though I thank you for the thought. Your letter states that the arms, forts, and ships should be handed over tomorrow, but that leaves us a very brief time at our disposal. Some time is needed for the naval and military folk to exchange their uniforms for travelling garments, and it would be difficult to conform with the date named by you. I therefore beg that you will extend the period until 16 February, and on that day enter the harbour and take over the island forts, the arms, and the ships now remaining. I pledge my good faith in this matter.
Ito frowned as he handed the letter to Nicholas. ‘There is no reply to my offer of sanctuary, at least until after the war.’ He looked at the gunboat captain. ‘Was there no other message from your admiral?’
‘No, your excellency. And it is my duty to inform you that Admiral Ting is dead.’
‘Dead?’ Nicholas and Ito cried together.
‘His excellency retired to his cabin last night, and there took an overdose of opium,’ the Chinese commander said. ‘When this was known all his senior officers did likewise.’
Ito stared at Nicholas in consternation.
‘It seems,’ Nicholas remarked. ‘That there are forms of bushido in many countries, honourable Admiral.’
*
Ting’s suicide saved his personal honour, but there was no disguising to anyone that with the surrender of Wei-hai-wei China had lost the war. The Japanese fleet returned to Shimonoseki to a tremendous reception, which increased when it was seen that they were escorting the remaining Chinese warships, including Chen Yuan, which became Japan’s first battleship, renamed Chin Yen.
Mutsuhito came down to the seaport to inspect his suddenly augmented fleet, and to decorate his officers, amongst them Petty Officer Kozaki, for bravery.
Even as he did so, the Japanese advance in Manchuria was continuing, and the Chinese sued for peace. The terms were agreed at Shimonoseki, and were staggering. China recognised Korean independence, which effectively meant that she conceded the Hermit Kingdom to Japan, agreed to pay a two hundred million tael indemnity – a sum roughly equivalent to two hundred and sixty million ounces of silver – and in addition ceded to Japan the islands of Formosa and the Pescadores, as well as the Liaotung Peninsular, which of course included Port Arthur.
When the terms were made known all of Japan exploded in an orgy of triumphalist delight. Bonfires were lit, fireworks were set off, people danced in the street, anyone in uniform was mobbed and offered money and sake. ‘At one bound, we have become a great power,’ Ito said proudly.
‘Oh, Nicky, I am so proud,’ Elizabeth said.
Aki wept, and Alexander and Nicholas junior had stars in their eyes. There was no word from Takamori, but Nicholas knew he was unhurt, and no doubt was celebrating the triumph of the old values more than anyone. His return was a problem to be faced, but given the prevailing mood of the country Nicholas knew he would have to accept what had happened. Now he felt he could tell Elizabeth the truth; she was utterly shocked.
It was only a week later that the situation changed. Nicholas and Ito were summoned to the palace, where they found all the generals and princes of the Empire, gathered to face a grim-featured Mutsuhito.
‘I have to inform you, gentlemen,’ the Emperor said, ‘that our victory is apparently displeasing to the Great Powers. They seem to feel that we are a small nation which has travelled too far too fast.’ His eyes searched their ranks and came to rest upon Nicholas. ‘From this universal criticism I am happy to exclude Great Britain. The British ambassador has not only congratulated us upon our victory, and intimated to us his country’s hope for ever closer ties, certainly in the commercial field, but the British have refused to associate themselves with the note submitted by the governments of Russia, France and Germany.
‘These nations, gentlemen, feel that it would be most useful for world peace and stability if we were to forego some of our gains.’ Mutsuhito’s voice was heavy with sarcasm. ‘They advise us that it would be in our own best interests to relinquish our occupation of the Liaotung Peninsular and Port Arthur.’
He paused, to allow his officers to issue a combined hiss of anger and disapproval. ‘In return for this magnanimous concession on our part, they undertake to compel China to pay us another hundred million taels as indemnity.’
‘That is outrageous, Your Majesty,’ declared Prince Oyama. ‘We must refuse.’
‘If we refuse, honourable Prince, they threaten us with at least a trade war, together with the withdrawal of all their advisers.’ He looked around their faces. ‘I need hardly tell you that we are in no condition to fight a war against three European powers. The French Navy alone is vastly superior to ours. Add to that the Russians, and we would not stand a chance. Our army is exhausted. And most important of all, so is our exchequer. We need at least five years of peace to rebuild our strength. No, no, gentlemen, I am afraid we must accept the diktat of the Powers. But . . .’ again he looked around their faces. ‘I do assure you, this will be the last time. Thank you, gentlemen. Admiral Barrett, I would speak with you in private.’
Nicholas bowed, and waited while the other officers filed from the room. Then Mutsuhito gestured him to a chair.
‘It is now thirty-three years since you were shipwrecked on our shores, Barrett. And thirty-one years since Admiral Kuper bombarded Kagoshima and pronounced you a renegade traitor.’
Nicholas waited.
‘Admiral Kuper is now dead,’ Mutsuhito remarked. ‘And so, I would estimate, are all the senior officers of the last generation in the Royal Navy. Would you agree?’
‘Dead, or retired,’ Nicholas said, and felt his pulse quickening.
