Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-26
FIRST HEROIC; DEATH
It Was a Cause y g # Pride to
All Japan
5s.%s t1t
A POPULAR WAR SONG
WHAT THE JAP PxsPiakss ARE SAY
ING ABoUTBuss1A.
rsst &. %
Voluntary Contributions Pouring Into
the Governments War Chest
Placing the Loan.
i Correspondence Of The. Evening Star.

Japan Is smiling contentediy over the
death OF her Ensign Bagiey. It is Japan's
way of mourning over SubHeutenant Kali
mura Fumio's heroic end before Port Ar
thur-her first noted son to fall in battle
with the Russians. Even the young mans
father, when the news Of the wars first
heroic death" was carried to him as he lay
on his sick bed, Showed JOY" His only
concern was to send his elder son, q leu
tenant in the army. to Saseho, to secure an
application OF the announcement that his
brother had died augustly for the emperor.
Lieutenant Fumio's death was enough to
bring the smile Of satisfaction to the lips
OF heroic nation. The son Of samurai,
he died as samurai should, striving to
fight his countrys enemy even as he lay
mortally wounded
Lieutenant Fundo was killed during the
hrst attack on the Russian stronghold.
throughout the battle he had charge OF an
eisht-fnch gun on the battle ship Katsuss
Toward the close Of the one-sided contest
ne trained his gun on the Bayan, and q
great column of black smoke, as though
the Russian were on fire. shortly following
his shot. showed that his aim had worked
havoc among the enemy. He was prepar-
ing TOT another shot. when q shsll-pre-
sumably from g fort-struck him In the
small Of the back, passed through the hody
fell on the deck in front Of him, and ex-
pioded, showering the entire gun crew with
a rain Of steel.
-, While Tile, the air was stiIl lled with bits of
was close by, rushed UP and caught Fumio
as ne was falling to the-deck The shall
had all but cut its victim in two. but he
was stiH conscious. and as Lieutenant So
nooa ana member Of the crew started to
carry him toward the hospital he protested.
This devil of a Russian animal" he said.
Don't take my shoes eff; want to fight
Still protesting and STRUGGLING wo,k,v
with his comrades. he was taken to the
hospitat. The surgeons bent over him.
A HERDS Death.
Don't. he ordered. Look after the 9TH
ers My wound is slight. 1 have tn 90
BACK TO my post-don't take of my shoes"
And with protest on his lips at being
kept from his post he died.
Both Ensign Bagley's heroic death and
his family prominences made his name
known throughout America in the Span
1sh-American war. IT is the same with
Lieut.. Fumio. g GE "A
He was the son Of Hiroto one of the Zen.
aai knlghts tsamurai) of Karume, a north
western city. For hundreds of years mcm-
Ders OF the family served many feudaI
lords In battle, and many were noted for
their gunnery. Young Fumio was evident
ancestors, for from childhood he was an
expert shot, first with the shotgun. and
later, when he entered the navy. with the
big guns All Japan Is being told Of the
I IA by the newspapers They also naive
~ declare that the young man was not
good in school," but they wipe out this lit
tie stain by adding that he had good
record in the naval school,"
All Japan also knows by this time the
conversation that took place between ia
Their and son when they babe each other
goodbye just before the Katsuse sailed
away for battle -
AS I have told you always, my son. do
not get excited when doing great tasks,
but work with cool head"
Il thank you, father: don't worry about
me. l will always remember your words
This time l VIII come home with the Kin
shi Kuncho (Japan's highest medal for
bravery, corresponding to the Victoria
cross of England), or I'll send you my
hair"
tom of the country, the boys hair has
been shaved Off and sent to his father and
ere now he has received the token-un-
doubleday with smile on his lips.
New War Song.
General Fulkushima. whose horseback ride
through Manchuria and 81 Siberia several
years ago made him popular hero, has
greatly increased his hold on the public by
two things. When he was called to take
part in the council of war held shortly be-
fore the outbreak of hostilities he was serf-
ously ill and confined to his bed But
despite the doctors orders he got up. went
to Tokyo, remained there for several days
until his presence was no longer necessary
then returned home, went to bed. and wrote
a war poem that is being quoted and sung
all over Nippon and her sister islands. This
poem has figured prominently in the ceIe-
brations of victory and is even now being
xxff n ,ctn hot
claims for it a fame Commensurate with
that enjoyed by such civil war songs as
Dixie" and Marching Through Georgia"
Here is prose and almost literal trans
lation of General Fukushimas literary ef-
fort 1t may not appeal to Americans in
Its present form-it is impossible for me to
get metrical translation Of it-but when
sung by jubilant Japs it certainly strs even
the foreigners here who hear it, and not
one, unless he is deaf, has not heard it:
Prose Translation.
''The world-famed island of Japan, its
present state is known to all, with a great
emperor whose dynasty runs back for CEN
turtles, whose subjects number fifty millions
"a country built with patriotism, whose
people exceed in valor and courage.
And the enemy who come against us,
whose state every one knows treacherous
and lying are they. And they take the
province of another country burn the
houses without cause, kill the people who
are innocent, and dishonor the women and
children who are fleeing. They murder the
children who cry for milk. The barbarity
and wickedness of the Slavfpeither God nor
man can forgive. 80
Their country is wide, but only a desert
They are populous. but only like the crows
They are one hundred and fifty millions.
but they are of sixty races. In the open
battlefield they are towards, who cannot go
forward. The Cossacks, who gained fame
In history, are now but the dream of CEN
turtles. AS snow and ice melt in tie morn
Ing sun, Russians thou must vanish.
Stand with courage young men or
Japani Even the horses are whinnying!
Battle for the right-there- is no enemy!
Oh. how joyful is this. battle! Despoil. de-
stroy Port Arthur and Hardin! Far away
on the summit of the TraI mountains there
thou plant the flag Df the Rising Sun!
Chase the Slavs to the forests of Moscow!
Shine forth the right ana fame of our en-
OF this world!"
Contempt for the Russians
This song pretty fairly Indicates the con-
tempt that the Japs have for their oppo-
nents as a people. But il is mild compared