Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-11-09
GOSSIP ABOUT THE WAR,
An Example Of the Spirit That Actu
ates the Soldier of Japan.

ates the Soldier Of Japan.
Writing on Japanese Deration and
Courage" in the Century Magazine,
Oscar King Davis, an American cores
pondent at the font, cites the case of
Sergeant Major Sanko Takano of the
Second Company, Second Cavalry
Regiment, as an illustration of the in
domitable spirit that actuates the SOL
| dlers OF Japan. ION dark night in
early April. soon after his regiment
had reached the Yalu river, he and
Lance Corporal Shinobu Watanabe
were sent out with a third man to as
certain the width and depth Of the
main stream of the river where it
flows between two large islands OPP
pOsite Wiju. They crossed the first
| channel in boat which the sergeant
major and the corporal left on the first
island in charge of the third man. Then
| the two worked across the island to the
| main stream. The Russians occupied
little village on the opposite side, d.
rectly across from the place where
Takano and Watanabe struck the
river. TakanO saw that it would be
very difficult to get across without at
| tracing attention. Ice was running
| in the river, and the water was bitterly
! cold. Takano thought that il he tried
to swim he would surely arouse the
Russians. So he determined to walk
| across on the bottom Of the river, ris-
ing occasionally for breath! They had
a coil of light rope with them. Takano
took off his uniform and fastened one
| end of the line to his body. Then he
picked up a stone to help him keep
ho<
the lance corporal to hold the rope by
which he was to be dragged back
| whenever he gave signal of two
sharp pulls.
Pounded by the ice and chilled to the
| marrow by the cold water Takano
struggled on. The water rose over his
head, but the heavy stone he carried
| enabled him to keep on the bottom. |
Now he could walk little faster for
| he was free from the battering ice; but
| as he neared the center of the stream
the current grew swifter and swifter, |
| until, if it had not been for the stone |
he carried, it would have swept him
down. He grew numb from the cold. |
and it took all his strength, stout
swimmer as he was, to rise to the sur
face and stay there long enough to
breathe. Yet he dared not drop the
| weight, for he knew he could not get
down to the bottom again. So he
worked, with Watanabe paying out the
rope. until he felt the bottom rising
and knew he was beyond the middle Of
the stream. Almost senseless, Takano
stumbled along. striving to carry out
the letter of his orders and reach the
opposite bank. But not even Japanese
nature could stand such a test, and
Watanabe. waiting on the bank, felt
the long, steady pull on the rope that
told him Takano had lost conscious
ness. With ali his might the corporal
hauled in the line. and soon had the
unconscious sergeant major out OF the
water.
"A brisk rubbing and the contents
of his flask finally revived Takano, who
got into his warm, dry uniform again
and started back with the corporal
across the island. But when they
reached the place where they had left
the boat, it was gene. The third man,
/ concluding that they had been cap
tured by the Russians. had started
back. There was nothing for it but
to swim. SO in the two men plunged.
The floating ice hammered them and
the cold water numbed them, so that
they could not make Roadway against
the current and were carried down
stream. But fortune had not deserted
them. and they drifted against the
boat in which their comrade was try
ing to scull back to shore. He, too.
had been swept down stream by the
swift water and the ice which hindered
his sculling. He hauled them In, and
soon they were landed on the Win
side. to be commended by their captain
for showing the real spirit Of Yamato
Damashii'
The Army and Navy Journal wash
ington) estimates that Japan has put
forth 25 ner cent of her strength thus