Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-30

Arisaka, which is said to be better
pom than the improved Mauser Ii is re-
markably accurate and has greater stop
ping quality'-to Use the military term
than most up-to-date magazine rifles That
is to say. il makes far worse wound. At
Omdurman the British troops found that
the Dervishes charged up to their ranks
after they had half a dozen bullets through
their bodies-so small and clean was the
wound made by the Lee Metford rifle. EX-
perts say that Will not happen when the
Arisaka rifle stands the test of battle 1t
will drop man in his tracks.
Like CONSUMPTION.
Consumption based upon the European
model was introduced into japan by i'm
perial edict in 1874. Excepting the samurai,
the population had never been used to mil
itary service-indeed. they had been for
hidden by law to be soldiers. but they took
to it as a duckling takes to water. There
was never any objection to CONSUMPTION
The emperor had ordered it, and that was
enough for anybody in any case. but IL was
actually popular movement, for the jap
anese of all ages and classes thoroughly en-
JOY the military life.
All male Japanese between the ages of
seventeen and forty are liable to military
service, but the active army is actually lev
led from males of the age of twenty The
term of service is three years in the army
and four years in the navy: the latter IS the
more popular. This inequality is made
good when the man passes out into the re-
serve If he is soldier he has to be re-
servist for four years and four months; but
II sailor, only three years.
The reserves are based upon the common
European system The territorial army
is practically ''landwehr,'' in which the
term of service is five years. 1t is COM
posed of men who have passed out of the
standing army"-the active army and the
first reserve. There is also a class of re-
NOT
for the army and navy. which are composed
of men who have not been enlisted in the
standing army. Japan has thus reserve
of men who are going to be soldiers, as well
as of men who have been soldiers. Finally,
the national army like the European
landstrum," sweeps up the leavings of the
other organizations by embodying all eligi-
bic men between seventeen and forty who
have not been enrolled or have completed
their term in other branches of the service.
Ready to Fight.
All the able-bodied manhood of Japan
thus stands ready to fight in the event of
national emergency.
Promotion from the ranks is not easily
obtained the standard of qualifications for
non-commissioned officers being as high.
probably. as in any other army In the
world. Competition is keen. the majority
of the enlisted men being intelligent and
fairly well educated. That is only to be
expected when 1t is remembered that a
larger bulk of printed matter is issued in
Japan than in any other country In the
world, except Germany. The; soldiers are
great readers. and it is quite a common
thing to see an enlisted man choose from
the barracks library some weighty scen-
tific work or educational review But they
are not mere bookworms. Careful atten-
ton is paid to their physical development.
and the gymnasia attached TO the barracks
are of the best type.
The officers do everything in their power
TO Sp0rtS of all kinds Foot
ball and other western games are played
in some of the garrisons. but the favorite
sport is the practice of JuJutsu, which Is
the finest kind of physical culture in the
world so far as obtaining results over an
enemy is concerned.
Promotion to the commissioned ranks
is practically impossible to the Japanese
rookie 1t is not theoretically impossi-
bic, for the mikado is absolute command
er-in-chief. and there is the chance that he
might reward some notable deed of valor
by a commission. But it would be OPP
posed to al the ideas and traditions OF
the service.
Good Discipline.
The feeling betv cen officers and men Is
excellent and there is never any trouble In
maintaining discipline which is rather lax
when judged by the standard of European
nartinets. The rank and file are heartily
loyal to the service and the emperor, and
on the whole they decidedly prefer military
most markedly from every European army.
DeSertionS are very rare.
The japanese navy follows its British
model most slavishly, even to the last.
least button on a Heutenants uniform.
Not only are the organization and training
similar, but the very ships copies of
vessels in the British service The battle
ships Yashima and Full are modelled on
the Royal Sovereign class; and the Shi-
kishima, Asahi, Hatsuse and Kikasa, also
battle ships reproduce the Majestic type.
But in each case the Japanese have i'm
proved on the model The writer has heard
British naval officers admit that the
Mikasa could easily annihlate the Majestic
in naval fight, supposing that both ships
were handled with equal skill.
This absolute dependence on British
models is more easily comprehended when
1t is remembered that the Japanese I'm
perial Naval College was founded and man
aged for many years by British naval Of
ficers Tent to Emperor Mutsu IIito by
Queen Victoria.