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-
ian Headquarters.
How the Mikado's Soldiers Give
Object Lessons in Sanitation
to Chinese Citizens.
Special Correspondence,

Special Correspondence. u .s.-
Headquarters Third Imperial Japan
csc. Army, Manchuria, July l5.-The
spring has come and gone and the sum-
summer has not gone yet, nor has it
come without the many peculiar de-
lights in which the summer season re-
ioices 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
rown gray with the the hn Of n var and md
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
the attack of the active and progressive
flea Ga creature of surprising enter
prise in these parts); also whether or
not justly famous American brand OF
rat poison is effective diet for bedbugs.
And there are many other problems OF
similar import.
Fame Thru 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 excludlng
natives, animal and insect. A man In
the army has been renowned for, 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, nave
daily life. The only news OF a 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
ese line
Civil Administrators Busy.
The only really and justifably busy
people here are the Japanese civil adj
ministrators 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 epoch
lin the history Of Manchurian social
development. From one end OF this
country to the other are scattered Jap
anese soldiers. Every village Tor miles
around and well nigh every house In
every village has it's quota OF s. sG 10 aI
ject lessons of Japanese and civilized
methods of doing things. @.
The soldiers have simply turned the
Chinese houses upside down in thell
vigorous efforts to clean things up, Ii
dozens of the little compounds, where
two months ago there was nothing bu1
filth and bad smells, one sees today ut
tie Japanese gardens with neatly sand
ed paths and flower beds. Scarcely
day but one meets soldiers passing thru
the streets carrying on their shoulders
small trees which they have dug up il
the neighborhood and are taking home
to plant in their gardens: The mos
effective thing which has been done il
the new system Of drains all over thu
town and country, too. The streets hav
all been lined on both sides with deel
bitches and at every important stree
crossing culverts have been made, 81
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 Jap
: anese city.
I, Reforms Of All Sorts.
The civil administration, compose
of three Japanese officers and two nor
n commissioned officers, has entered int
u 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
q must be beneficial to a considerab]
Il Cont;nued IN 2d Pace. 18Th Column.