Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-28
JAPANESE RED CROSS
ORGANIZATION AND WORK DUR
ING WAR WITH CHINA.
Society Women Joined in the Noble oc-
cupation Of Nursing the
Stricken Soldiers.

Written for The Evening Star
All the world knows with what skill and
bravery the Japanese soldiers and marines
fought in the war against China in 1891;
how the army vanquished the Chinese in
Korea and In Manchuria, how 1t took pos
sc ssipn OF PEN Yang Port Arthur and Wei
hai-Wei, while the navy DESTROYED the chi
nese squadron at the mouth of the Yalu.
But much less is known Of the very great
services which were then rendered by the
Japanese Red Cross Society. whose presi-
dent is the empress. This organization,
like the army itself was only born. so to
speak, on the eve of the conflict, and, never
he wing been put to proof, there was some
misgiving as to its ability to perform the
enormous task 1t was suddenly required to
undertake. Events showed that these mis-
givings had no foundation. The different
services of the Red Cross Society covered
miratien of the whole world. 1t was not
so much the victories that the Japanese
won in the war;. but rather the way they
won them and the way they acted through
out which placed them among the great
civilized nations.
1t was at Pen-Yang, in the north of
Korea tfat the Red Cross corps really re-
ceiyed its baptism of fire. This strong city,
occupying an almost impregnable position,
had been admirably fortified by the Chi
nese, and was defended by 1900 regulars
from Tien-Tsin and Manchuria
The Japs attacked Pen-Yang from four
sides at once, but three of the movements
were only feints, and all the glory as well
as all the suffering of this terrible day be-
longs to the troops who assaiied the Chi
nese position from the front These under
the command of Gen. Oshima, began the
attack on the advanced. positions at 3
O'Clock in the morning, and did not take
them till they had fought desperately for
twelve hours. Seeing that he could not
hope to carry the second line of defense
Qorts fitted with rapid firing guns before
mghtfall, especially with troops which were
already exhausted, Gen. Oshima withdrew
to the position he had occupied the previ-
Gus evening.
During the whole dreadful day the ambu-
lance corps never ceased to administer aid
and attention to the wounded, whether Chi
nese or Japanese, who were carried to the
rear or placed in field hospitals. The Chi
nese had no ambulances, hospitals and
no surgeons, and they left their wounded to
Gle like dogs. When firing ceased the Japa-
nese Red Cross men advanced to the battle
field with the intention of succoring the
Chinese wounded, but they were irnpeded in
this work by the enemy's soldiers who
opened fire on them from the forts. They
waited till njghtfall, and then creeping
bravely UP under the very walls of the
forts, picked UP and brought back a large
number of wounded Chinese. At the very
hour they were doing this the Chinese gov
error ard his officers were engaged in
ordering the massacre of the Japanese
prisoners. The mutlated bodies of the lat
ter were found next day by the victorious
Japanese. 1t would net have been sur
pr'sing if the Japanese maddened by the
sight Of such horror, had given themselves
up to retaliat ton. To their great honor
they did nothing of the sort The Chinese
prisoners We're admirably and humanely
treated, and hospital for their wounded
was Immediately organized. These are not
mere reports myself visited the hospital
and camp of the prisoners and had ample
opportunity to investigate them
Moving the Wounded
Each day those OF the wounded who could
be moved were put in fiat-hottomed boats
ana sent down to the mouth OF the river
where they were embarked on transport
steamers and conveyed to Hiroshima in the
south of Japan There immense hospitals
had been established. capable of accomn,a-
da ting 1900 invalids. The chief surgeon of
the Japanese army, Surgeon Maj. Gen
lshiguro. took me himself to visit them on
my return to Hiroshima. AS we were
leaving his laboratory he drew my attei,-
ton to a silk bag filled with bandages and
andseptic dressings which he informed
me were the work of her majesty the en-
press. From the beginning of hostilities
her majesty and all the ladies of the court
had met each evening in large hall Of
the imperial palace to engage in the work
OF providing materials for the use of the
wounded, and notwithstanding the victories
of the Japanese, they had altogether given
UP their pleasures and distractions and
handed over to the minister of war the
money they would otherwise have spent on
fetsS and toilets.
The hospitals of Hiroshima were situated
outside the town, right in the fields and
were surrounded by magnificent gardens.
They consisted of long halls, lit from each
side by wide windows. In these halls
erythng was wonderfully clean-in fact
everything was white as snow. The
beds were white, the invalids were dressed
in, white, and even the nurses wore white
uniforms. All was delightfully."- clean and
fresh. Flowers and plants adorned each
division of the halls. and through the open
windows came strains of military music,
for the emperor had ordered regimental
bands to play every day in the gardens.
Every invalid had papers and books and,
when the doctors allowed them, cigarettes
and fruit.
Among the nurses were many society
women, and at the head of these 800 wo-
men, who devoted themselves day and night
to the wounded, was the Countess Mere,
wife of a Japanese admiral. Separate rooms
We're provided for officers. In one of these,
when l visited the hospital, a comma ndant
was being nursed by his daughter. a de-
lightful little girl of fifteen years, dressed
in a superb kimono of broidered silk. She
was so sweet and pretty and graceful that
l really envied the invalid. The bandageS
prepared by the empress were distributed
among the officers in the hospital. 1t is
impossible to describe with what respect
and gratitude and love they were received.
One poor fellow who was lying on his back
grooming with pain would not receive such
a present in SUCH a dsreSpectful position,
and made desperate efforts to lift himself
up
Well l said to a young captain. "you
must feel happy, being SO well cared for
and back in Japan"
Yes he replied, "but I shall be much
happier when can get back TO the war
These wounded men thought of nothing
but returning to the fray. Seeing China
man, clean, newly shaved and clad in
white, who was being looked after like
brother ! asked him If he felt contented.
Yes. he SAID. they are very good to me-
but L don't like the Japanese cooking and
l have asked several times without sue
cess. for Chinese Dishes; 1 was so as
founded at the nerve Of the man that
could not answer.
Great Floating Hospital.
The marines were not forgotten by the