The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-19
JAP ARMY FIGHTS.
FLIES And FLEAS
Stanley Washburn Describes Sum-
mer Life at the Manchur-
.o ian Headquarters.
How the Mikado's Soldiers Give
Object Lessons in Sanitation
to Chinese Citizens.
Special Correspondence.

Special Correspondence. u ....-rea
Headquarters Third Imperial Japan
csc. Army, Manchuria, July. 15.-The
spring has come and gone and the sum-
mer has come. But, unfortunately,
summer has not gone yet, nor has it
come without the many peculiar de-
lights in which the summer season re-
joices in these lovely little Chinese
towns. No doubt the great world fan
cies that the japanese armies today
are centers of the keenest excitement.
The generals, one might suppose, are
growing gray with the cares of war and
hardships Of the campaign.
The world then will be shocked to
learn that the third Japanese army, at
least, is giving most of it's time and
the thought Of it's ablest minds in work
ing out the problem of how to keep
cool, how to evade the flies, and what
is the most effective method of repelling
the attack of the active and progressive
flea Ca creature of surprising enter
prise in these parts); also whether or
not a justly famous American brand of
rat poison is effective diet for bedbugs.
And there are many other problems OF
a similar import.
Fame Thru a Flytrap.
A well-known Japanese colonel, who
last year was making his name world
famous by his inventions for the an
noyance of the enemy and the democrat
ization Of the watchers in the Russian
trenches, this year is giving much time
to perfecting devices for the comfort
of the home circle and the excluding
from it of the most undesirable OF the
natives, animal and insect. a man IN
the army has been renowned for a day
who has invented fytrap whereby
the industrious operator can catch as
many as two pounds of flies IN a SIN
gle day. if he devotes himself to the
task diligently.
War and rumors Of war, even, have
come to form but a small part OF our
daily life. The only news OF q war
like character reaches us with the ar
rival of the American mails, when we
read with bated breath Of the great
forward movement about to begin last
month, or of the general action NOW
going forward along the entire Japan
Csc line.'' ...
Civil Administrators Busy.
The only really and justifably busy
people here are the Japanese civil adj
illustrators of the town, who have
been working miracles in local improve
ment. Whatever else may be the out
come of this war, one thing is certain
that this summer must mark an epoct
| in the history of Manchurian social
development. From one end OF this
country to the other are scattered Jap
Ianese soldiers. Every village for miles
around and well nigh every house IN
every village has it's quota OF soldiers rs
Thus the Chinese are getting daily ob,
ject lessons of Japanese and civilized
methods of doing things. =
The soldiers have simply turned the
Chinese houses upside down in theil
vigorous efforts to clean things up, II
dozens of the little compounds, where
two months ago there was nothing bu
filth and bad smells, one sees today lit
| tie Japanese gardens with neatly sand
ed paths and flower beds. Scarcely :
day but one meets soldiers passing thru
the streets carrying on their shoulder
small trees which they have dug up il
to plant in their gardens. The mos
effective thing which has been done /
the new system of drains all over tn
town and country, too. The streets hav
all been lined on both sides with dec
bitches and at every important stree
crossing culverts have been made, s.
THAT the water shall not collect in an,
one place. Now when it rains tn
streets are drained off almost as quick
ly as are those in an American or jar
anese city.
Reforms Of All Sorts.
The civil administration, compose
of three Japanese officers and two mol
=, commissioned officers, has entered int
, the most comprehensive reforms of a
sorts. Hospitals have even been pr
iected and opened up for the use
+ the Chinese. The results of all tn
, must be beneficial to a considerab
| Continued on I'd Page, 9Th Column.