The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-01-14
YANKEES OF THE ORIENT.
MILITARY AND HAvAL DEvELOPMENT
or THE JAPANESE.


From u, London Nara md k,iiary Record.
In an address Mr. Arthur Di0sy. al the open
ing meeting Of the ninth session Of the Japan
Society, in London. related some experiences
Of n visit To the far East. Among the things
which filled Mr.. Diosy with admiration was the
navy " Japan.
Upon this topic he says. There is only one
word for the navy Of Japan, and that 10 'miracu-
LOUIS 1t Is, indeed, a miraculous navy. When
you think that thirty.one years ago the navy
u Japan consisted VI two steamships, one of
them about the size Of Ciuzen A On the Thames.
the other n very ancient American man-of-war,
which had been sold at a very big price to Japan,
and when you think that at the present moment
the ships Of the japanese navy are second 10
none in the world in Their power, in their handi-
ness, in their rate Of speed. in what may be called
their fighting efficiency, which Is produced. as
naval experts know, by putting togs ether the
ships speed, armor. size, weight Of metal that
the ship can throw al the eIemy in a certain
ume-coal consumption, steaming radius and
handiness-it is gratifying TO be able to say that
in all these essentials the ships VI Japan are be-
hind none in the world.
Even in numbers tho japanese navy now
stands eighth on the let Of navies u the world.
and In another two years time will probably
stand fifth, may be even fourth. but al all events
ffth. unless some very great efforts are made
To increase their navy by the powers now ahead
Of Japan. Moreover, the ships Of the Japanese
navy may b. described, ] think. as being the
most intelligently designed ~warships IN the world,
because they are desig ned for the particular work
that they have got 10 carry out, a nd for no other
The japanese know that their battles will 6e
fought near home, and that consequently they
need not have very large spaces for carrying
coal, and thus the space which would otherwise
be filled by bunkers can be devoted to more guns
and more proiectles, which, as We know by re-
cent naval warfare, is the CHIEF point The ship
that can pump the greatest weight Of metal into
another ship in the shortest time will be the victor.
That is as regards the material. Now, what
about that which Is much more important, the
mem The men Of the japanese Navy are sim.
ply perfect The officers who command them
are first rate; they showed II not many years
ago. Besides, | had an opportunity. thanks
TO the great kindness Of certain japanese naval
officers, old friends Of mine, one Of whom is an
honorary member Of this society -namely, Rear
Admiral kawara, whom many Of you will re-
member as captain Of the fine cruiser Yoshino,
who entertained many Of us SO Hospitality On
board his ship in Plymouth Sound in lS8S-of
seeing how they make japanese naval officers.
! saw The factory at work.
"On the Island of Etaiima. one Of the most beau
uiul islands in the beautiful inland sea, there
lies the Imperial Navy College, al which the ca
diets are trained Who aiteGwaId become officers
IN the Japanese Navy. | wall not weary you
with a description OF what is one Of the most per
ieci naval educational establishments in the
World WI simply, teil You Mat the Russian
Naval Attache al Toxic, ali authority who could
not be suspected Of any undue predilecuon for
things Japanese, said To mt; Tia! II is a model
ior all the na,ies Of the world; II 10 absolute per
| IN md ISLla ANfaFIt,n ~ - IhA
several hundred young japanese gentlemen
Of splendid physique-l have never seen u inner
body Of young men between the ages Of 10 and
20 than | saw ther--are trained IN all that goes
10 constitute an efficient Modern naval officer.
mat Is to say IN every mortal thing that You
oi the h%ealthlest surroundings, The island 10
entirely given up 70 the Naval College; they can
roam over II al viii; they can even 90 shooting
deer IN the woods, they have their games, Their
sports, theiI b9aung, Their sailing and THEFT
HE Is an absol utely healthy one, Every care Is
taken 10 keep their minds as healthy as their
bodies. ! Mas taken into the battery, the finest.
most accurate representation Of the fighting
battery Of a fTstclass batleship that | have ever
seen, a battery containing every kind Of the most
up-trdate guns mat are used nj sea Outside
on the gTeensward, we're l2O cadets clad IN
Their hannel slnglets and Their white duck trous-
ers, and with those white Japanese SOCKS. with
a division for the great toe, which form such ex-
celleht foutgear On board ship standing at at
ienuon, solid like a wall. | Was requested 10
lot young men in my life.
At one word spoken by the chief gunnery in.
s%,ructor the 100 young men tumbled into that
eight seconds from the giving q the order every
man stood to hs gun. There was absolute si-
l, ,ns mos, perfect Srder The officer q quarters
10 see said, Il would like 10 see exercise ac-
uOn The words were hardly out Of my mouth
before the bugle sounded, and | can assure you
and | speak, as you know, with some technical
knowledge OF this mGtte. II has never been my
delight to see better gun dnll in the whole world
than | SAW there The fellows simply Jumped
over one another like mice OF squirrels, and for
the whole time there was not a sound, save for the
clanking OF the securing chains and the chink.
Not a sound! That was enough for me There
is not another navy in the world, except, Of course,
ours and perhaps, he American, where such
side at the same time another l20 cadets were
iencins on the swaTd with the two-handed swords
OF old Japan"
II the japanese navy is miraculous, their army,
IN the opinion OF Mr. Diosy, is not less remark
able lie says, "1he japanese army is an
army There Is no mistake, about that In
'inded for and prepared tor The japanese Var
Office was extremely kind to me. 1t attached an
orlcer, a highly eduCeted staff officer, Major
iachibana, who had served for a considerable
time IN the AustrO Hungarian army, specially
70 me 70 show me anything wished 10 see in
connection with the japanese army, and i, asked
me whether | would like Ia see a regiment Of in
iantry on one day, and on another day a regiment
OF eI,Iliery. was allowed TO select the regiment
""N' . ohvhlu lnSlVNl' anu ~ | iU mol helfft
the Guards, because the Guards in every army
are The leading line that is put in the shop win
dow, 50 To say wanted IN see the staple article,
the infantry ard artillery Of the line. and | saw
II can assure you, ! have no words in which
TO express my admiration. 1t is not only the
drill | am thinking Of, though in that the Japan
ESQ soldiers are simply perfect; their infantry
drlll is Just like a piece Of machine work, and
their artillery drlll perfectly wonderful.
i had the privilege Of having a battery of noun
tam artillery delivered over unto me 10 work my
wicked Will on for a whole morning, a very hot
morning, on a big plain outside Toxic, and |
tried 10 make them do very difficult things They
did them simply admirably II you had seen
how those guns we're laid you would have been
astoniShed. took care To look along The sights
OF every gun after IL vas laid. and I am perfectly
certain that II the targets had been living men
instead III dummies there would not have been
any left 10 tell the tale. That, Of course, is all
very we'll, but II is not the sole criterion of the
efficiency Of an army. But | was shown things
which are a criterion. was shown the Tegi-
mental, battalion and company storehouses.
where every, mans war kit lay ready prepared
Tor him, WIN nus number tiCketed on il, that was
only To- be used In time " war Everything was
new the Japanese soldier, like the German sol
dler, goes 10 war with everything about him new,
and everything has been prepared for him, and
he knows where IN find it, Not only that hut
for every man in the reserves there was the re-
serve Kit on the shelf behind Therefore, the
moment the regiment was modified eAch re-
serve, man could 20 Ia his shelf and get his FIJI
war XII | saw also in their army medical de-
partner, most wonderful things which would
take too long 10 relate"