The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-06-18
JAPANESE CAMPAIGNING
Transportation Difficulties Of
the Mikados Army.
FLOODS AND RAINS A MEEAoE.

nese Transports Thesr Supplies.
Thousands Of asIlIitary Coolies
Enlisted.
TO give some idea Of what The Ko-
rean rainy season means the Ching
chang river at Anju. which is at pres
ent uaversed by two pontoon bridges
some 200 yards lii length, has been
known to rise twenty nine feet IA one
night, says the Korean correspondent
Of the London Times. In August last
year seventy-siX inches Of rain were
registered at the gold mines Of Unsan.
These facts speak for themselves and
bear out the statements Of missionaries
and miners that the roads across the
plains during tue rainy months are inn
passable even for small parties, much
more 50 for an army. la the Yalu dis
trict the rainfall is, lis 4 rule, also very
heavy, but in Manchuria it is not al
ways so regular, though the country
Is subject to tremendous foods at
times Unless, therefore, the japanese
army has gained secure footing north
Of the Naiu, with base on the sea, by
July next, its movements, which are
at present difficult. win be entirely par
alyzed In fact, at that time of year
both armies viii be brought to stand
still
In many places whore the Chinnampo
to pingyang road crosses the plains
the original track is now nothing but a
quagmre, impossible even for pedes-
trians. In such places 1t is. left severe
" alone by the troops aud supply
trains, II being preferable to strike out
OH either side across the Doggy fields
and narrow, deep irrigation bitches.
Baggage is piled up il heaps at various
points, the carts only being able to pro-
ceed at all If more than half empty
Some attempts have certainly been
made to repair It. Branches have been
cut and strewn together with millet
stalks along the track
Temporary culyerts have been built
over the smaller bitches, while the Ko-
rean structures across tile larger
streams have been replaced by bridges
Of a more solid description Here and
there gangs Of white robed Korean
coolies are to be seen lazily ladling
mud and earth into the deeper ruts, All
these tinkering operations are, how
ever, OF little avail, for it would take
thousands of tons per mile Of good
metalling to make the road capable Of
carrying heavy wheeled transport
Tile field artillery is having an espe-
clally hard time The leggy. narrow
chested Japanese ponies in the teams.
overloaded as they are by having to
carry heavy drivers ANA i multitude
nous assortment Of gear. have not suf-
fcient weight to drag the guns and
ammunition wagons for any length Of
time along level road Mud stops
them almost entirely. So that the K0-
Fean roads, combined with the i'll treat
ment which they receive, will rapidly
Kill the wretehed ponies OF Iii fact.
the japanese viii have to depend on
their excellent infantry to pull them
through this war
The usual Korean means Of transport
are pack animals and coolies. The
oxen 81 the country are Of IN especial
III line and massive breed. short horned.
doeile ANA capable Of doing i vast
amount Of work Three hundred pounds
is considered an average load for d
bull % carry daily on d long journey
Unfortunately for the Japanese Il
seourge Of that ubiquitous cattle dis
ease, rinderpest, has recently decimal
cd the cattle IA file northwest Of Ko
Fea, So that the best form Of local trans
port IS understandable The small 20.
rean pony Is marvellous animal to
carry weight Two hundred pounds for
thirty miles day is only what he IS
used to doing aI his life No amount
Of hard work cures him If biting and
kicking whenever 4e gets an opportu
nifty For this feason the ponies are
all slung up at night to rafters over
head in such helpless position that
they are unable 70 hurt one another
Fixed in this manner they are fed on
a hot wutery mash Of beans out Of
d trough.
The japanese military authorities
have bought up every available quad
fuped capable II carrying load, but
the number obtained is microscopic
to that required for such
large army as three divisions. The
Japanese, therefore, have to depend
almost entirely Oh tile means OF trans
port which they have brought with
them from their own country, Each
one of tile thirteen divisions, Of which
the army in Japan is composed, has a
train battalion. which in peace time
forms school 81 instruction Tor the
whole Of the regimental and other
of its own particular division
IN this battalion soldiers serve for
three years. Us Ia other branches Of the
army; but large reserve Of drivers
is obtained by training four patches
per annmm for three months each IN
the elementary principles of horse
management and the packing Of loads,
after which they are passed into the
reserve
tn wartime the train soldiers act as
superintendents to the various trans
port columns. while the drivers lead
and look after one pony each On mob
illzatiun Tire battalion is broken ~ and
provides men and material for the
,ransnort ~ reoimpntal baggage. hos