The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-07
THE JAPs As FIGHTERS.
A Correspondence Reasons for he
lieving Them the Best in the
World.

AbAAA AAAN adAl dhNAeNQ Anl0tlIlts
Yokohama.-But could Japan become the
aggressor and attack Asiatio Russia? To
my mind that is a question OF money
rather than OF relative fighting worth.
Japan is not rich. though she can make
the war more cheaply than Russia, and
she might be unable to bear the strain
OF long struggle with a great power
but resting the issue upon the fighting
merits OF the combatant armies, the Japa-
nese would put the Russians to the Sc
verest military test they ever had. why?
To answer this l shall give reasons for
the belief that the japanese is the best
soldier in the world.
First is the matter of courage. He not
only has no fear of death. but he does
not value life. So great are the honors
paid to the bodies and families of men
who have fallen in battle that the common
soldier or sailor looks 70 such fate as
10 bright prospect or a fair haven. and
ne goes to meet 1t not ony unfichinglv
out with smile. In all the battles that
Japan has fought, from the bloody strur-
gle at Ping Yang to the assaults upon the
i1is at falien-Wan, Port Arthur ana
Mel-tai-N al not straggler or a deserter
nas peeh known to the army Every
man dld his duty. When, at CbinchoW
soldier was wanted 20 20 to the CITY
gate under fire from the walls above ana
blow 1t open with dynamite. everv man
VINO heard the request volunteered. and
nose VINO failed TO get the perilous honor
OF the task were envious OF him who ala
In Korea a bugler, mortally wounded hley,
the signal of advance until he dronned
dead at Gen Nodzus feet Before Wei-tIat-
WEI was won, Maj. Kanabe and 50 mon
ala battle with 5000 Chinese and never
rusheu INTO deserted Chinese fort and
once thought of retreat A Heutapan,
rescued burning Joss stick from a sscs
OF gunpoWder In a magazine.
trembling fingers might have cost b,r.
his hfe' hut his hand was steady. I have
seen lines of men march up to batteries
which We're one long red squirt ~ ea,no
ana there was not a waiver nor a hall I'm
lhe ADVANCED calm, steady. Irresistible
push forward. The charge of tho Siv
Hundred was no drawer than the action
OF the ambulance corps when II marched
INTO the zone of fire on the beach near
Nei-Hal-Wei and tenderly picked IN the
wounded and dead while seven Chinese
ships, distant but a few hundred Yards
were bringing every gun to bear against
them Then IN the navy as well were ex-
amples oil heroism which would glorify the
annals OF any country. Witness the men
who ran wooden transport into the sea
night at the Yalu ana pounded away with
its little gun at the black Chen Yuen.
withstanding broadsides and torpedoes
and coolly fought their flimsy ship while
its cabins were on-fre. Witness also the
captain and crew that held to their wound
ed torpedo boat in Wei-Hal-Wei Bav.
launching their missiles against the Chi
nese fleet until, with boiler fires out and
overcome with cold, they froze to death
al their posts.
Indifferent to death himself. the Jnpa-
nese soldier or sailor is undismayed by
its bloody spectacles. In the American
civil war all officers in action noted the
demoralizing effect upon advancing men
of the dead and mangled bodies along the
line of march, but on the Chinese battle
fields the only effect Of such sights was to
arouse the instincts Of retribution No
Japanese fell i'll. or went into the bushes
to tie his shoe, and then skulked to the
rear when the order came TO charge a
bloody slope. .ttee
The next consideration is that of patriot
ism. The love of the japanese for his
country is a fanaticism The soldier en-
lists for wage of but a few cents day,
bat If he thinks that Japan is having
trouble to raise its war loans, as was re-
ported to be the case last winter he offers
less than ten American dollars per month,
out of which he clothes himself. but he
never asks more. The honor of fighting
for his country is enough for him. No
Mussulman was ever more devoted to his
prophet than is the Japanese soldier to
Japan In one battles a trooper shouted
'Vanzaf" with his last breath and It Is sai4
that when this news reached Japan the
mothers of hundreds of soldiers wrote
their sons to seek death that they might
do the same. When the story was told
in a public meeting in Toxic an old man
was seen to weep.
Have you a son in the army?" asked
the orator
yes" was the reply; but he has not
died like that"
Patriotism pervades the nation. 1t is
what made the mikado come out Of his |
gilded cloister and summon the people TO |
the paths of progress, and it Is what in |
spired the coolie in the late war to leave |
home employment and friends and follow |
the army with freezing feet, carrying its !
burdens that he might witness the trI- |
umph of his countrys arms
The third point of excellence in the |
Japanese soldier is the perfection Of his 1
discipline. In old Japan the many were !
born saddled and bridled and the few boot /
ed and spurred. The ridden never thought |
of throwing their riders. In a word, the |
common people oheyed their lords in ali /
things without question. These people |
now fill the Tanks of the army and give /
to their officers the same unhesitating /
service that they OF their ancestors were |
wont to give their daimios. Owing to thfs /
there is no more need Of guard house in |
a japanese camp than there is of draft
or a bounty at the recruiting Offices Let |
the officer speak and HIS men will obey
let him lead and they. will follow MIN
through the gates Of death, and they viii /
freeze. starve and suffer and never think
Of mutiny, feigned sickness or desertion.
They do not even e4'umble
Another item of superiority Is that The
Japanese soldier will march and fight { n
the smallest and cheapest ration A bail /
Dr. roll of compressed rice serves him Cor
a day. and II he can get potato or a bit
Of fish, the latter OF which he eats raw
he has materials for feast. on the
march TO Wci-Hai-Wef the army began
very we'll in the manner of provisions. but
finally nothing but rice was left, and ri ee |
answered. While ], as foreigner, lost
forty-two pounds Of flesh on this lie.
TapanaQa aoIdfar. IFI ne -. ,..s-zr |