“The ‘Shimbunshi’ is a syndicate newspaper, owned mostly by foreigners. It is an investment, is unpatriotic and appeals to the worst in men. I believe it will publish anything, no matter what the source, if a sensation can be produced,” Inaba answered thoughtfully. “There is but one thing it fears to do, and that is attack the government of His Majesty, for then it would be suppressed.”
“Have you ever doubted the honesty of Impey?” Takishima asked suddenly.
“My nature is to be suspicious of every one,” Inaba replied smilingly. “Impey, among the rest, has fallen under my espionage. Until Impey came to me and explained everything I believed he had betrayed us. The letter was in his hands last night. It passed from him to our men and was at one time in the hands of the American midshipmen. It was afterward in the hands of one of their sailors. Impey located the letter and brought me the information not an hour ago.”
“What great harm would there be if the letter was read by the Americans?” Takishima questioned anxiously. “It is all true, in fact a matter of common knowledge, except the buying of the ships.”
Inaba shrugged his square shoulders while the old sinister smile played about the corners of his straight lips.
“The American fleet is in Manila, holding its yearly target practice. Is it merely a coincidence that it should have arrived there just now? Did it take a fifteen thousand mile cruise by way of the Cape of Good Hope merely to hold this target practice?” Takishima shook his head impatiently. “For some years Japan has lagged behind other nations in building war-ships because our country must meet other expenses, and our countrymen are already taxed to the utmost. America and the other nations have outstripped us. The addition of these ships would give us the additional strength which we have lost by an unwise naval policy. Again our growing merchant marine would have ample protection. Again we would become a factor to be reckoned with in the Far East. Baron Kosuba is our strongest friend in urging the transaction. I believe if America knew for a certainty that we would acquire these ships she would buy them herself.”
“To fight us with?” Takishima asked breathlessly.
“Who can say?” Inaba returned. “Whom can we trust? Even your old schoolmates have turned against you.”
“Then if the information that we had decided to acquire China’s ships were known in America, you believe that she would buy them ahead of us?” Takishima asked. “Is that your meaning? And afterward you think she might endeavor to force a war to despoil us of our Chinese territory?”
“I did not say so,” Inaba answered promptly. “But we navy men must take no chances. His Majesty depends upon us. Let us hope that such a catastrophe will never occur.” Captain Inaba picked up several papers from his desk and handed them to Takishima. “In these two telegrams is the key to the mystery. One is to the State Department in Washington—the other to the governor in Manila, both from the American ambassador. They are in cipher and quite beyond our powers to decipher. Their timeliness alone seems to divulge the possible context. I believe that they give the intelligence gained from the lost document. There is but one thing for us to do.” Inaba’s voice was low and earnest. “Hold these cablegrams, send out a sufficient force to man the Chinese ships, and take possession of them on the high seas before the United States can do so!”