The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1904-03-16
~ w. D. colvss. Special Commits
sionsr Of the Newspaper Enter.
prise Association In the Far Fast

| TOXIC. Feb. M.@M hen n young
! Japanese II eonsoripted FOR the army
or the navy there IL great rejoicing
Ia hia family. That he should be "a
honored by the emperor aud the godz
M % be allowed a. fight for Japan ID
indeed mark OF great favor 80 a
feast IL arranged and often the par
! enta spend their last penny upon the
entertainment Then the recruit bids
good bye 10 hiH parents ana his wlff
ana children and sets oat 10 war.
The private soldier 10 paid ths
prlncely salary u one gen. two sen pet
m1nth-ur. IN American money. q
cents while hs h Ia the army his
wife aud children are supported aud
cared fof b. his family The famlly
Ia Japan Is n remarkable Institution.
Ia the fret place u entirely HNaiiuwa
up the individuality Of each Of ita
members Personal preference. pride.
ambition and career must be sacri.
fieed 20 the family good IN turn. the
family takes care u zach 81 iis MEM
burs. aud 80 IL 10 really a little social
istie OF communicate organise ton.
Well. WREN the soldier has left home
ite proceeds 90 the barracks. military
depot Or artnory az which be has been
j - Af'AfTH - - TWIN AAAAN -" NAHatA -
hia order and neatly rolled bundle
10 handed him II may be the conn
/ piete Mt 81 an lufaulfyman. the reau-
iatiou supplies Tor a member Of the
hospital corpa blae knmith'n outfit.
OF the nHs-baE aud uniform 81 a
sailor. when hc gnih hla bundle hc
knows 60 uhat arm 81 the services he
Will belong and tho ticket bearing bis
name also bears the maine % The tegi-
/ uent ship. arsenal OF huHpi al %
utlrh he has been detailed All tHia
work ~ assignment Il done Ia advance
and these carefully packed and marked
bundles lH the military dep9ts rsffe-
srut exactly the strength that the au-
th0fitieH can depend upon. Thus, In
T gathering gp io.oqo men. there l. not
I the least confusion OF delay. hhd an
army in aa easy ana almost a. quickly
pat Together 40 eafparafs guard
f wn4ta lie.
IT'S wonderful system ia made pns-
F nahie BY the fact that. through The ps-
+ iieet rysry psasibie detail about every
Japaneae subject h constantly on flls.
{ II a hos haby born tn a certain huuaa 2
/ Fhe policeman on the beat makes re-
{ purk u Il. aud a ue~ 'citiEenf 10
xfaFtcd When the baby 10 named
/ that biz q information IL added /;
when and where be goes o. school -
neat recorded WHAT trade he fol-
iowr. hin health. etc. are all noted
down Upon removing % another part
10 the city OF empire the documents
faiioH him and the Authorities % the
mes home TAXI up the record
Win their infinite capacity fef MI
mute detail tho authorities sort cut
{ from these records fhs men they may
need fpr any sszea army According
f - their trade % occupation. or any
defAn showing peculiar fitness. the
Farious slfiHena are sorted iuta cav
I airymrn. engineers. transfers OF any
u TIE hundred trades that 80 90 make
up ar army OF a navy Kits and out
/ fits Ter these are pat tpEefhsr anI
slowed away. aud then when the tiais
% need comes the army on paper be-
comes al army Of fieah and blood In
AZ incredibly short time The new r.
erliiS. when they are eeuscripted. are
scattered through various orWaniHa.
tons and 50 are raplsilT sHaifniiaied ~
/ reason ~ their ceutaet with veterans.
During time - peace the standing
army IL Kept Al about lt&9o nca. and
tliune serve three years Next 20 this
Il faftfsNN NffE kAfHt fNHFFHf ANaAf NNAFM anu
the second reserve serving five years.
aud toRetheF kept At an average
strength Of 10 90 Next comes the
rational army. which comprises alt
citizens under % years % age who
have paaana through the color serv-
lne" ard the reserves aud arc conm4d.
cred as trained soldiers These num-
Der about sa.ea Added "a these are
the gcudanncH and the rural con-
atAbuiary- under The imperial
var department and . total strength
nf better than g0eo mrn~an trained
in military aFtN-is developed
The war strength - Japan. however.
r. fully aga.5o9 mcn and that many
cos.id - pat into the field within
year
The Japanese have 10 stoves IN their
houses and seem only % feel the cold
10 their hands. Their only effort TO
heat their houses ls n tiny. shoulder
Ing charcoal fire IN = huge earthen OF
metal bowl and ihey hang over this
and toast their fingers b. the hour.
I have seen barelegxed men splash
through snow and aluhh without .
ahiSer and men. women and children.
hareheadsd and bsrefooird. stand on
street corners and gossip while icy
Niuda howl and Europeans. bundled w
IN their WarmnHt clothing. hug CRATE
fires and make cmustio remarks about
sunny Japan"
This depression was meant 20 show
hoW hardy rHca the Japanese are
and how little their armies will msas
home comforts when they take the
field. The army IN not hard to feed
In times past the daily army ration
has been about pound and a half Of
hashli CBolled rice dried In the sum.
but this was found unsatisfactory and
10 "fruxen moohi' has been devised.
This r. Elutenous rice Of the very
finest grade cooked and pressed into
fiat cakes like the graham waters OF
America These are eaten cold. geasi-
Ell or made into soup. They make such
a thick and nouriHhiuE SOUP that. with
a pot Of hot tea and pellet of tnbaa-
co for his pipe. the Japanese soldier
will feel cory Ia spite Of snow or sleet
A little mere than two pounds Of
moch u served a. days allowance.
and canned meats have been added 70
the field ration, but are hardly 40
counted as necessary.
When war was imminent the stand
inE army was filled 20 war strength
from the first reserve. the latter was
filled up from the second reserve men.
aud the second reserve was brought
up 60 fun strength by general con-
ncription. Now an army OF probably
Geese men has already left Japanese