The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-09-28
WAR STORIES.
w ny Japs Can ,H'ight-Au Except Women
and lnvalidS are Soldiers.
William Il. Curtis in the Chicago Record Herald

It would have been very strange had
20 ret shown the character, courage,
endurance and determination that
have distinguished him in this war.
.iilitary experts who have had an
opportunity Of observation and expert
ence in the field say that he is the best
soldier in the world. lie had very
little chance to show what he was
good for in the wa Of 1893 with China,
because be met with so little resist
,ance, but among the allied forces that
marched to the relief Of Pcking in
200 the japanese detachment, by
'.heir unanimous verdict. marched the
a@'astcst, fought the best. showed the
S1ighest degree of efficiency and the
rnost perfect discipline. BY common
consent they we're given the first place,
aSna thus far in the war with Russia
chey have justified the expectations
,of their admirers.
More than any other nation is the
army a part Of the people of Japan,
:,,nd the people part Of the army. It
lis truly an army Of citizens, because,
ewhen he reaches the age Of twenty
years, every able-bodied young man
becomes practical soldier, and has
three years of actual and nine years
of semi-actual service before him. In
~ ho- anl,.koI onl
t2aid. In Japan there are no enlist
snents; everybody must serve except
invalids, employees Of the Govern
>nent and few other persons, and you
Saever heard Of a Japanese immigrating
TO avoid service, Students in col
leges and academies recognized by
Sthe Government are exempt while
'they are pursuing their studies, bus
she moment they graduate or leave
college for any other reason they arc
subject to military service. Nor is
there any reward for this service ex.
sept patriotism.
The pay Of the ordinary enlisted
e.nan in the Japanese army amounts
TO As cents month. The sergeant
'najor of a regiment, the highestunon-
commissioned officer, gets 81 month.
Nor arc the officers paid any better.
"A suh-lieutenant receives about $l10
a year-nc. quite $40 month in
American gold; a second lieutenant
receives Sl65 year, and full gen.
seral receives $2,976, which is about
the same as captain Of cavalry IN
the United States army. Between
the two the pay is graded according to
vank. OF course, money goes great
deal farther in Japan than in Ameri-
Ca, or that has been the case until re-.
"sently, but it is rapidly becoming
squite as expensive to live here as in
Europe. An army officer, however,
must live very simple, according to
'she regulations, and many-perhaps
ecnoat of them-manage to get along
eupon their pay without other means
of support.
The Japanese soldier lives very
strenuous life during the three years
'df'oervice as a conscript. He rises at
. o'clock in the morning and is kept
busy until 6 o'clook at night, when he
lis.roquired to be in his little bunk.
He not only has much drill and pa
rade work, but spends several hours
day in gymnastics, rife practice, fen
cling, bayonet fighting and wrestling.
ale also speLls four hours day at
fhis books, because the Japanese have
M theory that the cultivation of the
mind will add to the efficiency of a
soldier as we'll as the development of
the muscles. Therefore, when the
soonscript finishes his three years of
training, he is not only an almost per-
Tect fighting machine, but no is an in
,telligent, educated patriot.
And. beyond ell that, and even
E1ore important, is the material of
which the army is made. We boast
that the efficiency of our volunteer
sSorces is due to their intelligence aud
individuality, and the feeling of re-
:sponsibility that governs every man
who carries musket. That is true,
even to greater degree, in Japan.
This war is an individual matter with
every soldier. Every boy in the
ranks knows what he is fighting for
aud feels a personal responsibility.
8 de is notin the army as o profession,
: aor'eycehoiee, nor the pay, but be-
cause MS NimpeTor requires his SER
vices, and he takes his patriotism on
Che Geld of battle as we'll as his brains
and muscle. Each private feels that |