The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-07
MONTENEGRO AND MARTA.
ONE is SPANISH, THE OTHER JAP
ANESE, AND BOTH ARE BRAVE
MEN.

On Great Days MOnteVerde wears
Seven Medals and Is in Possession
of Many Nore-The stirring story
of NarItn's DoingS in the war ne
tween China and Japan-Aziz beSs
Great Ride.
washington May 5.-If lieut.. Coz.
Ferder.co de Monteverde Sedano OF
the Spanish legation were to be stood on
his head he might not. like Klpling s
"Eo5s.' spill out a quart of lead put
Lord Roberts has scarcely been Wouhden
mere lines than he. Col MonteVerde IS
tar. slender man, considerably this SIDE
Of %. with q thin. earnest almost tragic
face. On state occasions he wears upon
his breast seven medals conferred upon
him for gallant conduct in as many bat
Ties. and If he were to wear all the decora-
tons which have been given him at vari-
Gus times. the front of his tunic would not
begin 10 hold them.
He served in Cuba at the beginning OF
the instruction, and in 1895 and 1897 In the
Philippines as aide-de-camp 10 Gen. La
chambre. He has recently published VOL
ume of coo pages concerning the Philip
pine campaign in 1897, a book which Is
recognized in Spain as authoritative, AS
military attache to the Spanish legs ton,
when Spain resumed diplomatic relations
with the United States and re-establshed
a legation at Washington, Col. Montever-
de's position has been somewhat delicate,
but diplomatist is understood to nave
nothing but a wholly official memory and
no personal feelings whatever, ana Col.
Alonteverde has succe eded admirably In
his difficult position. He spends great
part Of this time in New York, and always
declares that he finds America and Ameri-
cans delightful.
Like the Spanish military attache, Com
fnander Katsuro Martha, the representa-
tive of Japans navy at the capital, has
seen ac i've service in war. he is typical
~ japanese in appearance, graceful ana
slender, with the Enthusiastically Jap
anese ability to extract amusement from
frifes. He was educated at the Japanese
Naval College at Yatashima, where hVe
or S Americans are now studying. He Is
unusually expert in swordsmanship after
the japanese method. Every Japanese Of
sicer is trained for four years In the use
OF the sword. For the first two years he
is allowed no weapon but a mock sword
of bamboo. In the third year Ihe uses
sword two days in the week, and in his
fourth year he practices with a keen
edged sword every day. He is taught to
defend himself with his bare hands too,
and it is to this latter training that Com
mander Martha owes his life 1t was DUR
ing the war with China that on one oc-
easion he led a accommodating party some
where on shore. In the darkness the Jap
anese stumbled upon small body OF the
enemy. As they turned to retreat to their
boats. Commander Martha found his way
barred by big Chinaman, who had evil
d,ntly been just reused from sleep. There
was no time to draw his sword. He rush
ed at his adversary, seized him, and. with
the art of the japanese wrestler. which
makes every additional pound of the enc
my's weight only another help to his un-
doing, he flung him over his head, and es-
capped in the darkness.
When the fort at Wei-Hai-Wai was
taken Commander Martha was put in
command, because the immense guns
were quite beyond the understanding of
any but naval officers. In his little force
of sixty, one chief officer, four petty otfi-
GERS and seven sailors were killed. The
young commander himself narrowly es-
capped death. The officer in command of
one of the guns had fallen at his place.
Martha sprang to relieve him. when the
Chinese ship Chin-Yen sent shot, which
Commander Martha says, with naive
smile, he did not see coming 1t struck
the great gun squarely. The monster rear
ed high in air and burst into five pieces,
one of which swept past the young off
Ger, wounding him IN both forearms. 1t
was for bravery at Wei-Hai-Wei that he
was sent to Washington after a year
spent in European travel. Commander
Martha always dresses in European fash
ion, as do all the Oriental members Of
the diplomatic corps, with the exception
of the Chinese. His great regret is that
he could not follow our army TO Cuba.
He did go TO Tampa, but business in con-
nection with japanese ships building at
the Cramp Ship Yards kept him from
leaving the country.
The Italian embassy is at present with
OUT a military attache, as Lieut.. Ferccio
Vitale. who is accredited to Washington,
IS with our army in Manila. The Turk
ish military attache, also, is absent He
is. watching military operations in South
Africa and will return to America when
the war is over. He is Adjt Mai. Aziz,
aide-de-camp 10 His Majesty the Sultan.
Aziz Bey received his appointment 20
Washington in consequence of a brilliant
and daring feat performed during the war
with Greece. II was nothing less than
long ride in range of the enemys guns,
to bring back 10 the main body of Turk
fish forces a column on the left wing
which had in some way misunderstood
its orders and had wandered so far from
the rest of the army that 1t was about
to be cut off by a Greek brigade. Aziz
Bey escaped without a wound. Before
the war he was military attache to the
legation OF st. Petersburs and spent FIVE
years in Russia. He is a young officer
to whom the Sultan is said 10 be greatly
attached. and is very much liked in
Washington,