The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1904-03-31

/ IRON the influences OF town life. Here
! their only recreations were athletics, exc
ercise, boat sailing excursions, etc. They
were thus isolated from their homes, and
an independence OF spirit was engendered.
l we'll remember that there was a certain
spirit of opposition on the part of the
parents of the boys to this choice of site,
but looking back on the whole arrange
ment and the manner in which these
young officers have developed. gaining a
high sense of duty, devotion to their pro-
tessiOn and capacity for initiative in an
emergency, | am sure that the choice was
wise one.
The japanese are easy to teach because
they are so anxious to learn. The young
man of Japan is very keen. His curiosity
knows no bounds when he comes up
against anything new and strange. and
he studies beyond anything we know in
the West
But although studious in habit. by
some marvellous adaptation of nature, he
never gets booltish | quickly found that
was in the presence of unique nation.
The officers who came to my lectures
were of degree of intelligence far beyond
what | had expected, and they showed
an extraordinary love of tactical and
strategical problems.
Most of the lectures began with refer
ences to old naval history, and they. hav-
ing discussed the various points. we used
to eliminate those battles which had no
bearing on a steam navy. Actions %
| plicabe to a modern fleet were talked
over and all the tactical and strateeicai
points were thrashed out between us with
the aid of diagrams and sketches.
One thing | never could get them to
take an interest In, and at first l felt
very much disappointed because l was
myself most enthusiastic boat-sailer.
was of the opinion that, since masts and
yards had disappeared from ships, the prac.
tice of boat-sailing was the only thing
left to the young sailor to teach him
those habits of resource and quick observa-
ton so necessary in those who go to sea.
| found that in this the japanese were
more farseeing than 1 was, or at any
rate they knew what was best adapted
to them.
They were drawn from the Samurai
class, the two-sworded men of the old
civilization, and their ideas of navy
were essentially military. They had in
herited that high spirit and devotion to
their work and country which made no
thing of trouble in the pursuit of their
profession. They had no conservative in
stincts no old-fa shioned sailor lore. with
the result that the japanese officer has
been trained to be a frst-cass sea en-.
gineer; he has been trained more or less,
on the lines now adopted in the British
and American fleets, so that he is fitted
to control modern ships of war, which
are complicated mechanical floating boxes
| III which mechanics rule supreme.
One word should be added as to the
interest of the japanese officers in the
| torpedo, which was still looked upon in
Europe at that date as a weapon of doubt
full use. They are masters of torpedo war;
fare, for the reason that they are quick
in mind, delight in the control of these
swift craft Of huge, compressed potential
power and are imperyious to hardship.
Small in build, as a rule, the japanese
officers and men are used to small houses
| and they acoustom themselves to the
| confined spaces of torpedo vessels much
better than the bigger and less agile peo-
Piles Of the West.
The officers love work in torpedo boats
and destToyers, also, because it gives those
who are still young special opportunities
Tor serving their emperor and flag with
that devotion which seems to be second
nature to them
| as my IGSluene6 III Jdphn ran lntO -FOUR,
| five and then six years, | recognized that
the officers of the Japanese navy were
quite capable of managing their own af.
fairs. The only defect which they labored
under was a curious modest @nd fear
of letting other nations see their ships.
| Although / think | gave them some good
advice as to naval warfare generally. and
especially as TO tactical problems which a
battle would present, yet / think the most
valuable advice I offered them was this:
You should get free from your seclu.
sion, go into foreign ports, ask officers
of other nations to dine with you and
dine with them; send your smartest off
ecrs abroad as naval attaches in the for
! eign capitals, and thus Join the great fami-
| ly of nations"
felt sure that their innate modesty
would save them from any mistakes TO
| which, at first sight, this advice might
seem to be open
Now the Japanese have finally Joined
the family of great nations. They are 4
! wonderful people and | look back with
! pleasure to the time | spent amongst them,
They have a marked tendency to thor
oughness and an aptitude for taking the
initiative. know that this statement
contradicts the popular views In the West,
| but 1t is none the less true. Even those
who taught them in the past might now
| pick up many wrinkles In Japan so quick.
ly has this nation improved on the models
which were held up to their admiration
| years ago.
They have proved that their dash as
soldiers and sailors is tempered by dis-
erection and craft, in the very best sense
of the word.
Their feet has been tested and it has
not been found wanting, Fifteen years
ago, even educated japanese asked ma,
What is the use of a navy?' l did my
best to answer the question, but their
later history has given much more cen
elusive and lucid reply and Japan takes
her place among the sea powers of TIE
world.
N~AAM N>~aAA-s