The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-05-07
EXPLOITS OF
GEN. FUKUSHlMA
One Of the japanese Army s
Men Of Iron.
YEAR IN SADDLE ON LONELY TRIP

YEAR IN SADDLE ON LONELY TRIP
once Made Journey Of 5000 niles
ON Horseback, ~ Emperor's order,
From Beriin overland to Japan.
Temperature sometimes 90 Below
zero. ami He was often Frostbit-
ten.
William Dinwiddie, a staf CORE
spondent Of the New York World,
sends 10 his paper from Kobe, Japan,
Tie following sketch Of one Of Iapan's
famous officers, Major General Yasu-
masa Fnkushlma.
a strong man III the japanese army
Is Major General Fukushima, who has
the distinction Of being the broadcast
Travelled ana the best informed nan
Oh matters pertaining to foreign ar
mies III the Land Of the Rising sun.
General Fukushima occupies a POSI-
ton nearly similar to that Of our al
iutant general and bears directly alt
the executive burdens Of the military
organization. For this he Is well tit-
ted through bis long continued official
connection with the Japanese army,
having been associated with II III ev-
cry stage of its uphuiiding from the
very inception Of its organization on
foreign lines to the present smooth
working machine. modelled strongly
after the German, but wlthal partak-
ling Of the best from other continental
armies and adding finally their own
/ clever adaptions suited to the people
j and the environment
As man Fukushima is a little above
| the average height Of the Japanese,
broad shouldered and sturdiiy built
| His hair is iron gray. and his rather
heavy features are suggestive Of the
! Monaghan type However, IN CONVEX
sation his face lights up. and bis eyes
Ihave a twinkle, seemingly Characters.
tic Of most of the active japanese
thinkers and leaders
General Fukushima IS noted for his
remarkable memory for details and
every day astounds his military asso-
ciates aid subordinates by accurately
recounting numbers Of men, supplies
ships, contracts, prices and what not
\ relating to the management Of great
army. He also knows the geography
Of most Of Korea and Manchuria per
fectly and from his previous travels
and campaigns is able to discuss intel
lHgently the disposition which should
be made Of troops Ii any particular
section to the best advantage stategic
ally.
This man, who now works night ane
day, with an average Of six hours
sleep ii the twenty-four has perform
ed some marvellous feats Of travel ii
years gone by which required sur
prising degree Of courage and an al
most superhuman capacity to with
stand physical collapse.
Eleven years ago, when he was mill
tary attache at Berlin, he receivet
public instructions 10 return to japan
overland, through Russia and Siberia
and secret orders to Investigate thi
military situation IN those countries
and to be IN a position 10 make ex
haustiye reports 90 the physical char
lRcteristics OF tile region the roads, pos
sibllities Of transportation. Of obtain
ing food, and, in fact, everything re
lating to moving troops for purpose
Of aggression
At that time any ordinary maj
would have felt that such orders pu
the seal Oil his death warrant, and
may be that even General Fukushimi
felt some qualms, though he talks to
day of that Journey over 5000 mile
Of empty loneliness, Of barren waste
ana emerald valleys. Of the burninl
heat OF summer and the darkened
sullen cold of winter with i smile am
modest depreciation Of the hardships.
1t took q year to travel the entir
distance ON horseback lie left Berli
in the middle of summer, with tvs
horses, the clothes on his back, an
such small things as he could readll
pack III his saddlebags The Russia
government hesitatingly granted hin
credentials, which they could not we
refuse automatically, and after tw
, months and a half Of riding throug
! the comparatively densely populate
/ territory Of Russia proper he launehe
out Oh the lonely 1000 miles across s
IBERIA, country unknown to him, e.
eept as portrayed In terms Of the hol
] rlble sufferings and living death 9
t exiles, human degradation and barre
: blankness.
In this long, silent Journey for :