The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1904-07-21
OFF FOR the FRONT.
Night Departure From Tokyo
of the Imperial Guard.
10 OTHER TROOPS so POPULAR.
English Writer'S Description OF
Their Spectacular March In Japan's
Capital to the Railway Station.
Thousands Cheered the Warriors
and Carried Brilliant Lanterns.

and Carried Brilliant Lanterns.
A. G. Hales gives the following de-
pcription, in the London News, of mill
tary Tokyo and Of the departure for
the seat of war Of the Imperial guard:
AL day long there had been signs of
unusual stir and hustle in the Japa-
nese capital. The quiet of the place
was shaken, women were going to and
fro with anxious faces as though an
event of Importance were about to oc-
cur. AS the day wore away and the
dusk Of evening settled upon the city
the pulse Of the people began to throb
more forcefully. l sent my inter
prefer to find out what was afoot. He
came back at last with the news that
ut an early hour in the night the I'm
perfal guard Of Tokyo were to leave
the city for the seat Of war. Of all the
troops known in the metropolis, per-
haps none is so popular with the peo-
pie as the Imperial guard, and l was
to have an opportunity Of watching a
demonstration Of a nature worth chron-
icling.
1t was about Ct the clock when
the great sight began. The night had
cone on with sudden darkness, not a
star lit the black mantle that overhung
the world, there was no moon and the
shadows cast by the dwellings in the
unlit streets were scarce darker than
the surrounding void. A magnetic calm
had fallen upon the capital as If the
people were gathering themselves to-
gether for one great patriotic effort
Suddenly the scene was changed. The
tramp of armed men rang out upon the
night. Short, sharp words of com.
mand, spoken, strangely enough, in
the English tongue, cut through the
clank of falling footsteps, and then we
knew that the Imperial guard was on
its way to the forefront Of the war
Then the people poured out Of their
homes as a river in the full of its flood
pours over its banks. They came IN
rtvulets; they came in torrents, and
pride, a wild, shrill cry Of welcome
and farewell, and through the ever
varying cadences Of the human voices
came the reverberating tramp Of war.
riors' feet, and still the shadows lay
upon the land.
It was weird, that march in the night
with the swelling cheers waking the
echoes, the c1ank Of arms, the shutting
footballs of the populace and ever and
anon bugle's note. Then once again
the scene was changed, 10000 lanterns
dashed into view, lanterns carried on
bamboos by men and lads and boys;
lanterns of every size and shape, Ian
terms pure white or blood red, lanterns
green and gold, lanterns round, square
and oblong-all carried high in the all
above the heads Of the marching men,
and as the troops passed on each door
way opened wide and every doorway
sent man or boy, armed with blaz.
Ing circle Of fame, to swell the throng
until the very air danced with blaze
Of beauty. Banners held aloft in WON
cleaning folds of light until the gazer' s
eye was dazzling by the rainbow hues
that had sprung into being from the
very womb Of the night. Far up above
the blackness lay unbroken; below, the
earth was wrapped in shadows, while
In between the earth and~sky a blaze
Of brilliance lay. The lights shone
down upon the hard, brown faces of
the Imperial guard and flashed from
rifle barrels carried proudly by men
called forth to battle for a nations hon
or.
The lights CLEAN ruddily on bold, un-
dinching eyes and faces fixed in the
stern lines which duty carves and hon
or glorifes, and as my eyes ranged
over that glittering mass, made up of
men and women and warm, strong col
ored things, nothing looked to me SO
grand, so strong, so noble as the proud,
calm faces of the Imperial guard fixed
like flint.
Now the dense mass grows denser
From every alleyway and lane, from
every street and highroad the people
poured with lanterns held aloft dozen
feet above their heads. Then some one
broke into song. A swift rush of voices
followed as wave follows wave upon
the coast. Women and children sang,
men danced and tossed their lanterns
high, boys clapped their hands and
sent shrill treble sounds far out into the
night. And yet above it all, above the
babel of sound, above the cheering and
the song came the stern, strong tread
Of the men who were marching to vic
tory or to death.
They swing along with the measured
stride of men who knew what march
Ing meant. each man wrapped in his
heavy !tot black overcoat, his knapsack
on his back his bayonet by his side,
his rife Oh his shoulder, the yellow
facings showing on each front. Stead
LILY they moved amid that storming,
swaying, fire girt multitude until they
reached the railway station; then, as
II each soldier were part and parcel of
machine, they passed along the plat
form into their places. There was no