Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-03-17
The Japs as Land Fighters.

The Japs as Land Fighters.
Although the sympathy of the Amer
AN people, young and old, is strongly
18th the japanese in the present war.
o small boy, who has seen Buffalo
Ills Wild West Show, doubts for
,oment that the Russians will sweep
,e Japs off the earth, when it comes to
md fighting. The bands of COssacks
hich have been seen with the afore-
aid Wild West aggregation, have made
deep impression throughout this
Duntry. not only among the small boys
ut with our people generally. And n
lille no patriotic American will admit
nat there is n better mounted body in d
no world than our own cavalry troops. a
ct most of us will grant that the Cos n
< is a horseman and soldier Of the
enak. This conclusion is not only e
morAon the performances Of those f
1t is probag things they have done v
Cossack in nf. in Europe and Asia. I
shaken their he,the thought of the i
Japs have the besaany people have
just wait until thereaid. Yes. the n
and the COssacks get at water. put
There is every reason to III patti"
ever. that on the land. as well l.
sea. the japanese will ave a 81"
account of themselves in battle. 1t l.,
been proven in recent years tina: the
are hardy. active and much endurin
fighters. On the return of General Ad
ma II. Chaffee to the United States af
ter his participation in the march q
the allied troops to Picking he spoke i
the most enthusiastic terms of the Jap
anese soldiers. declaring that for tina
kind of a country and that kind of .
campaign they We're simply perfection.
In the Picking march the JaLaGe tool
honOrs with the american There wa:
less difficulty with them. n stricter at
tention to orders. a better formation
and marching ability. than with any
other troops, with the sole exception ol
tn" American. AS brave as the bray
est they were also hardy. swift, tena-
cious and enduring. 4 Japanese regi-
mcnt can take a long march that would
tire an American Indian. and at the end
he ready for battle. A writer on the
Washington Star gives a good idea OF
this endurance quality in an anecdoto
dealing with General Grants visit to
Japan. An American wished to see MIN
and could do 50 only by travelling l16
miles within - hours by native rikisha
or two wheeled cart drawn 10y human
runners. The American propose at
tempting the trip with relays. letting
each team of men run fifteen miles.
Says the Star writer;
The plan was explained to Mr.. Stev-
ems two personal rikiSha men, one an
old fellow past 40. and his companion
"a bow-legged, cross-eyed individual,
who had seen about 50 summers They
listened attentively and then kicked
not at being asked to make fiftecl.-
mile journey, but because they had not
been requested to go the whole dis
lance. Finally. more to humor the men
than for any other reason. Mr.. Stevens
agreed that they should go as far IS
they could. but ordered them to rein-
QuiSh the traces as soon as they bee me
tired. The passenger who weighed
about 200 pounds climbed into the RI
kisha and the journey was begun. In
just forty-seven hours these two elder
ly Japs came trotting up to Mr.. Stew
ems front door. bringing the passenger, |
dust-co\ cred. but happy. the journey
of LAG miles completed. Three hours of |
rest had been taken at NikkO. making |
the actual running time forty-four
hours
This instance is not an exceptional |
one japanese soldiers can march 200
miles and be ready for immediate bat
tie where even the Cossack must await
rccuperation. The foot ability of the
Japanese is wonderful. The Russian is
thousands of miles from his base of
railroad. Dismountei he must suffer
great hardships. The japanese will
fight in the immediate vicinity of his
base of supplies. with reinforcements
within n few days march, and dis
mounted he is the peer of any soldier
In Europe or Asia.