The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-11-03
JAPANESE
INFANTRYMAN
Continued from page y.


kii's army. is that it was the greatest
OF the past century, excepting that OF
Leipsic He estimates the Japanese had
$4,000 men and the Russians slightly
more in the battle, both armies stretch
description OF the battle on the slopes
of Mijayama. or "Rice-Cake Hill, y
shows it to be one of the bloodiest of
the war. the hill being literally soaked
in blood.
Mr. Mckenzie is one of the ablest
war correspondents in the Far East, and
as the representative of the great Lon
don Daily Mail has been instrumental
in shaping its policy IN the present war,
which is pro- Japanese He is a con-
sentative writer, and his opinion of the
war situation IS most valuable at this
time. In an interview accorded an Adj
vertiser man yesterday at the Moana
Hotel, Mr.. Mckenzie gave the follow
ing, leading up from the time the strug-
gle began to the time he LETT Kurokl' S
army TO return home:
THE ACT OF WAR.
Il was fortunate to have seen more
than many OF war correspondents, hav-
ing gone up into Korea a week before
the war started. The condition in Ko-
rea was extremely problematical. The
Korean ruler had between 10000 and
r 900 soldiers and the people there were
practically living over mine. The
troops themselves were the danger.
Everything was arranged among the
legations in Seoul for that situation to
arise The English and American le-
cations had arranged that at the first
sound of trouble British and American
marines were TO act together-a sort
of Far Eastern Anglo-American alli-
ance Then on Monday evening of
February 8 came the crash-not as we
had expected, but from the landing OF
the Japanese troops at Chemulpo and
the naval fight the next morning at
Chenulpo
"All of us, pro or anti Japanese, were
filled with admiration for the Russian
sailors who went out practically facing
death when they were ordered to en-
gage the japanese warships: The sailors
on the American, English, French, and
Italian war vessels cheered the Russians
as they went, not because they admired
their nations course in the complication,
but they admired the brave men.
Whatever we may have thought OF
the Russian policy in the Far East,
the individual Russian soldier is brave
man and has won many hearts.
after the battle at Chenulpo ] push
ed up with the Japanese advance forces
through the heart of Korea and saw the
battle at Ping Yang at the time we ex-
pected the Russian cavalry to sweep
down into the city.
COULD TAKE PORT ARTHUR.
mo one quite realized how I'M
prepared the Russians were Even the
Japanese did not realize that within a
week of~&ae outbreak of the war they
might have taken Port Arthur, without
serious resistance.
After staying at Ping Yang for two
or three weeks | was expelled IN con-
sequence of the representations of the
other correspondents now shut up IN
Toxic, who declared that either they
must go forward or ] be brought back.
] was brouoht back to Seoul. but from
there / joined other or regular cores
pondents attached to the first army as
they went north and was fortunate to
be the first correspondent to join the
fully formed first army. With that army
| saw every engagement from the battle
of the Yalu, the great marches through
the mountains of Manchuria, and closing
with the strengthening of the country
around Liaoyang in the early days of
September | left the front early. III
October on some urgent business con-
nected with my paper which required
me to be in London.
A WONDERFUL SOLDIER
"The on1inant feeling Of I believe.
every correspondent who has gone
through this campaign, has been one of
surprise and admiration for the private
Japanese soldier. He is, to my mind
without question, the finest conscript
soldier in the world. His discipline
is abundant in the personal initiative.
His power for enduring hardships, his
ability to live on very little, and that
the simplest fare, and his cheerfulness !
surprise you. All the world
knows of his courage, and yet | some
times wonder if people outside have
realized the wonderful things he has
done. I
when I have looked at positions
stormed by the troops of the first army
and carried successfully by them, can
only say that if any man had told me
year ago such things could have been
lone in the face of modern weapons of
warfare. | would have been constrained
% call that man fool All / can say
5 that l have never known infantry to
:harge open positions as they have done,
positions at times IN trenches, protected
~ wire entanglements and spiked pits.
BODIES FOR TRENCHES.
IF you had been in my position you
would have seen men rush out upon /
gradual slope, one man with pick,
everishly digging UP few clods of
arth until he was shot down. Then {
mother rushed up, taking his place,
lsing the first body as a shield and
hrowing I'D more earth. When several /
men had died the impromptu trench
vas made"
The Japanese soldier values his life
lot whit as compared with his duty,
nd yet at the same time he does not
hrow away his life unnecessarily. Every
rick, every ruse, every bluff that you :
an imagine, he will adopt to deceive
he enemy. He can be depended upon, ;
however. TO do the unexpected thing.
One instance will show the individual
initiative of the Japanese soldier. At
hott1a Of If,i1y thP