Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-07-08
GOSSIP OF THE WAR.
Three Commanders Of the Japanese
Army in the Field.

1 lfuSDeHuCnt "A SketCIl VI thS
the commanders of the three army cG,l =,
of the island empire now moving aSaiia
the main army of Russia in Maiichuiia, 10.
| Taking them in the order or their i"i'"
| the writer says: .,,dor in
chief of the First Japanese army cotps ~
the field was born in the year ioio i IL,
| Satsuma Uhe province OF Satsuln ai. 10 nd ~,
may be called the Sparta of Japan. =. i ne q
hero of the recent battle of Yalu is
typical soldier of Satsuma character; ,n IN
lie is courage personified. He lived the
| life of a soldier from boyhood graduai,i;y,
rising from low rank in the army uiui
In the war of restoration in lSes ne ~,
served at the head of detachment u
the imperial army. In 1911 ne was Pr. H.
NOTED to the rank of captain In inc
Imperial Guard division. In the SOUTH
| western war of 1877 he fought for the
| mikado continually for $50 days asal ms,
Takamori Saiso. a man from I us mi mi
kado's government because it mad nor nor
taken his counsel to reprimand Corea 10,
Satsunlans there was division of opin-
ion. Some sympathized with Saigo, otn-
ers rcbuked him for his error. In leSi'
when a prince of Sweden visited Japan,
kuroki, as staff officer. surprised the
In 1872 he was lieutenant, general and no
the commander of the Sixth division at
kumamoto. Two years later war Was
declared between China and Japan. Inc
orders for the movement of the troops
were issued. After the regulars ana the
first reserves of the Sixth division de-
parted, KurOki's nerve was severely taNcu
while he was replacing the vacancy Win
the second reserves, partly because AT
times he neglected meals and shortened
hours of sleep. but chiefly bee. because ,n ne
than stay at home. Later. when he was
in the storms of battle fields, he said to
some one. II feel feel very very much relieved now
In the CAPTURE of Wei Hal Wei, which
was achieved Oh the land attack ny the
combination of forces from the Second
all in his power to assist Lieutenant Gen
cral Sakuma who was in command OF
the Second division in the joint attack of
the stronghold.
Some years after the war, when Gener-
ais Yamagata and Oyama were made field
marshals, KUroki together with Oku and
NoZu was promoted to the rank of gen-
cral.
General Hokyo Oku. the commander in
chief of the Second Japanese army corps
| in the field, first made himself prominent
| in 1871, when, as major colonel in the
imperial army he defended the castle OF
| <umamotO, under the command of Major
General kanjo TAM; against the firm m
| crn rebels under Takamori SaiGo, Japan S
jefferson Davis. This war, it must be cX-
blamed, was. ike Inc civil VIII VI tiI''
United States, the war that might have
torn Japan asunder. The castle of ku
| mamoto, once taken by the rebels. it was
apparent that there was no checking OF
their advance toward the capital CO OF
Toxic, where they would force the gov
eminent officials to do the pleasure OF
| the ringleader. 1t was Major Colonel Oku
who boldly led the sortic, broke through
| the bcscgers and established cOmmunica-
| ,ol with the imperial rcinforccments out
| side Thus, he knows what it is to be be
Sciged and consequently knows how to
deal with the besieged i'll the Port Arthur
fortress.
During the Chinesc-Japanese war he
stayed at home as the commander of the
Sixth division at kumamOtO, to succeed
Lieutenant General kurOki. who went TO
| the front After the war when Japan was
divided into three different sections OF
military administration-the eastern, the
| middle and the observation-disclosures Gen
| cral Oku was made the head of the east
ern. At the coronation of Edward VII.
| Of England as the emperor of India, Oku
| represented Japan in the Indian part OF
| the ceremony. In October, 1905 lie was
promoted to the rank of Il general and
| made a permanent member of the council
| of war
Although he is not Satsuman. but a
| Bungoan the province of BunEo is on
called the Corinth of Japan, yet, as the
commander-in-chicf of the Second Japa-
| ncse army corps he has already per
| formed an epoch making feat at hn
| Il question of a week or two before he
| will reach to the climax of the Russo
japanese war-namely. the fall of Port
| Arthur. which even 3-ycar-old child
knows by instinct will happen.
General Michitsura Nodzu, the proha bl.
commander in-chicf of the Third Japanese
Army corps, was born in Satsuma, like
General kuroki. with all the charactcriS-
tics of a Satsuman. He is a few years
the senior of his fellow provincial soldier
The reasons why he was not placed in
command of the First army are many.
Among others. the fact that he had al
| ready been in the similar position in time
| of the Chincse-Japanese war stands pre-
| generals. though younger. yet just as
brave as himself. there was no reason
why the younger men should not be given
| a chance.
In his younger days he served as a
| major colonel in the imperial army, III
| the southwestern civil war. In the Chi
| nese-Japanesc war, however, he had con-
ccntratcd ms energy, which was inspired
| in him by years of experience of soldier
| life. and won him fame.
In the beginning OF the war, then lieu
| tenant general. NodZu went to the front
as the commander of the Fifth division of
Hiroshima. AT Ping Yang. perceivng
| the weakness of the Chinese in the battle
| in Il plain. he attacked the enemy in a
plain around the city before the enemy
was able to defend the stronghold. This
was effective. and the Chinese fled pell-
NEIL toward 1aiu. DIVING The fuE1tiVcS
on the spur of the moment he forced his
| march to Win, where under the direction
| of the commandment chief, General Yam
agata. he: in conjunction with Lieutcnan nj
General katsure Uhe present premier of
Japan), the comma ndcr of the Third di-
vision of Nagoya, led his men across the
falu. While yet the army was march
| ing on, the COMMUNICATIVE chief was re-
| called by the mikado himself. partly on
account of his disobedience, but chiefly
! on account of his i'll health. And his
duties were transferred to Nodzu
| After the war Nodzu was promoted to
| the rank of general, was made the head
of the middle section of the military ad-
| ministration and permanent member of
the council of war. His generalship how
| ever; Is looked upon as somewhat superior
TO the other two. Although the COM
| mander-in- chief of the Third army is still
thing Of mystery to the public, yet if
General Nodzu should be obliged to as
sumo the position it is apparent that he
viii be sort of a field marshal, despite
the report that Field Marshal Yamagata
Will go to the front and direct the armies
in the field.