The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-08-28
The War Powers al Asia.

The war Powers al ASIA.
1t is becoming necessary, in discuss
ing the question of military supremacy
! i'm the old East, 10 consider the position
of Japan among the armed forces that
are supposed To exist with IA view 10 ac-
quiring chief sway in Asia. Heretofore
! England and Russia have been regard
ed as the principal contestants, and the
! fact that Russia, with the advantage of
geographical position, maintains war
footing Of l,97S, $40 exclusive of her
naval forces, has led To the general inn
preston that England's prospects in
Asia are not over brilliant. But in the
last twenty years Japan has been
quietly, yet very Systematically at work
developing military resources that
make her very different power from
the Japan of 1854, when Commodore
Perry conducted gun diplomacy at
Yeddo.
At that time the soldiery of Japan
was in no sense formidable, and the
Mikado and his ministers who set
about remedying this deficiency. The
feudal system passed out in 1868, and
the central government gained its pro-
per authority. In 1873 the decree of
universal conscription, making every
person between the ages Of II and 40
years liable To service, was issued, and
the organization of the army on mod
ern basis begun The method is
thorough and admirable. The empire
is divided into seven zones, and each
zone is subdivided into three regimental
districts, each line regiment recruiting
from its own district, so that the task
of mobilization i'm war times is made
comparatively easy. The armed forces
consist of Il standing army of 30, SIS men
enlisted for three years; IA standing army
reserve of 81, 400, four years; and a
reserve, liable To service, of 30, 80, or
total Of l16, 32j that could he Instantly
summoned To arms at the first outbreak
of hostlities This would still leave
the immense reserve of all those not i'm
arms between the ages of IL and 40,
numbering not less than 1000, 900 able
bodied men.
A thorough course of military cduca-
ton i provided and discipline of high
character is maintained. In the Univer-
sity of Toxic tactics and strategy, geo
graphy, mathematics, history, and the
French and German languages are
taught, and here the army officers are
educated. The soldiers are well bar
racked and carefully looked after by
their officers. They are systematically
trained in all the duties of the modern
soldier, receiving four hours drill daily
in fair weather, and in rainy weather
one hours study every night.
The japanese soldier is sober, frugal
and industrious, robust and muscular,
capable of great physical exertion, and,
member of one of the bravest races i'm
the East, has more than the ordinary
degree of courage and self-reliance
Being thoroughly disciplined the Jap
anese will prove valuable ally or "a
formidable foe, rs occasion may war
rant. As much can not be said for the
Chinese, whose military virtue lies
chiefly i'm force of numbers Little has
been done for the army in IA scientific
way, and though they maintain Il peace
footing of SOC, 600 men and could throw
/ 900, 900 men into the field ON short no.
tice, the Chinese are much less "a mill
tary problem than the japanese. So
Indifferent are the Chinese To military
interests that the foreign officers who
were put in charge of the military
schools are leaving, one by one, in
sheer disgust. With energy and enter
prise equal To those of Japan, China,
with her vast population of 404, $50, 900,
could put herself i'm readiness 10 neu.
tralize any attempt on the part of Eu-
ropean powers to gain supremacy i'm
the far East. But as il is, the Chinese
hordes would be before the Russian
forces what chaff is before the wind.
Nevertheless, the Chinese are fighters
if wisely led, and though the Empire is
moving slowly in the matter it is un-
doubleday on military footing much
superior to its condition ten years ago.
The Asiatics may yet have something
very emphatic To say as to the en-
croachments of Russia and England
Inter Ocean
EnnensN-