St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-02-20
Who Are the Japanese?

VINO arc Inc Japanese!
Naturally ut this time Japan and
the japanese are attracting world
wide attention.
The common idea is that japan is
a small country with considerable
population, but that the people are
small in stature and are beset by
the ordinary characteristics OF ORR
entails who in all matters of modern
progress and enterprise arc inferior
to the white races of the western
world. A little information on the
subject will not be out OF place.
The fact remains that Japan is
moi a email country, and that Japs'.-
csc are not an inferior or weak peO-
pie III spirit. courage and in,elli-
gence. Japan is an island empire,
and there are, in the main islands
that constitute the country, some
AZ, 100000 japanese. The empire
of Japan contains about l6o, 900
square miles, Or about one quarter
more area than England. Scotland
and Wales. In other words, the
Japanese empire is considerably
larger than Great Britain. and con-
ta,ns about 10000, 900 more people.
The empire is fortunate in being All
island realm, 9" that 1t cannot be
attacked except from tue sea. This,
in view of its powerful navy, proba-
bly, superior to that Of Russia gives
it a tremendous advantage in war
with the Northern Empire. Again,
it is go close to the Aslatic conti-
nent that it could land its troops in
Corea or siberia much more rapidly
than Russia could march them over
land or transport them on the ST.
belian Railway. Again the AZ, 0O0.-
600 Japanese are more closely knit
by national ties, by loyalty. and
patriotism and zeal, than any equal
number Of people On the face OF the
globe. In this respect they res.'"-
Bile ancient Sparta, the Dutch III
Europe and the ,nagnificently heroic
Beers.
The Japanese have never before
been engaged in y WAT with
Europeans, but it is we'll known that
the japanese army IS not only Of
considerable size, but that ite dis
clpllne and equipment are fully
equal to that Of the French or Ger
man forces. The present standing
army of Japan is something like
$50, 900 troops. or approaching III
size the army Of either France or
Germany. In addition IT, this. the
available forces of Japan would be
many times this number, as every
male Japanese above fourteen would
eagerly rush to war either to defend
the Empire or to attack it's assail.
ants, for the people are extremity
patriotic. The only time the Jap
anese were ever in the field with
European troops was in the march
on Pekin during the Boxer war in
China, and then they made tirst-
class record. In modern warfare
great masses Of solid columns Of
troops moving 10 attack are no
longer the rule. The far-reacling
firearms have greatly changed the
positions Of tue troops in actlon.
Tue solid masses would be cut t.,
pieces with artillery miles away.
and il they showed themselves in
column or line in close order, by the
time they should get in range
Of the small arms in the hands of
men lying down in the grass or be-
hind any sort Ut cover that might
be available, the old style column
Or line Of battle. would bs declnat-
ed.
Troops to-day fight IN open or
skirlnish order and under cover as
much as possible, aud each man IL
more dependent upon himself than
formerly. The Japanese are Of
medium size. wiry aud tough, agile.
energetic, alert, and full of initiative
and they readily adopt themselves
to modern warfare where the in.
dividual soldier Is everything, and
All army in mass, is nothing.
The latest war in which modern
tactics were used was that wa2ed
by the Beers against tue Englisl, in
South Africa, and it Is believed that
the Japanese will give as good ac-
count Of themselves as did the
Rs,arS Pieav1i,o