Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1904-04-15


Cheer and Wave Flags aud Lam
terms as Trains Pass by With de-
partinE Troops-Deeds OF bravery /
10 be Rewarded by Certificates "i I
Honor -Impassiyeness of the SOL
der. Contrn.ted With the Peoples
Enthusias.a.
There have been scenes around the
railroad station at Tokyo the last lew
weeks much like those In America III
Nartiu,,s, says Richard IA. LATHE, the
Tokyo correspondent Of the Chicago
News. Conscripts in bright new uni
forms come down to take the tram
each with an escort Of a dozen or So
friends and relatives. As the Dell
rings II warning that the train Is about
TO start there is bowling and scrap
ing and bobbing and murnur oi
''banzai' and "sayonara." The tram
guards tear the soldier boys from the
crowd and push them into the car
riages and slam the doors, and the
heroes are off for the war.
Troop trains have been pouring
through in great numbers on the way
to the mobilizing points south, and the
Yokohama and Tokyo stations and
platforms are gay with flowers ana
flags. The crowds wait patiently for
hours just to see the trains go by and
as they pass wave flags and lanterns.
The flags are tastefully arranged, and
some of the houses and stores are
fairly hidden by creepers, MOSES and
hanging plants. Paper lanterns hang
in an unbroken line down the street,
and as night comes on they are lighted,
and the faint glow from the lanterns
lighting up the flowers, flags, BAN
ners and vines on the quaint buildings
gives fairyland appearance TO the
streets. News of the success of the
japanese fleet in the recent actions ut
Port Arthur inspired the patriotic to
decorate their stores and houses. The
decorations were profuse, but always
In good taste and often Of consider
able artistic value.
The imperial bodyguard has left
Tokyo. We miss the yellow faced uni
forms from the street. The imperial
bodyguard is the only organization in
the Japanese army that wears yellow
facing with yellow band on the cap.
All other organizations in the army,
cavalry, infantry and artillery, wear
L., n hpnnH
The imperial bodyguard is composed
of a division of all arms, infantry,
cavalry, artillery and engineers. The
men composing the bodyguard come
from all parts of Japan, while the other
divisions are made up of residents of
the provinces in which the divisions
are located. The Japanese cavalry has
great attraction for the foreigner be-
cause, while the general excellence OF
the infantry and artillery is conceded,
the japanese cavalry, which is to be
pitted against some of the best horse
men in Europe, is more or less under
suspicion The Japanese cavalryman,
whatever he may do in battle with the
| Cossack, is pleasant to look at. His
uniform-black short coat with baggy
red trousers and patent leather boots
gives him a good appearance, and he
rides well.
The japanese cavalry may not be as
good for shock action as the Cossacks
| but the day of shock action is supposed
to be almost past The japanese horse
will get his rider to a given point as
fast as any horse is capable of doing
and the rider himself is able to dis
mount and fight on the ground as well
as any infantryman can. The Japa.
nese cavalry constitutes an ideal
mounted infantry organization, and en-
perts declare that the new repeating
rifles have made this the day of the
mounted infantryman.
The government has provided its sol
diers with a splendid equipment. Ii
fact, the men seem to be provided with
too many things and march almost
bending under the heavy weight OF
blankets, tent rolls, cooking utensils
extra shoes and other things that they
carry on their backs. They will gel
used to carrying this pack, however
long before they get to the front
Every day you can see regiments OF
the parade ground being put through 6
fatiguing skirmish drill in heavy
marching order.
Under the Japanese system raw re
cruit is not put under fire until Ions
after he ceases to be- raw. The send
ing out of the regular army calls out
the reserves. The regular army is pu
on a war footing by reinforcement
from the first reserve The first re
serve supplies this loss by taking mel
from the second reserve. All the re
servists are men who have served theil
time in the regular army. Before the
regular army has used up all its re
serves at the front new regular army
Of drilled and disciplined men will
have been evolved out of the UNFRAMED
recruits.
The custom known as "kanjo kisoku'
has lately been revived in the Japa
nese army. On the face of it, "kanjt
kisoku" seems better way of reward
ing man for especial galantry on thu
neld than by slowly lobbying bill
through congress, and finally givins
the hero his reward after he has dice
Of old age. In old time Japan ther'
used to be a custom of handing t.
"samurai" on the field of battle or i'm
mediately afterward document callet
"kanjo." This was done only in case
where quite exceptional prowess ha'
been shown. and the value attachin;
to such distinction was extraordi
nary.
In the subsequent distribution o