‘And, presumably, their positions are now filled by men with whom you shared your training and early days,’ Mutsuhito mused. ‘I must tell you two things, Barrett san. The first is that the situation may actually be worse, and certainly more humiliating, than I outlined it a few minutes ago. I have received information from a very reliable source that, once we have renounced our claim to the Liaotung Peninsular, Russia intends to take it over. Negotiations are already in progress between St Petersburg and Peking, by which St Petersburg will lease the peninsular for period of twenty years, in return for a cash payment which will very nearly equal that owed us by China. Now, I do not know how naïve the Chinese are, but I imagine even they must realise that after Russia has held Port Arthur for twenty years, and no doubt spent a great deal of money on modernising the port facilities, she is very unlikely to walk away from it.
‘In other words, Russia seeks, and will intend to hold, a footing on the shores of East Asia. Therefore it follows that she intends to extend her empire to the Pacific Ocean. We already know that she is building a railroad from Moscow to the limits of her empire. That railway is certainly going to be carried down the Liaotung Peninsular to Port Arthur. Now, Port Arthur is an ice free port. Therefore it seems obvious that within the next few years we are not only going to be faced by a Russian army encamped on the borders of Korea, with a rail link back to Moscow, but by a Russian fleet based on Port Arthur. This will really mean that we have a pistol pointed at our heads.’
‘Our new battleships will be ready in three ye
ars time, Your Majesty.’
‘Two ships, and they are small ships by world standards.’ Mutsuhito held up his hand. ‘It was my decision, I know. I was thinking only of China. However, one must face facts. Russia has nothing larger at the moment, but she has several of them. And she is allied to France, which has several more. We must think in terms of more battleships, Barrett, and we must go for maximum size and hitting power, as well.’
‘Yes, Your Majesty,’ Nicholas said, enthusiastically.
‘I am sending a mission to Great Britain,’ Mutsuhito said. ‘It will be headed by Prince Katsura. I wish you to accompany it.’
‘Yes, Your Majesty.’ Nicholas could hardly believe his ears.
‘Your duties, officially, will be to consult with the various designers in England with a view to ordering four new battleships. These must be fifteen-thousand tonners, Barrett, armed with the latest weapons and equipped with the latest engines. They must be at least the equal of any ship afloat.’
‘Yes, Your Majesty. But the cost . . .’
‘I will find the money, somehow. However, you will also, where possible, fulfill a second task, not less important. I mentioned that I had two things to say to you. The second is that, even if we manage to triple our naval strength and reorganise and enlarge our army, I still do not believe we will ever be able to defeat Russia and France combined, especially as there is a chance that Germany might come in on their side. We need an ally, Barrett.’
Nicholas frowned. ‘Great Britain?’
‘Only two powers failed to condemn our triumph, Barrett: Great Britain and the United States. But I am advised that it is very unlikely the United States would ever agree to a foreign alliance, and particularly one in which they might find themselves ranged against a European power.’
‘Great Britain has also refused to become allied to any foreign power, for the last forty years, Your Majesty.’
‘I know this. But it would be in our interests to change their minds, would it not? Prince Katsura is ostensibly heading a trade mission, but he is going to hold private discussions with members of the British Government. I think it would be very advantageous to Japan were you to do the same with any senior officers of the Royal Navy with whom you might be acquainted.’
Nicholas had to reflect on the naivety of this man, who he readily conceded was a political genius, but who yet knew so little of how a country like Great Britain was governed, and even less of its essential point of view.
‘I will do what I can, Your Majesty. But I must warn you that the chances of success are small.’
‘Because we, as a nation of little yellow men, are just the sort of people Great Britain has spent its history dominating and colonising?’ Mutsuhito suggested, without rancour.
‘Because, Your Majesty, Great Britain, not less than the United States, is very reluctant to become embroiled in any continental conflicts.’
Mutsuhito nodded. ‘As I said, we must endeavour to prove to them that it would be to their advantage. I will wish you success, Barrett, but I wish you to know that failure will be no reflection upon you.’
‘Thank you, Your Majesty.’ Nicholas stood up. ‘Have I your permission to take the Countess Rashnikov?’
Mutsuhito frowned for a moment, and then smiled. ‘Why, yes. She is beautiful enough to turn a few heads. But Barrett, I think you should present her as your wife. After all, who in England is going to know the difference?’
Chapter Twelve – The Rivals
‘England? With you?’ Elizabeth was wildly excited. ‘I am so afraid,’ she confessed.
‘There is nothing to be afraid of,’ he told her. ‘Oh, there is so much I wish to show you. You will be in charge of the house,’ he told Aki, who dutifully bowed.
He had heard nothing from Takamori since the end of the war, nor did he wish to.
*
The Hashidate, as being the largest ship yet built at a Japanese shipyard, was provided for the embassy, and they sailed early in 1896. Elizabeth was the only lady on board, and was treated like royalty by the Japanese officers, as well as by Prince Katsura and his staff. The prince had been informed that Nicholas had been briefed as to both the private and public aspects of the mission, and the two men spent long hours together walking the quarterdeck. The cruiser made her way south, past Singapore and through the Indian Ocean, round the Cape of Good Hope and up the Atlantic; her only stops were for coaling.
