Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-08-01

Grand Gordon of the Rising Sun.
The circumstances under which
Katsu Ava laid the foundation of the
Japanese navy are of peculiar inter-
est at this time, when that navy mas
so forcible impressed it's strength on
the worlds mind. Beginning at the
bottom, Katsu Ava worked his way
up from position to position, till in
1858, when he was so years old, the
Shotgun (Tycoon) made him presi-
dent of the naval training school at
Nagasaki This was just one year
before our Commodore Perry made
his appeara nee in the Bay of Uraga
cat this early PERIOD" says Prof
e. Warren Clark, late of the japanese
Imperial University of Toxic, only
the Dutch were permitted to come to
Japan. They had little concession
of a dozen acres or so, called Dezima,
at Nagasaki. 1t is separated from
the mainland by a moat, has su6stan-
tial stone buildings and warehouses
like those in Holland, and in walking
the short and narrow streets one
might we'll imagine himself in the
land of dykes"
1t was here that Katsu Ava had
his first naval training school, He
had faculty of six Dutch officers,
and about forty students. The school
was creditably conducted, taught prac-
tical gunnery Every practical gunnery
these days), producing graduates
some of whom have been heard from,
notably Admiral Ito and Gen. Saigo.
Katsu Ava was also the primary in
structor of Admiral Togo, the Nelson
and Farragut of Japan.
The first illustration of steam pow
er at sea WHICH Katsu Ava expe-
rienced vas in 1854, when he saw
Commodore P9rry's ships coming up
the Bay of Yeddo against wind and
tide. 1t was then he said: People
who can make ships that sail against
wind and tide are not such barbar-
ians after ALL" 1t is noteworthy that
while we with our century and quar-
ter of national existence have until
recent years been calling the Japan
csc heather" they with their TWEEN
ty centuries of history have also I'M
til recent years classed us as "bar-
barians." We understand each other
better now. Heather Japan ana
barbarian" America are setting a
pace which the rest of the world find
it hard to keep up with.
Later, on hearing the salute of
howitzers on Perry's boats, Katsu
Ava added: People who can mani
fest such power anu such patience at
the same time-when we are trying
to thwart them in their purpose
are a people whose friendship is
worth cultivating." To good effect
has Japan cultivated American
friendship since those words were ut
tered by Japan's Bismarck.
Prof. Clark says: "The great event
of Katsu's life, from a nautical point
Of view was soon to happen. He was
about to become a second Columbus
and discover America. He actually
sailed, or rather steamed, to San
Francisco in a vessel of his own,
though it was only of $50 tons bur-
den. 1t was in 1853, when the per-
manent treaty between the United
States and Japan was to be ratified.
He secured the Tycoons permission
to accompany and protect" in his
''tugboat" the Japanese Ambassador
and his suite, who were carried TO
San Francisco on the United States
warship Powhattan. This he did,
funny as it may seem in these days
of $4,000 ton warships. His boat was
built in Holland, was 1872 feet long,
"a feet wide, had a nominal 100 horse
power, carried twelve popguns, aud
was called the Kaurin Mau.
That was the first Japanese warShip
at least to go beyond the waters of
Japan. That was the precursor of
Togo's mighty fleet which has annr-
hilated the two mightiest fleets of
Russia. And all this naval progress
by Japan sprang out of Commodore
Perry's morning call of the Sunrise
Kingdom only fifty-one years ago
Thirty-seven days sailing with an
unskilled crew and in rough weather
brought the belligerent little craft to
San Francisco. This voyage taught
Japan how big the ocean is, and how
to manage steamships and warships.
How thoroughly Japan has learned
the entire lesson recent eveats tell
and history will record
Though San Francisco was much
smaller then than it is now, the voy-
age taught Japan that here lived
nation whose friendship" as Katsu
Ava said, was worth cultivating."
The famous Japanese teacher Fuku-
zawa also went on this cruise. and
ably taught its lesson to his country
men.
On his return from the United
States Katsu Ava was appointed
president of the Naval College at
Kobe. 1t was there that he in.
structed the late Count Mutsu, the
present Admiral Ito, and men of sim
liar character and influence. He con-
structed Notifications of modern type,
introduced European methods, insist
ing that the separated ships of the
Shotgun and feudal lords should be
united into one great navy. the navy,
brought up to date, which on bay
81 and 2S last made Japan's national
existence permanently secure.
In June, 1862, Katsu Ava was made
president of the Naval College at
Yeddo, and in August of the same
years he was promoted to be Min
lister of Marine. Advanced plans for
naval extension were adopted, and
Togo was selected by the Shotgun on
a personal visit-an unheard of thing
in Japan-as a navl base. From all
this, before Katsu Ava died in 1899.
came that revelation of naval
strength. Yokosuka, on the bay south
of Yokohama, with its buildings like
those of the Brooklyn navysyard.
There these little japanese Lift