Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-07

At the battle of the Yalu, one of the de-
cisive conflicts of the Chino-Japanese war,
while a japanese sailor was standing on
the rail of his ship watching the enemy he
struck by a fragment of a shell, hor-
ribly wounded and knocked into the sea.
He rose for a moment in whirl of bloody
foam. shouted to his comrades. Nippon
banzai!" Japan forever!')-then sank to
rise no more.
This incident illustrates the daredevil
courage and the absolute devotion of the
mikados great-hearted little warriors
There a thousand other true stories of
the Japanese army and navy which are fit
to keep it company, and to prove that the
men who will fight Japan's next battles
rank among the best soldiers in the world
OF all these stories. the heroism of a pri-
vate named Harada. during the siege of
Ping Yang, is regarded in Japan as the
most remarkable.
II don't believe this story of the war
with China has ever been told to the west
ern world" said Japanese merchant. now
living in New York, but in Japan it is re-
garded as the classic instance of national
bravery.
THE fort at Ping Yang made a most des
perate resistance. Again and again our
troops tried to storm the gate. but the mas
sve door was secured by heavy iron bar,
and they could not gain entrance. They
were beaten back, but Harada stayed be-
hind under the shelter of the battlements.
While the enemy were triumphng over
their victory he quietly scaled the wall and
dropped down suddenly into the midst of
hundred yelling Boxers. Before they real
lied who he was he had shot a couple Of
them. bayonetted third, thrown down the
iron bar and swung the gate open.
Then for few strenuous moments
he held the gate alone against hundreds
of Chinese, until his comrades rushed up,
cheering madly, and swarmed in and
took the fort. They found Harada COW
cred with blood and surrounded by a
rampant of corpses but alive and only
slightly wounded. He was decorated by
the mikado and is today one of the ma
tional heroes of Japan"
Scores of songs and ballads have been
written by Japanese poets on Haradas
exploit and his example is held up to all
the boys in the Japanese schools.
Another National Hero.
Rear Admiral Kabayama is another ma
tional hero. In the battle of the Yalu he
was in command of a merchant steamer
which had been hurriedly turned into a
transport and mounted with a couple of
small guns. The admiral did not expect
the battle. and almost before he knew
what was happening mis- feeble craft was
cut off from the rest of the Japanese fleet
and exposed to the fire of the biggest of
the Chinese cruisers and battle ships
1t seemed impossible that she could
escape destruction, but the admiral ham
died her beautifully, lodging in and out
among the Chinese ships like clever
dancer in crowded ball room He
Crumpled up torpedo boat with one of
his small rapid-fire guns and even had
the audacity to pump some shot into the
battle ships. A shell burst on the deck
but he kept cool as a cucumber and
calmly told two of his officers to fetch
their cameras and take some pictures of
the battle
Then another torpedo boat hurried I'D
and discharged u torpedo brOadside at
the ship. AS the admiral saw 1t cutting
through the water he lit a cigarette and
said to his officers, Here comes out fin
ish, gentlemen!-or the Japanese words
to that effect However, the torpedo dived
clean under the ships keel and exploded
far away on the other side
Things were growing too hot, and the adj
miral determined he would not be cap
tured. He sent his ship full speed ahead
and tried to ram the biggest Chinese battle
ship. She lodged out of the way and the
transport steamed on, little damaged, and
rejoined the Japanese fleet.
kabayama's heroic fight takes rank with
Sir Richard Grenville's battle of 1.-The one
and ffty-three." but il had happier end
ing. Although his ship passed through a
storm of shot and shell, only few of the
crew were killed wounded.
Deeds of Devotion
1t is often supposed that the Japs, though