Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-31
FISH AS WAR FOOD
Most Important Part Of the
Japanese Ration,
TOGETHER WITH RICE
FACTS ABOUT THE FISHERIES OF
THE ISLAND EMPIRE.
Many Varieties Taken - Millions Of
Farming a Paying Industry.
Copyright, 1904. by Frank G.. Carpenter9

Copyright, 1904. by Frank @. Carpenter)
Written for The Evening Star.
I saw this morning a specimen of the
emergency rations furnished the japanese
army. 1t looked like a petrified banana of
the largest size, and when picked it up it
made me think Of milestone. l tried to
scratch it with my finger nail, but could
not dent the surface. I smelled it and
perceived hardly an odor. Nevertheless it
was all fish, compressed into a gigantic
tabloid of brain and nerve food. 1t is in
such shape that it can be packed in bags
or boxes and carried the backs of mules
or men. The soldiers can carry it in their
pockets, or in their haversacks, and a few
chunks with rice would form a meal for a
company. The Russians are bringing their
meat over the Trans-Siberian road. They
have to have enormous quantities to feed
the army, and the-cars are taxed to their
utmost capacity The japanese ship their
food in boats. 1t consists largely of rice
and this fish, although other foods of diff
ferent kinds are supplied. Indeed, the fate
of the war may yet rest upon fish, and the
fight is largely one of the fish eater and
beef eater.
Japan's Big Fishing Industry.
The Japanese are among the most skilled
fishers of the world They farm the water
as we do the land, and their annual fish
1
was at the National Bureau of Fisheries
that I saw the fish 1 have described, and
there 1 talked with DR.. H. NJ Smith, who
was sent by the United States government
a little over a year ago to Japan to ex-
anime into its fisheries for the people of
the United States. DR.. Smiths coming was
announced to the Japanese government
and during his stay in the country he had
with him experts from the imperial fish
commission and also the local fish officers
of the various states. He travelled more
| than $500 miles through the country
visiting the fisheries. and as a result has
brought back much information of value
Doctor Smith thinks the Japanese are the
leading fishing nation of the world Said
ne:
THE Japanese have more than a thou
sand varieties of fish, and they eat them
all in one shape or another. Their water
products annually amount to $4,000, 900,
and they have altogether about 500 900 fish
ing vessels and boats. They have many
ships which devote themselves entirely to
| fishing. and more than 100, 600 of their boats
are above eighteen feet long There are
should say, almost a million professional
fishermen and more than that who devote
themselves to farming and fishing COM
bined. Here in the United States we have
about 10000 fishermen. Japan has fifteen
fishermen to our one and that notwith-
standing the nation is only yoyne-haf the
size of ours
Fish as War Food.
TELL me something about this fish that
the Japanese are using as war food Dr.
Smith, said 1. as I picked up the brown
whetstone-like object referred to in my first
paragraph.
That is the bonitor was the reply. sIt
| is caught by the thousands in the Japanese
waters. In the year 1900 nearly II 600 600
pounds of 1T were taken, and the annual
output of it sells for something like So, OOO,-
| 600. The bonito fish weighs three and often
more pounds. 1t is round fish. In curing
! 1t the bones are first taken out 1t is then
squeezed and shaped with the hands as you
see 1T here 1t is cooked and smoked, when
| 1t becomes hard and dry and will last for
an indefinite period. Insects will not bother
| it. 1t can be shoveled about like corn and
can be carried anywhere. 1t is eaten with
and made into soup The japanese are
| fond of it,
The Biggest Nets in the World.
| How is it caught?''
| Chiefly in huge nets. Some of the Iarg-
est nets In the world are used in Japan
| for catching bonito. I saw one there which
| was about thousand feet long and two
| hundred feet wide, with wings two hun
| dred and fifty feet long extending out at
/ each end. It took thirty boats to manage
/ that net. The fish were first driven in be-
/ tween the wings, finding their way from
/ them into the great bag-like net at the
| end. Then the men fastened the net and
| gradually drew 1t up out of the water
| They caught an enormous quantity of fish.
| Indeed, as many as 10000 yellow-tail have
been caught at one time in such net.
| The yeliow-tan are large fish OF somewhat
/ the same character as the bonito. Those
/ 10000 are said to have averaged twenty
pounds apiece. making total catch Of
Isabout 400 GOO pounds
| How Is the fishing carried on Dr.
Smith, by individuals or by trusts?''
ut is largely by individuals. although
4 0s1{o af AnIS 1<f1y~
club together. The large nets to which /
have referred often belong to one village
and are owned In common by the fishermen
Of that village. Indeed, such net often
raises q town, from poverty to afnuence. /
knew one village which had been poor,
| but had Gr0wn rich through cooperative