On January 13, a conference before the Throne in Tokio decided upon the final terms to be sent to Russia, the only conditions which could avert war. Russia started two divisions of troops over the Trans-Siberian Railway to China, an obvious war measure. Two days later two transports crowded with Russian troops for the Far East sailed through the Bosphorus. Russia asked Turkey for permission to send the Black Sea fleet through the Dardanelles, and Lord Lansdowne said that such action would be considered a breach of treaty in which Great Britain could not acquiesce. There was a lull of nearly two weeks, while Tokio fretted over the delay of the Russian reply. Japan adopted plans for raising seventy-five million dollars of an emergency war fund. The long-drawn tension of January ended with a pretence of negotiations oscillating between Tokio and St. Petersburg, but by this time the pursuits of diplomacy had become a farce, and both nations were making all possible preparations for a long struggle at arms. Although the Russian ultimatum had not been officially delivered, its contents were forecasted, and it was known that Japan’s final demands had been evaded. On February 2, the mobilization of the Manchurian reserves was announced, and on the next day a semi-official despatch from Vladivostok reported that the Russian squadron there had been stripped for action, and that the ships in the harbor of Port Arthur had joined those in the outer roadstead to unite the fighting strength for aggressive action. The Russian General Staff granted to Alexieff the right to declare war. Nearly a week before the first blow was struck, it was seen that the prolonged tension had reached the breaking point. At one of the last Cabinet conferences in Tokio hope of peace was abandoned, for the reason that, while Russia was unreasonably delaying her reply to the last Japanese note, she was daily increasing her warlike activities. It was known in advance that while Russia partly conceded the demands of Japan regarding Korea, important reservations were made, and that as regards Manchuria the reply would refuse to place on record recognition of the sovereignty of China, or even to discuss that question with Japan. Japanese residents were told to leave Vladivostok, and 20,000 Russian troops were moving with the view of occupying Northern Korea. Japan continued extraordinary preparations for instant action, but the plans of her army and navy were so carefully guarded that no news of them was published up to the day war was declared by the first overt act. [Illustration: AN EVERYDAY SCENE IN ONE OF THE LARGE CITIES OF JAPAN These are the little people whose surface daintiness covers a martial spirit more truly Spartan than that manifested by any other nation of the modern world. This street, gay with Japanese flags, is the “Isezakicho,” which has sometimes been called the Bowery of Yokohama ]