Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-07-16
OFF FOR THE FRONT.
Night Departure From Tokyo
of the Imperial Guard.
no OTHER TROOPS SO POPULAR.
English Writer'S Description of
Their Spectacular March In JRDan's
Capital to the Railway Station.
Thousands Cheered the Warriors
and Carried Brilliant Lanterns.

a c. Hales gives the following de-
scription, in the London News. OF mill
tary Tokyo and Of the departure for
the seat of war OF the Imperial guard:
All day long there had been signs Of
unusual stir and hustle in the Japa-
nese capital. The quiet of the place
was shaken, women were going to and
fro with anxious faces as though an
event OF Importance were about to oc-
cur. AS the day wore away and the
dusk Of evening settled upon the city
the pulse OF the people began to throb
more fOrcefully. l sent my inter
prefer 10 find out what was afoot. He
came back at last with the news that
at an early hour in the night the I'm
perial guard of Tokyo were TO leave
the city for the seat of war. OF all the
troops known in the metropolis. per
haps none is so popular with the peo-
pie as the Imperial guard, and 1 was
to have an opportunity OF watching
demonstration of u nature worth chron-
icling.
1t was about Of the clock when
the great sight began. The night had
come OH with sudden darkness, not a
star lit the black mantle that overhung
the world, there was no moon and the
shadows cast by the dwellings in the
uulit streets were scarce darker than
the surrounding void. \ magnetic calm
had fallen upon the capital as If the
people were gathering themselves to-
gcther for one great patriotic effort
Suddenly the scene was changed. The
tramp of armed men rang out upon the
night. Short. sharp words OF com
mand. spoken, strangely enough. In
the English tongue, cut through the
clank of falling footsteps, and then we
knew that the Imperial guard was on
its way to the forefront of the war.
Then the people poured out of their
homes as river I'm the full of It's flood
pours over its banks. They came in
rivulets; they came in torrents, and
from every throat went up a shout of
pride, a wild, shrill cry Of welcome
and farewell. and through the ever
varying cadences of the human voices |
came the revcrberItlng tramp Of war
riors' feet, and still the shadows lay |
upon the land
1t was weird, that march in the night. |
with the swelling cheers waking the |
echoes, the clank of arms, the shutting |
footballs OF the populace and ever and
anon Il bugle's note. Then once again |
the scene was changed, 10000 lanterns
flashed into view, lanterns carried on
bambOos by men and lads and boys;
lanterns of every size and shape, Ian
terms pure white or blood red. lanterns
green and gold. lanterns round. square
and oblonG-all carried high in the air
above the heads OF the marching men. |
and as the troops passed on each door |
way opened wide and every doorway |
sent man or boy, armed with Il blaZ- |
ing circle of fame, TO swell the throng. |
until the very air danced with blaze |
OF beauty. Banners held alOft I'm wOm- |
ems hands spark In the gorgeous |
cleaning folds OF light. until the gaZer's |
eye was dazzling by the rainbow hues |
that had sprung into being from the |
very womb of the night. Far up above |
the blackness lay unbroken: below, the |
earth was wrapped in shadows, while |
in between the earth and sky Il blaze |
of brilnance lay. The lights Shone |
down upon the hard, brown faces OF |
the Imperial guard and flashed from
rife barrels carried proudly by men |
called forth to battle for u nations hon |
or
The lights CLEAN ruddily on bold. I'M |
finching eyes and faces fixed in the |
stern lines which duty carves and hon |
or glorifcs. and as my eyes ranged |
over that glittering mass, made up of |
men and women and warm. strong col |
ored things. nothing looked 10 me SO |
grand, SO strong. SO noble as the proud. |
calm faces OF the Imperial guard fixed |
Ike flint
Now the dense mass grows denscr. |
From every alleyway and lane. from
every street and highroad the people |
poured with lanterns held aloft dozen |
feet above their heads. Then some one
broke into song. \ swift rush OF voices |
followed as wave follows wave upon |
the coast. Women and children sang. |
men danced and tossed their lanterns |
high. boys clapped their hands and |
sent shrill treble sounds far out into the !
night And yet above IL all. above the |
babel OF sound. above the cheering and |
the song came the stern. strong tread |
OF the men who We're marching to vic |
tory or TO death.
They swing along with the measured |
stride OF men who knew what march |
ing meant, each man wrapped I'm his |
heavy jet black overCoat, his knapSack |
on his back. his bayonet by his side. |
his rifle on his shoulder, the yellow I,
facings showing on each front. Stead |
lily they moved amid that storming. |
swaying. fire grit multitude until they |
reached the railway station; then, as 1
If each soldier We're part and parcel OF |
a machine. they passed along the plat |
form into their places There was no /
hurry. no confusion. no shouting or 4
storminG-just a low word OF command |
1T intervals and prompt. unquestion- |
ing obedience, and every seat was filed |
by the man appointed 10 I'LL il, and in |
a moment without hitch or a blum !