Here is an interesting cartoon about the Triple Intervention, which illustrates some common rhetorical strategies for commenting on politically sensitive issues. The name of the Liaodong Peninsula in Japanese is Ryôtô 遼東 Hantô 半島. The pronunciation of "double-headed" in Japanese is ryôtô 両頭. Notice that the Ryôtô meaning Liaodong and the ryôtô meaning double-headed or two heads are written differently (遼東 vs. 両頭). In the cartoon, double-headed (ryôtô) snakes emerging form the grass indicate the suddenly-turned-dangerous dispute over the Liaodong (Ryôtô) Peninsula. Prime Minister Itô Hirobumi recoils from the snakes, but Foreign Minister Mutsu Munemitsu wants to push ahead despite the danger. Mutsu was the only cabinet member willing to risk war with Russia, Germany and France. When the government decided to capitulate, it was in no mood to tolerate any criticism from the press (which tended to advocate rushing into armed conflict over any slight to Japan's honor). Therefore, an indirect portrayal relying on a play on words and without a clear message was about as close as anyone in the press dared to go in commenting on the Triple Intervention. Certainly the cartoon here can be read as a mild rebuke of Itô's temerity/caution and/or mild praise of Mutsu's courage/bravado.