The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-06-03
SUCCESS OF THE JAPANESE.

-o
why the japanese have been so sue
eesstai so far in the conflict with what
was considered, until'the war began. a
much more powerful nation. Their re-
view of the progress the Japanese have
made and the energetic measures taken
TO bring about their efficiency is very
interesting. They say:
Inc success of the pan in the
present war with Russia is due TO their
great Zeal What they undertake to
90 lhey generally do with great earn
estness OF purpose. which calls forth
Sdcrtlce, energy, courage and deter
hiihaton- The concentration of ALI
these qualities Is the basis Of success
N all undertakings, whether large or
sinai The success of the japanese is
easily for also by the fact
Ihat they love their Emperor as a peo-
Pie; they are willing to fight for him
and TO die for him, added to which
they are fatalists and are not afraid to
face death in the battlefield. because
they firmly believe tht the next world
1: better than this. and therefore TO die
IL a good cause, especially in fighting
FOR the salvation OF their country. Sc
cures a high and honorable position
Their Against these characteristics
which back the japanese in the present
war, their antagonists. the Russians,
fear their Emperor, and under the au-
tocratic rule OF the nation soldiers are
very often put into the army through
force and kept there. There is a vast
dlfIerence, therefore. on the battlefield
in the fighting qualities of soldiers who
are backed by love of their Emperor
and soldiers who are backed by fear
of their Emperor. Then, again, the
discipline of the japanese soldiers is of
a more infplliO0nf and nn-tn-dofa n -
der than that of the Russians. Each
reSlment in Japan is comprised of 400
men with a captain in command, who
carries a sword. Their training pro-
vides that if anything should happen
to the captain and his sword should
fall to the ground it must be taken up
On the instant by the next in rank, and
if anything should happen to him the
next in rotation takes his place, and
so on all the way through to the last
man, and each man to the end of the
400 is capable of picking up the sword
n commanding with it, which also
means to continue the fight until the
last man in each regiment is killed or
disabled; in other words. the fight is
never to be given UP except by total
extinction. AS an evidence Of the in
terest and earnestness of the Japanese
pOpie it is customary among the trades
people, whenever a family that they
nave been supplying with the neceSsa-
ries of life~is deprived Of the father of
the family in consequence OF his going
to the war, to continue to supply all
their needs the same as before and
without sending n bill therefore. 1t
is pretty difficult, therefore,, for the
| Russians, Notwithstanding that they 50
! largely outnumber the Japanese, to
whip such a determined, f~orceful people
either on land or sea-
There is scarcely an important col
lege anywhere in the world in which
! Japanese students are not to be found
studying for all vocations, and they are
bent upon acquiring the best and most
up-to-date methods in all walks of LIE.
Admiral Togo was educated at Annap-
oils, and the American, English and
! Continental colleges have educated
officers now engaged in. the war.
The japanese are not much. given to
invention. but they possess great Gi:-
cernment and discrimination; they
know a good thing When they see it,
and are very skilful in imitation. Fifty
years ago, when Commodore Perry sue
cessfully negotiated for the opening OF
| the Japanese ports, that nations inter-
! course with the outside world COM
| menced A few years thereafter a COM
mission was appointed to frame a con-
! stitution. This commission visited all
the great nations in pursuit of infer
nation. They famiiiariZed themselves
| with the American Constitution and the
basis of the government of other ma
| tions; they culled the best from all and
| put it into their constitution; it took
! them seven years TO accomplish 1t.
: When they made their report to the
! Emperor he accepted it without any
notifications whatsoever. and notwith-
standing the great changes that have
taken place in that country in conse-
! Guence of it's growth and development
! there has been no occasion UP to this
date TO in any way change that docu-
| ment.
They also appointed a commission 80
| years ago, with the present great
| statesmen, Marquis Ito, at it's head, to
| visit the various nations with a view
of obtaining the best information pos
sible in order to establish a financial
system. On their trip around the world
they first came to this country and
| brought q letter OF Introduction to me.
I posted them thoroughly in connection
with our inancia system. They then
| went to England, France and Germany
and returned to Japan. On their re-
| turn, as their report favored the adop-
ton of the American method it was
accepted by the government, and they
! sent me an order to get up their cur
rency and bonds, engraved in various
! denominations, similar to those of the
United States government. 1 sent the
phraseoIogy and denominations Of all
our different demand notes and various
! bonds to them. and they transferred
| same into their own hie~roglyphics. 1
| had the same beautifully steel engrav-
ed through the Continental Bank Note
| Company, who were the lowest bidders
in competition for the work. Since that
! time 1 nave kept up a most interesting
and exceedingly friendly acquaintance
and correspondence with Marquis Ito,
and his recent letter to me contained
| much of interest, as it gave most excel
lent reasons for Japan being involved
in the present war, which, he said, was
not from his country's desire, but
i through necessity, as a matter of de-
Tense.