‘I am bound to confess that I am very happy I am not the Mikado,’ Katsura said. ‘This is a very difficult situation in which we find ourselves. Can His Majesty really be contemplating war with Russia? Can a nation of sixty millions possibly wage war on three times that number, with all of the industrial might that Russia possesses?’
‘That depends on a number of factors, honourable Prince,’ Nicholas said. ‘I would suggest that it is very possible in the short term. Russia may possess three times our strength, but that strength is concentrated in Europe. Port Arthur is four and a half thousand miles away from Moscow, by railway, and more than twice that distance by sea. But it is only two hundred miles from the mouth of the Yalu, the border between Korea and Manchuria. Taken logically, that means Russia must maintain an army at least the equal of our own, at the end of that single-track railway, when every bullet has to travel four and a half thousand miles. I do not believe they can afford to do that, economically. Therefore they cannot afford to go to war while there is a possibility of our defeating them before they can mobilise their full strength against us. Of course, if such a war were to develop into a long drawn out affair, we could find ourselves in a serious position, especially if France were to come in on the Russian side, as she may be bound to do by treaty obligations which are presently unknown to us. That is why you are going to England, honourable Prince.’
‘Yes,’ Katsura agreed. ‘But even a short war will depend on our being able to mobilise our full strength, and transfer that strength, to Korea, without the Russians being able to stop us. They can do that, quite cheaply, simply by maintaining a battle squadron in Port Arthur. How do we offset that?’
Nicholas grinned. ‘That is what I am here for, honourable Prince.’
*
His first meetings were with Macrow, who listened to what he wanted with grave attention.
‘As you probably know, I have recently designed some new ships for the Royal Navy, Admiral Barrett. They are to be known as the Majestic class, and there are going to be ten of them. They are going to be the greatest battleships ever launched. They will displace something like sixteen thousand tons, deep-loaded, and even so be slightly faster than the Royal Sovereigns. This is at least partly because we have decided to come back down to the twelve-inch gun as our main armament.’
Nicholas’s brain was still spinning at the concept of being able to order ten battleships, bigger and better than anything in existence, just like that. But he had also been thinking in terms of thirteen-point-five-inch. ‘Why is that?’ he asked.
‘We have found the slightly less powerful gun is the more efficient. I can also tell you that the Navy has laid down an additional six battleships, strictly for use in the Pacific. They will be known as the Canopus class. They are considerably lighter than the Majestics – about fourteen thousand tons deep-loaded – and for that reason will be faster, although they will have virtually the same armaments. There is a considerable reduction in armour, however.’
‘For the China Station?’ Nicholas frowned.
Macrow smiled. ‘The Japanese are not the only people who can see trouble coming in the Pacific, Admiral. Now, the Russians have nothing to match these ships, at the present time. Not even on the stocks.’ His eyes twinkled. ‘I am assuming that you are not considering going to war with Great Britain?’
‘No, we are not,’ Nicholas assured him.
‘But possibly with Russia, eh? Well, as I was saying, if you possessed a squadron of even four Canopus-class ships, you would have nothing to fear.’
‘We would pre
fer Majestics, Mr Macrow.’
‘I was thinking of a compromise which will also be an improvement. I am sure you agree that ships should be designed for a specific purpose. Her Majesty’s Ships have on their shoulders the burden of maintaining the empire against any possible foe, and that means, against any or every nation in the world. This involves huge ranges, which means extra coal and therefore extra weight. You in Japan have a somewhat smaller empire to maintain, and one that is far more compact. Thus you do not require ships able to steam six thousand miles without refuelling. You also have a specific enemy in mind.’ He held up his hand. ‘I do not expect you to confirm that, Admiral Barrett, or even to comment on it. Now, I have a design here which will displace just over fifteen thousand tons, deep-load. Its secret is that it would be some twenty-five feet longer than either Majestic or Canopus. That gives two advantages. One is that it will be naturally faster, by about a knot, as I see it. The second is that it will be possible to fit in two more guns in the secondary armament. Each ship will have the four twelve-inch, and fourteen six-inch as opposed to the twelve six-inch in the British ships.’
‘That extra weight has to be compensated for somewhere, Mr Macrow.’
‘Indeed. As I have suggested, we will save on the size of your bunkers. But in addition, I would reduce your armour. Not the main belt. That should stay at nine inches. And the barbettes should stay at fourteen inches. But the Majestics, for example, have armoured bulkheads twelve inches thick. I think we could do away with those, and yet not endanger the ship.’
‘Tell me how?’
‘By using a series of watertight bulkheads, which can be activated at the flick of a switch from the bridge. Look at the design. I envisage no less than two hundred and sixty-one watertight compartments. That means that a hit in the bowels of the ship can be isolated, and the affected area even flooded, without endangering the vessel at all. What you would have, Admiral Barrett, is the fastest battleship afloat – we are talking about eighteen knots – which can hit as hard as any other ship, and which is still virtually unsinkable.’
Bloody Sunrise Page 32
