Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-09-30
Marshal Oyama MOI the Sort OF
Man to Make an Ideal
Soldier.
FATE AND TRAINING DO 1T
Taken From Mother When 4 Years
Old and Trained for Army-com-
PEELED to Go Barefoot in Win
ter to Toughen Him.

Al 4 years Oh dEc he was oCpoAot1N
from his mother and began to earn the
lessons of hardihood. He was never al
lowed to vince for pain or complain or
hunger. He was compelled to go bare
foot in the snow in the winter TO tough
en- him. In wintry winds he wore but
the thinnest clothes to keep his skin
from being lender. His days were
spent in the practice of arms n
physical exercise; his nights in study
ing the bushido, or old Japanese code
of honor, which taught n samural
that life was nothing as compared with
the glory of his daimio or leader. Lit
tie Oyama was Of sturdy stuff n
could stand the training which killed
many who are devoted to 1T.
AT the & of 10 he had killed a bear
unaided, and the same year he took
part in his first battle with the retain
ers of a rival daimic. Young Oyama at
this time was ~passionately devoted to
his cousin, the great Saigo, the head OF
the Satsuma clan.
After a period of the civil war in the
sos, when the new regime was firmly
established, the young Oyama was sent
to France as military attache to study
the organization of modern armies, and
had the opportunity of observing mod
ern warfare during the Ger
man conflict of 1870.
He remained abroad three years, and
on his return home was appointed a
general in the imperial army.
At the outbreak of the Satsuma re-
bellion, headed By. his cousin Saigo,
and in which his own brother took a
leading part, Oyama found himself in
a painful dilemma: his loyalty TO h
central government n to the person
of the emperor ~tTiumphed, however,
and he took the field against his clans
men, and as commander of the flying
brigade fought bravely and success
fully until Saigo's fall.
During the ensuing ten years of re-
construction, which Marquis Yamagata
devoted to establishing and perfecting
the standing army and to f~ortifying
the whole country. General Oyama was
his right hand man. Without him the
task could hardly have been accom-
plised, for, after Saigo's death, Oyama
had come to be regarded as the repre-
sentative of the Satsuma clan and de-
fender of their interests, and he used
all his influence to secure the co-opera-
ton of the still powerful Satsuma ele-
ment.
To his credit it must be said that he
took advantage of his position
to obtain political power. In the army
he has been steadily promoted, and he
has alternately with Yamagata, occu7
pied all the important posts. Twice
from 1S85-90 and from 1891-92~-he
has been minister or war. During the
war with China he was ordered TO
Manchuria as commander in chief of
the second army. In 1895, at the end
of the war, the title of marquir was
conferred on him, and in 1898 he was
made marshal and the following year
succeeded the late Prince komatSu as
chief of the general staff.
Marshal Oyama is almost the only
n left of the older generals, as Mar
shall Yamagata's health has not per-
mitted of his taking an active part
in the present campaign.
y There Is a more terrible story told
Of Oyama. When he went to fight with
the imperial forces against his cousin,
Saigo. the rebel, he left behind him a
beautiful young bride. 1t was the Gus
tom in those days-a custom now mod
ified-for a Japanese woman and es-
pecially a Japanese noble woman, to
keep herself In seclusion. This duty
became more imperative during her
husbands absence. She must not then.
except for the gravest reasons, go
abroad.
Many stories came TO Oyama on the
battle field that his wife was disre-
gardful of the custom of her caste. She
was bringing disgrace not only upon
herself but upon his name. She
smirched the bushido. Oyama heard
/ the stories hut did &c. lie was
considered a sluggard. a Samurai, thus
to let his erring wife go unpublished.
At one time a chance Of war brought
him near their home. 1t seemed a good
opportunity for him to pay 1t a visit.
lie could leave camp n be back again
within t~wenty-four hours. But MOTH
ing could move him from his duty to
the emperor--not even his own dis
grace. He stayed in camp.
Finally the war was over. the rebels
were crushed. the imperial authority
was established-and then Oyama went
horne. His wife met him at the door
In the way which from time immemor-
ial faithful Japanese wives have met
their husbands on their return. She
Frustrated herself before him on the
Intel. The victorious soldier babe her
rise. Together they entered the house;
and from that day to this nobody has
ever seen or heard OF her who was
Oyama's first wife.
That was old Japan.
But Oyama now IS of the new Jap
an-not only in public but in private
life. He has married again. His wife
Is dressed always In European clothes
and possessed TO the fullest extent thu
liberties which are enjoyed by ths
women In most OF the European coun-
tries. The present Marchioness Oyams
was born Stenaz ~Yamakama. She
too, was. a noble, the daughter OF {
daimio. She was born IN 1859.
When she was az years old the gov,
eminent suddenly decided to sent
twenty young girls 10 the west TO study
llStenaz was one OF those selected. Sh,
was visiting her brother, a short dis
lance from her home, when the edic
reached her. She was given no choic,
In the matter. She was not even per.
mitfed to go back TO her WV home
bur was taken from her brothers. hous,
and sent 70 America. She reaches
New England, where she was given
place In the home OF the Rev. DIR. Leon