The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-01
THE EVENING STORY
why a Japanese Boy Went to War.


While acting as newspaper corre- |
spondent with the Japanese army in |
Manchuria I met a young othcer oc-
cupying very important position on |
the staff of one of the generals who |
looked better fitted for the school room |
than for war. I asked him how one
sa young happened to come to the |
front and attain such high rank IN |
the service, and he told me the follow
ing story:
Six months ago L entered our mill |
tary school, which 1 have been told
was modelled on your school at West
Point The boys 1 found there were
all very young, because all the older
ones had been prematurely graduated
and sent UP here, the vacancies being
field by youngsters like myself. The
officers on duty too, were very young.
Coming from the country and not OF
the Samurai, or, military, class. knew
nothing about the army regulations,
scarcely realizing the difference be-
tween an officer and cadet. Indeed,
at the school there was not much diff
ference, some of the instructors having
been made cadet officers after years
study and put in as drill masters. one
of them, Lieutenant Ishimura, beard
less boy, put on a great many airs and
took special pleasure in doing so to-
ward me. was very patient under ms
structures, but at last they became UNI
bearable, and I rebelled. He kept up
a perpetual sneer at my marching in
the drill squad, and, noticing, or af-
fecting to notice. that I carried my
belly forward instead of my chest, he
struck me in the former, causing me
great pain. Under the impulse of re-
sentiment at the unjust treatment 1
knocked him down.
My act was mutiny, and nutiny is
punishable with death. but Ishimura
had no right to punch me as he had
done and was puzzled to know what to
do in the matter. After consultation
with several of his brother officers he
sI1l - I, loss l,ryr nc
of a bluff. That night 1 was taken out
of bed and marched silently to room
where sat about table several cadet
officers who promised to try me for mu-
tiny. They played their parts so well
that I was completely deceived. When
at the conclusion I was convicted and
sentenced to be shot. / had no doubt
that the court was bona fide and the
sentence would really be carried out
The only thing about it that surprised
me was that l was to be taken at once
to a wood near the academy and eXecu-
ted. I begged for time to write a letter
to my parents. giving my reasons for
the disgrace I had brought on the fam
lily and bidding them farewell. No at
tention was paid to my request, and
having been placed in the center of half
a dozen cadets, 1 was marched out or
the barracks. Every now and again
some one of the boys who were evident
ly thrown out as scouts would fall back
to report something ahead. Then one
would halt and wait. / did not know at
the time what they were doing, but
learned it all afterward The wood was
reached without serious interruption and
| was placed at the center of an opening
in the trees. The cadets were drawn up
as a firing squad, and l was asked II l
had anything to say before being exc
cuted.
"Only," 1 replied, that Lieutenant
Ishimura is a coward or he would give
me an opportunity to fight him on
There was a consultation in WhlS-
pers a nd was told that 1Sh1mura
would meet me. We were given swords
and set to work. Ishimura had con-
sidered me easy to diSarm. which
would end the contest, but while ne
was trying only to disarm me was
trying to kill him before being shot
MY situation gave me an unnatural
strength and rapidly OF movement mt
Making a desperate lunge, I pierced his
sword arm, rendering it for the time
being useless.
The youngsters. who were in the
thrown by this into deeper water.
After a hurried consultation 1 was
placed again before the firing party
| and told that my second offense OF
| wounding an officer was worse than
the first and 1 was to be shot at once:
l was so pleased at the punishment L
had goven my tormentor that 1elt
comforted. Taking cigarette from
my pocket l1Snl0Q II anu SAiAOnC ~
while the firing party were loading
their guns. When they raised them
and aimed at me 1 puffed away, think
ing that 1 was taking my last smoke.
The order to fire was given, there was
flash In my face and stood un-
harmed. The guns had been loaded
with blank cartridges.
Gentlemen" said the superintendent
of the academy, stepping from behind
a tree, this farce has gone far enough
Lieutenant Ishimura, go to your quar-
tiers under arrest AS to you," address
ing me, sit is not expected that you
should so soon understand subord1na-
ton. and you have shown natural quail
tiles of a soldier that make your pres
ence at the front desirable. Tomorrow
I shall send you to my friend, General
N. who [ have no doubt will find use
for your soldierly abilities.
If he had simply done as he said L
should have been well pleased with the
result but the next day when we were
drawn up on parade he hobbled out on
to the ground-he was minus an arm
and a leg lost in Northumberland, call
ing me to step to the front, reviewed
nv case, censured all who had been
connected with my mock trial and ex-
ecution. then pronounced me a grad
nate (which meant that 1 was second
Iieutenant), and ordered me to proceed
at once to the front. Before left he
presented me with a letter to General
N. who at once appointed me MEM
Der of his staff.
EDMOND COMPTON.
GLOBE SIGHTS.