Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-05

of war. She has some of the largest ship
ping companies of the world the Nippon
Yusen kaisha, for instance. This company
has thirty-three steamers and it sends them
to Vladivostock in Siberia to Corea, China
and Manila, and also to Australia, India
and through the Suez canal to London
Other japanese ships connect Yokohama
and San Francisco, so that in respect to
transport vessels the mikado is perhaps
better off than the car
A Nation of Sailors.
The japanese are at home upon the sea-
They are nation Of sailors. They had their
men-of-war in feudaI days and sent out
armies to Corea and China They are Won
derfully nimble with their feet and hands,
it being commonly said that the Japanese
has twenty fingers. ten on his hands and
ten on his feet.
They are also good fighters. and may be
called a nation of warriors At the time
that Commodore Perry opened the country
1t was ruled by class of feudal knights
and retainers whose profession was war.
The sons of these old warriors are now at
the head of the Japanese. government and
are the leaders of the army and navy. They
are animated by the spirit Of their fathers
They are the most patriotic people on
earth. the most sentimental and the most
ambitious They delight in the spectacular
and almost any one of them would be will
ing to die If his death would leave repu-
tation behind him.
At present every Japanese between seven
teen and forty is subject to military service
The army organization is much like that
OF Germany. The troops have been trained
by German officers. and in all the military
schools there are German instructors There
are at present more than 100000 men in the
regular army, including eleven thousand Of
ncers There are more than thirty-five
thousand officers and men in the navy.
The training there has been the same as
that of the navies Of Europe, and the naval
hQi rfya0 dic-
ciplined as our own
The Question of Supplies.
In case war should come between Japan
and Russia the question Of supplies will
be a most important one. In this Japan
Will have the advantage. Almost every
part Of its empire is productive and 1t can
feed its troops without trouble. 1t Is one
of the richest food-producing countries of
the far east. raising vast quantities of rice
and other cereals. 1t has plenty of coal
and sufficient iron to keep 1t going. It's
railroad system Is such that every part of
the empire can send goods and troops to
the seaports. so that all the resources of
its forty million people are available.
Besides the Japanese can live upon almost
nothing. Their staple diet is rice At the
time Of the Chinese-Japanese war the SOL
d1ers lived almost entirely on rice, dried
fish and canned meat. a large part of the
latter article being supplied by the United
States. The people are fond Of canned
salmon and they like to have pickles to eat
with their rice. They are not great eaters
and can work long on small rations The
same Is true to some extent Of the Rus
slams. although the Russian peasant is
fond of gorging and overloads his stomach
whenever 1t Is possible to do so.
How About Coreap
One of the most interesting possibilities
Of this war will be the future of
Corea. That little peninsula, only about
as large as the state of Kansas, Is coveted
by both Japan and Russia. 1t is one of
the richest countries of the far east 1t
has gold mines now worked by the Ameri-
cans and Germans. coal mines which are
said to be of enOrm OuS value and a vast
area of cultivable soil. 1t has good for
ests. and it would be worth everything to
Russia. as 1t would bring her empire and
railroad several hundred miles further
south.
Japan Colonizing Corea.
Ever since the Chinese Japanese war the
Japanese have been colonizng Corea Each
Of the port cities has Japanese quarter,
where some Of the finest buildings are and
where the most of the business is done.
This is the case with Fusan on the south
ern coast, with Chemulpo on the west and
Gensan on the east At these places there
are japanese banks Japanese exporting
and importing firms and the business gem
orally is in the hands Of the Japanese.
This is SO to some extent in Seoul, the cap
ital.
The japanese are building a number Of
new railroads in Corea. They have bought
the little line which was constructed by
Americans from Chemulpo to Seoul, and
they are building a trunk line from Fusan
to Seoul. which will have great trade and
will bring Japan within very few hours
of the capital Of Corea. understand they
are also planning roads to the east and to
the north of Seoul. so that In time their
railroads will cover the country
At the same time the Coreans do not want
to be swallowed up by the Japanese and
they are glad to have Russia as a buffer
between them and their almond -eyed
cousins across the strait
FRANK G. CARPENTER, !