田中正造伝記60(日本語と英語)

講和条約の内容を知った大衆は激昂し、暴徒化しました。
日露戦争が大勝利だったと軍部や大新聞がさんざん豪語したにもかかわらず、大きな領地割譲もなく、賠償金も取れなかったという事実を受け入れられなかったのです。
現代に生きる私たちは、これが
大日本帝国軍の限界であり、外交関係者の命懸けの交渉の結果であったと
理解出来ます。
ただし、当時の民衆は多数の利益が得られる、平たく言えばロシアから多額の賠償金をぶんどれると信じきっていました。だからこそ重税も我慢した。
しかしながら、政府はそれを出来なかった。
民衆は裏切られた思いで、同時に「小村寿太郎外務大臣は弱腰だ!」
「桂内閣はぺてん師だ!」
の大号令を発し、日比谷公園に集まった講和反対の人々がついに暴徒化し、警察署・内務省・政府系新聞を襲撃しました。

これが『日比谷焼き討ち事件』です。

騒動そのものは１日で鎮圧されましたが、責任をとる形で桂内閣は総辞職しました。

さて、私(allowance )が
この顛末を詳しく書いた理由ですが、
この事で大衆が足尾や谷中村の事に
関心を示さなくなったという事です。
一部の特権階級を除いて、日本人の
生活が厳しくなり、とても他所様の苦しみを構っていられなくなったという事です。
1906年1月7日。
第一次西園寺公望(さいおんじ・きんもち)内閣発足。
その閣僚の中に内務大臣として、
谷中村にとどめを刺した人物がいました。
その者の名は
『原敬』。

When the masses learned of the contents of the peace treaty, they became enraged and rioted.
They could not accept the fact that, despite the military and the newspapers' boasts that the Russo-Japanese War had been a great victory, no major territorial cessions had been made and no reparations had been obtained.
Those of us living today can understand that this was the limit of the Imperial Japanese Army and the result of negotiations in which diplomats risked their lives.
However, the people of the time were convinced that they could gain a large number of benefits, in specifically, they would receive a large amount of reparations from Russia.
That was why they put up with heavy taxes.

However, the government could not do it.
The people felt betrayed, and at the same time, "Foreign Minister Jutaro Komura is a weakling!"
"Katsura's cabinet is a fraud!" they cried with furious.

The anti-peace protesters gathered in Hibiya Park and finally turned into a mob, attacking police stations, the Ministry of the Interior, and government newspapers.

This is the "Hibiya burning incident".

The uproar itself was quelled within a day, but the Katsura cabinet resigned in order to take responsibility.

Now, the reason why I have written this story in detail is that the public is no longer interested in Ashio and Yanaka Village, and except for a privileged people, life has been difficult for the Japanese people that they can no longer afford to care about the suffering of others.

January 7, 1906.
The first Saionji Kinmochi cabinet was formed.
Among the cabinet members was a man who, as Minister of Interior, put an end to Yanaka Village.
His name is "Hara Takashi".