The Savannah morning news., 1904-04-17
By OLIVER T. SAMPSON.

so slowly, impressively and distinctly
that every syllable he utters burns its
way into the hearers brain.
Civilians in Toxic who have had &C.
casion to do business with Togo have
found him to be easy in manner, free
of officiousness, not inclined to talk,
but when called upon to do so a man
of few words.
Il have never met another man who
could put so much meaning into so
few words" said a leading Japanese
banker who is well acquainted with
Togo. But at the same time he is
not what you could call taciturn. His
look of interest when you are talking
keeps the visitor from forming such
an opinion of him. And his few words
OF greeting, spoken with the utmost
cordiality, make you instantly set him
down what he is-democratic at
heart"
Only Fighter.
Outside of the science of war Togo
himself confesses that his knowledge
| is limited.
Il am not a. great reader" he told
a Japanese newspaper interviewer a
short time before his fleet sailed away
Tor Port Arthur. But l have become
acquainted a little with the literature
OF Yomei Ga famous Chinese scholar),
and | think his writings furnish a
splendid guide for warriors. He
teaches how theory may be put into
practice in the simplest way. He en-
courages action. In the present age
quick and simple action is the only
way to success. either in military or
civil life"
To this same interviewer Togo re-
veaied the fact that, along with the
accidents guns, he has thoroughly
accepted the Occident's idea of the
humanities in battle.
when Rear Admiral Saigo led
his expedition to Formosa twenty
years ago, he had power to do any
thing" he said. But now we can't
DO the things Of that time. We have
TO adhere strictly to international
ways. We have to do our best to
keep out of disgraceful entanglements
in battle. l had great difficulty IN re-
straining my men in the China-Japan
War.
Not Bnrbaric or Cruel.
eve must not be barbaric and cruel
in war, as were the, knights of the
middle ages. We have to consider the
friendship of the world. Commanders
must bear in mind that they are Just
captains of merchant vessels. They
must forget that they are warriors in
order TO be honest and be just"
Togo is a direct descendant of the
barbaric knights of whom he speaks.
He is a member of the Satsuma clan
that has given Japan the majority of
her leading modern warriors, just as
the Choshiu clan has furnished the
major portion of the statesmen, such
as Ito and Inouye.
At the time of the Restoration.
thirty-seven years ago, Togo, a lad
OF II years, was a retainer of Kuma-
motto, an interior town Of some 30 900
inhabitants, about 100 miles south of
Nagasaki. When his lord and clan de-
clared allegiance to the Mikado, Togo.
with the deeds of his fighting samurai
ancestors before him, was one of the
first to offer his sword to the Mikado.
His services were accepted, and later
on, when the Emperor determined to
have modern navy, Togo, who from
his youth up, had always had a hank
ering for the sea, grasped the oppor-
tunity and was sent to England to
receive the proper training. The les
sons he learned there he afterward
put into practice aboard his own ships:
and it is a fact frequently commented
on that the ships in the Japanese navy
which are the closest copies of the