The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-19

\
right. 1904.
whom the government billets. A we'll
to-do Japanese friend Of mine had a
dozen soldiers in his house. The gov
eminent officially paid him $1.25 for
lodging. Of course, the Nippon Dem
jis received this back in tobacco. They
need not shoot the Russians out of
Manchuria: they will go there with
cigarettes enough to smoke them out.
The women Of Japan are playing the
same part in this war as, their foreign
sisters have in others. While the en-
peror devotes the bullion and plate in
the palace to the war fund, the sweet
hearts and wives throw their pin
money into the common Golfer and lay
aside luxuries from the tables for Nip
pom Denji.
'' The Model Soldier.
To me, the undying source of won-
der is how Nippon Denji manages to
enforces his ownership with politeness
and modesty.
How any one who looks at a line Of
these sturdy men can think of the Jap
anese as play soldiers is past under
standing. The square Jaws, the high
cheekbones, the bronze, tightly drawn
skin, even the expression of the slant
speak the other side of Japan, the mill
itary side. Nippon Denji is more than
picturesque; he Is notwithstanding.
Without exactly defining how, you feel
that war is to his taste. This people
are proud Of their physical vigor and
ducts. The so-called femininity of the
nation, at the very point where 1t
seems most essentially characteristic,
breaks into a masculinity that is Spar
tan.
Your samurai Of the feudal days
might go from an elaborate tea cere-
mony to commit suicide by hara-kiri
with GOODNESS, which has no parallel in
any other land. The samurai youth,
who studied the arrangement of flow
ers in the morning, might in the after
noon eat rice soaked with fresh blood
to show his fortitude.
Almost Perfect Method.
The front Of the station is the same
as in times of peace. Except for the
troop trains that he passes, the aver
age passenger would not know that
anything is going on. But go to the
rear and side of the stone building at
Shimbashi, and in the little yard by
the freight platform you see where all
the work is done. The freight dis
patcher's office is occupied by an Of
ficer; row Of feed boxes TANKS one
side of the Enclosure, and a pump pro-
claims that the Nippon Denji may
wash his hands once more before he
entrains. The Enclosure is never
crowded. There is a method, almost
a leisurely method, about everything
which, in the end,s thank to years OF
calculation, amounts to rapidly
scarcely appreciated because it has
none Of the signs Of haste. Detach-
ments are brought in only as fast as
they can be entrained. Tonight
saw g. company Of sappers and miners
| lance out of town on a rainy day,.wait.
ing in one of the main streets. Theil
heavily laden pack ponies formed {
| line block in length. These Nippor
Dennis had busy wash day before
them; for their coats were sheetet
with mud. There they would re
main, snow or rain, til the wore
waiting. All night long, every day
| the embarkation goes on in the same
uniform way, as if the working da.
| were twenty-four hours long, Sunday
| included.
The other morning I was awakened
before dawn by the cheers in homo
of the departing soldiers, which show
that the little bronze images are be
ginning to take notice in a most west
ern fashion. We are psychological.
In what might be called the thirt
period Of the war: The first, that o
it's beginning, with it's silence; the sec
ond, that Of victory, with its awaken
ing from dumb intensity to enthusiasm
Cloth of which I have described); AM
finally, that of the real hurrah period
Those first few solemn days stood TO
the home farewells, the intimate fare
wells. It was taken for granted tina
each soldier was going forth to die
The family, the friends, literall
buried him in dry-eyed mourning. ]
he survived, it would be a resurrection
with the attendant joy. At dinner,
Japanese woman said to an American
"Countess So-and-So has four sons, a.
in the army. Isn't it splendid to Civ
so many lives to your country?'
Stoicism having accepted the in
J evitable, the personal farewells pai6
) and the movement of troops begun
then the soldiers became the army an
: their friends the public. So to-da
: there Is a merry good-by. Japa
sends her sons away en- masse, as
: they were going on pleasant tou
| and they answer back with smiles a
If back breaking marches and suffer
} ing were not to be their portion
Arches are erected, flags are flung
| the breeze, and the golden baskets {
t J fete days are raised.