The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-03-01
soLDIERY OF JAPAN
Rapidly and Efficiency Of the
Mikado's Army.
FRANCE AND GERMANY IT'S TUTORS

Mixed Origin Reelected In the Army's
Garb-Japanese Seem to Do Every
thing at the Double and Fight With
y . Speed of Downright E~aEerness.
Their Battery Drill Amazingly
Quick.
Tradition is stronger than fact. De-
spite the lessons of the struggle with
China and the yet more recent lessons
of the Boxer uprising, some of us are
still thinking Of Japan at arms as a
At subject for comic opera. Japan
evolved too suddenly. We cannot get
the picture of the dazzling feudal war
rior out of our minds. 1t is scarcely
more than thirty years since he disap-
peared-that ''iridescent war beetle"
with his awful war mask, his lacquer
armor, his ancient shoulder cannon, his
gorgeous dragon embroidered robes,
his fan! And already we are asked to
believe in an eminently modern, occi-
dental, Maryland thoroughly practical
standing army of %Japan-an army
WHICH Al1SAC AlAlNA SuAVu6A AAy SS"A
Of continental Europe without being
remarked as foreign.
It was a long step from a heredi-
tary class of gentlemen fighters to a
modern army organization, says the
Boston Transcript. However, when,
in 1868, the Flowery Kingdom set out
to make itself over it did not stick at
trifles. Away went the daimios, the
feudal lords and with them their SOL
der retainers. No longer should it be
said that in Japan to be a gentleman
one must fight and to fight n must
be a gentleman. Universal conscrip-
ton set the rickshawman instantly up
on a level with the naughty samurai
and the shopkeeper upon a level with
both. What Europe did in a century or
two Japan did at n neat skip.
Wanting a. military system, Japan
did not wait to develop it, but quietly
took possession of the military system
Of France. Later on she went to
school to Germany, and the resultant
army is part German and part French.
The mixed origin is reflected In the
army garb. The emperor's b~odyguard
serves in the full uniform of the
French lancers, and the emperor him
self wears the scarlet kept and trou-
sers Of a French officer. But all other
arms Of the service go clad like the
Germans II in dark blue, with distin-
guishing bands of red or black or vel
low on their fiat German forage caps.
The Japanese drill is German; the
gymnastics are German; the discipline
Is German.
Yet it is far from commonplace. Aft
er all, a system is not an army. There
is the common soldier to be accounted
for. Drill him, dress him, discipline
him how you will, he remains a Jap
anese under his skin, and like a Jap
anese only he fights. Mobility one
would expect of him, and that he has
it was proved in the war with China.
AS the Japs march, SO they fight.
Says George Lynch, who watched them
with the allies in China: "It is simply
wonderful how quickly they move
They seem to do everything at the dou'
BILE" 1t is the speed not of nervous
ness, but of downright eagerness
They fight for fighting sake. When
they charge. they break into a brisk
Impatient trot, chanting in step time
"Itchi-nih, itchi-nih" Conceive, one
two') to balance them for the ina:
run, which they deliver, shouting, will
a great, glad alacrity. Never were
such hilarious fighters. Says Lynch
"My goodness, how they did enjoy it!
All this is true of the foot soldiers
For the Japanese cavalry not so much
can be said. The Jap is not built fol
craftsmanship; like the scotchman wht
could not get into the highlanders, "ht
hasna the legs" His riding is bad
Captain Younghusband says that til,
pony is usually master of the situation
The horses are small. vicious and slow
In shock tactics they would be practi
cally useless. Considered as mounted
infantry it is all very well. but as a
alry-well, frankly, it is contemplate.
Not so the artillery, or at least tina
Like their afoot, their bat
terry drill is amazingly quick. Norman
describes them in action: 1.-Two bat
teries came up at a gallop with perfec
steadiness, wheeled, halted, unlimber
ed, came into action 'front.' loaded an
fired with a smartness and coolnes
and rapidity that could hardly hav
been excelled."
A good soldier is twice as valuabl
II he has good care, and this, anon
other things military, the Japanes
have learned. Everything which goe
to make for the efficiency Of the troop
is ~scrupulously attended to. The rs
lions are of the simplest-rice, drie
fish, soy and sometimes meat-but the
are always ample and always the bes
Of their kind. The medical corps coul
give points to Europe. Japanese camp
are s%ingularly free from contagious di!