The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-11-04
JAPANESE lVFANTRYMAN
BEST IN THE WORLD
War Correspondent Mckenzie Of the London
Mail, Passenger on the Manchura, Talks Of
One ofthe Greatest Battles ola Century.

A WONDERFUL SOLDIER.


through this campaign. has been one OF
surprise aud admiration for the private
Japanese soldier. lie is to- my mind
without question. the finest conscript
soldier in the world. His discipline
is abundant in the personal initiative.
His power for enduring hardships, his
ability to live on very little. and that
the simplest fare. and his chcerfulness
constantly surprise you. All the world
knows OF his courage. and yet | some
times wonder it people outside have
realized the wonderful things he has
done
when have looked at positions
stormed by the troops of the first army
and carried successfully by Them | can
only say that il any man had told me
a year ago such things could have been
done in the face of modern weapons of
warfare, | would have been constrained
to call that man a fool. All | can say
is that | have never known infantry to
charge open positions as they have done,
positions at times in trenches, protected
by wire entanglements and spiked pits.
BODIES FOR TRENCHES.
''lf you had been in my position you
would have seen men rush out upon a
gradual slope. one man with pick,
! fevershly digging up few clods of
earth until he was shot down Then
another rushed up. taking his place,
using the first body as a shield and
throwing ITO more earth. When several
men had died the impromptu trench
was made"
"The Japanese soldier values his lite
not whit as compared with his duty,
and yet at the same time he does not
throw away his life unnecessarily. Every
trick, every ruse every bluff that you
can imagine, he will adopt to deceive
the enemy. He can be depended upon,
however, to do the unexpected thing.
"One instance will show the individual
initiative of the Japanese soldier. At
the battle of Towan on July 81 the
whole force of Russian infantry was
protected. The Japanese could only send
comparatively small force against it.
But these Japanese infantryrnen went
out one by one and two by two One
would wriggle up little gully; another
would slip behind every tree and the
third would creep through the under
brush and soon from hundreds of points
heavy, overpowering rifle fire was pour
ing in on the Russians. The Russians
imagining whole force was on their
flank gave way.
THE RUSSIAN is BRAVE.
"But much as one admires the Jap
anese courage | do not conceal for an
instant the knowledge that the Russian
, soldier has, in his way, qualities quite
as remarkable At the outset the Rus
slams despsed their enemy They were
not prepared, but how unprepared the
world does not really know. They treat
ed the Japanese as a puny dwarf to be
stamped out by them with impunity
The Russians had rude awakening.
But | have found that in spite of defeat
after defeat the spirits of the Russian
troops are constantly rising. They have
shown fighting qualities far greater
than in former battles. We have this
remarkable fact, that after each defeat
the Russians, in spite of being dispirit-
ed, fight more determnedly and obsti-
nately than ever. And what is more,
have seen, time and again, small
bodies of Russian soldiers, who, when
the main body retires, prefer death to
safety, and would throw themselves in
some side entrenchment and remain
there in defiance of orders, protecting
every foot of the advance of the Jap
anese, until shot down.
In short, we have two brave peoples
the East and the West-opposing one
another. Sympathy for one need not
disparage the qualities of the other |
am glad to say there are no people who
are so loud in their admiration Of the
fighting qualities of the Russian soldier
as the Japanese who are opposing them.
have not heard one single sneer from
them against the Russians.
JAPAN STRONG IN FUNDS.
1T is, of course, very difficult TO speak
of the future, and the more one knows
the less confident one must be i'll pass
ing an opinion. The Japanese are show
ing greater financial stability than was
expected, and they have steps in con-
temptation which will undoubtedly give
them considerable funds for next years
campaign. By February they should
have half million of men in the field
AT the same time the Russians are
steadily and rapidly strengthening their
forces. They have awakened to the
real seriousness OF the war. They know
that a permanent defeat means for them
loss OF position for at least a quarter
OF a century and loss of all their real
holdings in Asia.
1T is very possible that next year the !
Russians may carry out successful /.
invasion OF Northern Korea, and may
thus threaten the south OF the present I
japanese position. II this is done il
will seriously inJure the present Jap /
ancse position in Manchuria
However greatly Russia may
strengthen her forces in Northern Man
rhuria il will be scarcely possible Tor
he Cars troops Ia drive the Japanese
back from their present position which
hey have strongly enlrcnched and could
probably hold IN the face Of three quar-
ers ai a million men.
he japanese may equally find that
Ahcn the strong rreniorcements are re-
'riyed any further advances up 90 Tie
ing mag be as difficult 90 them AS
advanced will be Tor the Russian forces
DRAWN BATTLES
The whole probability Is that what
'ftf lornioIrcmcnls alr made with
lfrli battle, being fought, On neither
lde may mere b. any substantial gain
n position"
"MHf ihg hattie II iia0yAug di.aD.