The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1900-04-03
YANKEES OF THE ORIENT
WONDERFUL MILITARY AND NAVAL
DEVELOPMENT OF THE JAPANESE,

Thiriy-one Nears-EnectIve Work "a,
the Naval College on Etniima island
Admirable Army DrIIl.
Z an address Mr.. Arthur Diosv.
mt the opening meeting of the
ninth session of the Japan So
ciety, in London, related some
experiences OF visit to the far East.
Among the things which filed Mr..
Diosy with admiration was the navy
OF Japan.
Upon this topic he says: "There is
only one word for the navy of Japan,
and that is miraculous. 1t Is, IN
deed, u miraculous navy. When you
think that thirty-one years ago the
navy Of Japan consisted OF two steam
ships, one OF them about the size OF
Citizen \ on the Thames, the other a
very ancient American man of-war.
which had been sold at very bio
price to Japan, and when you think
ut the present moment the ships OF
the japanese navy are second to none
in the world in their power, in their
hardness, in their rate of speed. in
what may be called their fighting
efficiency. In all essentials the
ships of Japan are behind none in the
world.
Even in numbers the Japanese
navy now stands eighth on the list OF
nayics Of the world, and in another
two years time will probably stand
fifth, may be even fourth, but ut all
events fifth, unless some very great
efforts are made TO increase their
navics by the powers now ahead of
Japan. Moreover, the ships of the
Japanese navy may be described, l
think, as being the most intelligently
designed warships in the world. be
cause they are designed for the par
ticulor work that they have got to
carry out, and for no other. The
Japanese know that their battles will
be fought near home, and that consc-
qucntly they need not have very large
spaces for carrying coal, and thus the
space which would otherwise be flied
by bunliers can be devoted TO more
guns and more proicctilcs, which, as
we know by recent naval warfare, is
the chief point. The ship that eau
pump the greatest weight of metal in
to another ship in tho shortest time
Will be the victor
THAT is as regards the material.
Now what about that which is much
more important, the men? The men
of the Japanese navy arc simply per
feet. The officers who command
them are first rate; they showed it
not many years ago.
con tho Island Of Etajima, one of
~ IL, l..
beautiful inland sea, there lies the
Imperial Navy College, at which the
cadets arc trained who afterward be
come officers in the japanese navy.
! will not weary you with a des Grip
ton Of what is one of the most per
feet naval educational establishments
in the world, l viii simply tell you
that the Russian Naval Attache at
Toxic, an authority who could not he
suspected of any undue prediction
for things japanese, said to me. ''Ha!
1t is a model for all the navies
in the world; il is absolute
perfection" And absolute perfection
it is. There severa! hundred young
japanese gentlemcu of splendid
physiquc-I have never seen a
finer body of young men between the
ages Of fifteen and twenty than saw
there-are trained in all that goes to
constitute an efficient modern naval
officer, that is to say, in every mortal
thing that you can think OF. They
are trained there in the midst OF the
healthiest surroundings. The island
IS entirely given mp to the Naval Col
q
they can even so shooting deer in the
woods; they have their games, their
sports, their boating, their sailing, and
their life is an absolutely healthy one.
Every care is taken to keep their
minds rs healthy rs their bodies. }
was taken into the battery, the finest,
most accurate representation Of the
lighting battery of n first-class battle
ship that / have ever seen, battery
containing every kind OF the most up-
tC-date guns that are used at sea.
Outside ON the grceusward, were 100
cadcts-clad i'm their flannel siuglcts
amt their whitc duck trousers, and
with those W ite Japanese socks, with
a division ion tho white toe, which
form such excellent footgear ON board
shlp-standin~ ut ottouton. solid like
a wall. 1 was eque q 90 inspect
them. 7 did So / ucvet saw O finer
lot OF young men d my life.
AT one word spoken by the chief
gunncry instructor the 100 young men
tumbied into that battery. ] timed
thcm by my watch -twcniv-eighf ser-
onds from the giving of the order ev-
cry man stood to- his gun There was
absolute silence, most perfect order.
The officer of quarters came toward
me and said: What would YOU like 60
sccY ! said, 7 would like to see OK.
crciso action The words were hardly
out of my mouth before tho buglc
sounded, and ] can assure you-aud +
speak, as You know. with some tech.
meal knowledge of This maitor-it Inns
never been my delight to- sec better
gun drill i'm tho whole world than
saw there. The fellows simply jumped
over ono another like mice or SOUR
rcls, and for the whole time there was
not o sound, ave for tho claukine of
the securing chains and tho chinkiuo
of tho proiccliIo as 30 came mp TO Che
breoch
90 Not somji That was enough
for me- There us not another navy i'm
tho world, except, of course. ours.aud
perhaps, tine American. where such ~
Thing would be porciIfc r,a,, .,,