Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-05-27
GOSSIP ABOUT THE WAR.
Scenes and Incidents Sketehed as They
Pass BY.

pedo transport, one torpedo destroyer
and three torpedo boats, total loss OF
sixteen ships to date. The losses To
the navy of Japan are one battleship'
one protected cruiser, one dispatch
boat, one torpedo boat and one troop
ship. a total of four. The relative
classcs; Russia, 4G.
Sketching conditions in Japan in war
time. writer in Scribner's Magazine
says:
And then the stories I heard of the
devotion and sacrifice of the people left
ut home! The women let their hair go
undressed once a month that they
might contribute per month the price
of the dressing-5 sen. A gentleman
discovered that every servant in his
household. from butler down, was con-
| trlbutlng a certain amount of his wages
each month and i'm consequence offered
TO raise wages just the amount each
servant was giving away. The answer
was:
Sir, we cannot allow that; it is an
honor for us to give, and it would be
you who would be doing our duty for
us to Japan"
A Japanese lady apologized profuscly
for being late at dinner. She had been
| to the station to see her son off for the
front, where already were three of her
sons
Said another straightway:
How fortunate to be able to give
four sons to Japan"
In a tea house l saw an old woman
with blackened teeth, q servant, who
bore herself proudly, and who, too, was
honored because she had sent four sons
TO the Yalu. Hundreds and thOuSa ndS
OF families are denying themselves one
meal n day that they may give more to
their country. And one rich merchant
who has already given 10000 yen, has
himself cut off one meal, and declares
that he will live on one the rest of his
life for the sake of Japan
There is a war play on the boards o.
one theatre. The heroine, wife, SAYS
that her unborn child in a crisis lik,,
| this must be a man-child, and that he
shall be reared q soldier. To provide
means, she will herself, if necessary. go
| to the yoshiwara.
On every gateway is posted a red
slab where man has gone to the war,
| marked Gone to the front"-to be sup
planted with a black one-"Bravery
forever'-should he be brought home
dead. And when he is brought home
dead his body is received at the station
by his kin with proud faces and no
tears. The Roman mother has come
back to earth again. and it is the ia
panese mother who makes Japan the
high priestess of patriotism among the
nations of the world.
The fact that the up-to-date mikado
OF Japan sleeps in a European bed does
not seem anything to be surprised at
until it is remembered that 10000. 900
of his subjects prefer the floor. His
majesty does not stop short at this one
foreign CUSTOM but wears European
clothes, uses Il knife and fork in prefer
ence to chopsticks and rides in a car
rage that would not attract particular
attention in 4 Chicago. boulevard but
for the gorgeous livery of the men on
>lie box. =
THE war in the Far East" said a
former confederate officer living in
New York, quoted by the New York
Sun, has been full of surprises and
quick action. But, there is one thing
which has been made over teh fighting.
thus far.
Il am prO-Jap, but as an old soldier
have not been able to get my blood
stirred over what has occurred IN TO
date. Granting that the losses in what
Will probably go down in history as the
battle of the Yalu have exceeded the
flgures given out by both sides. the
number is still too small to dignity the
encounter as n great battle.
you can shut your eyes and call IN
battles by the score which make the
1lght on the Yalu dwindle into insignifi-
cance
The confederate loss at Gettyshurp
was 10000, the federal about 10000. In
the two days Battle of the Wilderness
the federals lost $4,000 and the confed-
crates 1000. In the first big battle If
the rebellion. Bull Run. the federal loss
was over l2,oO0 and the confederate
loss was estimated at over 5000.
III we make due allowance for the
inaccuracies of history many of the
battles of other times were deluges of
olood, compared with which the battle
of the Yalu is but drop in the bucket.
In round numbers Hannibal in the
battle of Cannae, ZIG 3. c., slew 4O.0O0
Romans. In the battle of Halidon Hill
IN 1888. Edward III slew $4,000 Scots.
At Waterloo the allies lost $4,000 and
the French $4,000.
Il doubt if we shall ever see in orr
time any such sanguinary battles as
have Redeemed history. 1 do not look
for any such results in this struggle
between Russia and Japan as we found
at the close Of our Civil War.
I'm that four years of stubborn
fighting there died in the confederate
prisons 22,246 federal prisoners. while
1885 confederates died in federal
prisons. The whole number Of prison.
ers captured by the confederates in
that struggle was 100000 The whole
number of confederate prisoners can
tured was 100000. I give you these fig
ures from memory
II do not look for any prolonged war
in the far East. But if I should he
wrong, 1 still maintain that there will
be no such battles fought as those