The Savannah morning news., 1901-04-22
STORY OF THE JAPANESE NAVY.
Wonderful March Of ProRress-SInce
the Days of Junks

(Dr. William Elliott Grtfis in Boston
Transcript
1t seems one of the miracles Of history
Junks should at the naval pageant In
honor of the late Queen Victoria fiy its
flag over the largest battle ship in the
world. When the empress of India died,
the Hatsuse, built at the Elswick works
north of Newcastle. Eng, was hardly
ready for sea service Nevertheless. tho
mikado. telegrs phed~4such imperative Or
ders to the Japanese legation in London
that the big ship OF 500 tons displace-
ment, and named after a little stream In
Japan, sailed with her own officers and
crew to Portsmouth, taking prominent
part in the evolutions. A thousand years
ago, when our fathers were barbarians,
its name was celebrated in classic poetry:
Pure is Hatsuses mountain brook.
so pure 1t mirrors all the clouds of heaven.
To the mind Of the mlkados sailors
and officers hatsuse calls up pictures OF
a tinkling stream, shady hooks and shelf
cred cottages set against a glorious back
ground of mountains that are lovely to
view and inspiring with precious associa-
tions.
This is what has built the Japanese
navy and given it soul Here is sug-
gestion OF the secret of Japan's power.
10 the foreigner, filled with the white
mans conceit. that power is hid. He
thinks Japan is strong because she has
borrowed the inventions of the West, the
forces of modern civilization But ia
pans own internal vigor Is greater than
any she can borrow In a material form.
her true line of progress is not in mach
inery, 1t is in internal spirit and organ
ization. Her revolution within during
the past half-century-begun before Per-
ny arrived-is more thorough than any
visible external changes.
The story of the Japanese navy is
like that of the Phoenix. 1t is a case OF
rising to full life out Of ashes 1t was
for defense against her enemies that
Japan In the early nth century destroyed
all her unworthy vessels. Whatever
afioat had capacity of over $500 bushels
were ordered to the flames The ashes
were blown to the winds OF taken to
fertiiZe the soil. Then foreigners were
excluded and the people included, save
as a storm might blow sailors into the
Black tide and drift them to American
shores. Only one coming tower to watch
the world was left at Nagasak For
over two centuries. until the American
whaling fleet came too numerously in
japanese waters. Japan slept like Thorn
rose. II was first the whale, then Yam
KEGS. then Perry. that woke her up.
Within only seven years after the first
American steam war ship, the Missis-
sippi had gone round the globe the ia
pSnese by themselves. navigated
steamship across the Pacific They be-
gun first to buy vessels of foreign model
for trade and then to arm for war, for
all around were earth hungry nations. Con-
quered India and humbled China showed
the Japanese what they might expect
Sham Christianity is doubly a theft, and
the japanese knew IT. They bought first
in the ship-yards of the United States,
through the American minister Robert
n. Pruyn This wooden feet, secured
primarily for the service of the Tycoon
was seized by Japanese students return
ing from Europe, who set up the very
short-lived Northern Sea republic" The
mikado's single ironclad. Stonewali, re-
named the Adzuma, sent the rebel craft
TO the bottom, and then became the
nucleus for the new navy Of iron and
steel. In 1894 this consisted OF IS steel
ana II wood or composite men-of-war
and 2g torpedo boats.
When China. IN defiance OF treaties,
claimed cOrea rs her appanage, she was
resisted. as Russian viii be should she
claim the same thing. Though China
had battls ships and the Japs neFe had
none. kilograms from Toxic ordered the
japanese war steamers 20 move ~ full
steam 20 intercept the Chinese transports
and u necessary 10 night the fleet How
the lighter cruisers nOatlnG the sun ban
nsr met the hsyisf battle ships having
the dragon rag si0ft, snd drove them
assy. an0 thea aRain ATTACKED aud blew
them ~ Bitb t0rpsdoes, utterly amt
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10 history. a VS. the nfn. n0f EuUs. fhf
superior spirit n0f matter that son
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