The San Francisco call., 1904-02-28

Mikado's Subjects Go to the Front tx
pecting Never to Return to
Their Native Land.

v,i11 not come back, but / warned him
rot 10 dare to die until he had killed
ter Russians or his soul would be
whipped back by the god Of hell
There is a firm in Yokohama which
employs a great many japanese nav
ing agencies in various parts OF he
country one OF it's men returned only
a short time ago from his year OF Ser
vice with the cOlOrs, and IS therefore
in the first reserve. The company
found him a place as soon as his time
was uo as il had done Tor several
others who had been called out before.
lust the other day the Yokohama Of
fics got a letter from him 1t said that
he, wrote on behalf OF himself and three
of his mates who could not write Eng
Iish They desired TO thank the COM
pany for it's cOnsiderate treatment OF
them and to express their regret at any
inconvenience which their going away
again might cause, but they eNpected
to be summoned to the cOlOrs again
very soon, and as this time II would
be for war service they did not ex-
pect to come back.
But we are delighted" the letter
went on, "tO have the opportunity %
represent the Emperor in his fight with
his enemy
FANATICAL ESPRIT DE CORPS.
a
extraordinary patriotism Of the japan
ese. 1t is the teaching Of the ShintOism
that was their religion for hundreds OF
years 1t is the tradition OF the 1eud-
aIism that gave them the Samurat and
the DaimiOs, who Of their own VIII and
voluntarily gave up their great estates
to restore isolated and TetrOgrading
Japan to a place among the nations or
the world. II one wonders at the al
most fanaticaI esprit de corps OF the
japanese army he must remember that
1t is still oficered by the men who
made that memorable personal sacri-
fee, and the men of the line have ever
before them the tradition OF the SOL
der of the day when the fighting man
was in a class by himself. far ahead
OF his fellow who bargained or totled
for living. and il is their cOnceit now
to live up to the glory OF that day
Each soldier feels himself to be the in
dividual champion Of the Emperor. the
personal representative Of his sOver-
eign. and the call TO the cOlOrs is an
opportunity greatly priced rather than
a sacrifice to be regretted
So, considered as a show, the mOb.I-
zation has been a disappointment
Color, life, pageantry and blare OF
bands there has not been. but instead
an unimagined and unimaginable eX-
hibitiOn far more extraordinary. In all
and that for only a brief time. ONLY
one cheer have I heard. at a railroad
station where a crowd OF his townsmen
came down TO see an old officer start
away. Here and there throughout the
city sub-depOts we're opened where va
riOus articles Of uniform or equipment
were issued 20 the reservists. in one
place shoes. in another blOuSes. in an
other trousers, in another caps. and so
on. But not one Of these places that I
saw was marked by a flag or other in
dication Of martial character. except
that now and then the guard would be
lOunging about with their rifles leaning
against the bamboo racks set out in
front of the place.
JAPAN STATES HER CASE
For several days there have been
hints in the newspapers that the Gov
ernment might consider it advisable 10
issue a statement setting forth the
course Of the negotiations with Russia
and urging strongly that il should be