The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-09-24
JAPs ARE BORN sEAMEN.
Commanders OF Their War Ships
Graduated at Annapolis Academy.

The news of the Japanese victory of
Sept IL in the naval battle off the mouth
TO the older officers of the United States
navy. The admiral now commanding
Japan's fighting squadron was the second
Japanese cadet graduated from Annapolis,
and all the captains commanding Japan's
iron-clads in the Gulf of Pe-che-li are from
the United States Naval Academy. We
are proud of our pupils said an Office
yesterday, VINO was superintendent of the
United States Navai Academy when the
yrss'es enrolled on@De at Of the eaP scheof d daqh1s t any
series of years were graduated. when
you remember that these lads had first TO
learn our language sufficiently well TO be
class standing was always good, j think
the cleverness of the young Jap will be
born sailors. and took to seamanship as a
seag1ll takes to the sea- Indeed, they out
classed two-thirds of our Western-b born
the sea, in the readiness with which they
acquired the practical knowledge of the
able Qualities. They We're ali trained
swordsmen, and the best athletes we had.
A knowledge of the sword is a part of ev-
cry Japanese gentleman's, education, which
he begins when he learns to read. While
the work aloft, 1 mean manning the yards.
and the difficult climbing, high up to the
crossties, was hard, and the sailor knowl-
edge of rigging. spars. sails, was .ac-
CURED slowly by many of the class, these
japanese youths would run out on the tip
" - 1R0As GAAkJ ltCI thC III
cats. They were all of noble birth, and
soon acquired our manners and usages of
courtesy. They were universally popular
with their classmates, who have re-
ceived many courtesies from them when out
on the Japanese stations. 1t has some
times been a trife embarrassing to meet
one of my old pupils who had more naval
rank than j had, but still the Annapolis
educated Japanese officers have done more
than can be told Z. increase American in
fuences in the Orient. Japan educates her
military students in France, usually at
Saint Cyr, but the sailors she always sends
to US. We have had sixteen at Annapolis
and graduated eleven. OF the others, four
had about finished the course when two
were struck down with typhoid fever, and
mus Ialied TO graduate. one broke MS leg
other two one was recalled by his fathers
death, and the other. by order of the EN-
peror, was sent to France to the military
school OF Saint Cyr. OF those mentioned
1872. He is now chief of the naval depart
ment of his country. The second man is
the admiral commanding Japan's best
fleet. He has had the honor of fighting
What a misfortune ii Is that no Amer
lean officer could have been present to
report the working of our modern devices"
observed the Post reporter.
Il am not so sure that there was none
present" was the reply. Admiral Car
penter. who commands our fleet in those
waters, has half a dozen officers who were
classmates of the Japanese i~ronclads' cap
tains' and two VINO were at the academy
with the japanese admiral. / think ii high
ly probable that some of these gentlemen
were the guests of their old comrades at
last Mondays battle. Knowing that a
fight was impending. they would naturally
wish to see 1t, and where could one find
a better place than from the deck Of the
Naniwa. a steel ram-bowed cruiser. on
which the japanese admiral flies his 1ag?'