The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-23
JAPANESE ARMY
AS SEEN AT PLAY
Nogi's Soldiers Commemorate
Beginning of Port Arthur's
Siege.
Stanley Washburn Describes the
Queer Festal Scenes in Man
churian Headquarters.
Special Correspondence of The Journal.

churian Headquarters.
Special Correspondence of The Journal.
Headquarters Third Imperial Japan
ese Army, Manchuria, Aug. 2.-The
japanese both at home ard abroad are
a great people for celebrations. In
Japan there is holidy for the girls,
a holiday for the boys, holidays in com
memoration Of historical events. In
fact, the japanese make up for their
lack of Sundays by taking a day off
to commemorate something or other at
frequent intervals. If it is an import
ant date, SO much the better. If it is
unlmportant, no matter. They have as
good time, anyway. So it has been
in Manchuria. The first army laid itself
out to have grand time on the ami
versary Of the battle of the Yalu. The
second army made an occasion of May
26, when the first really wicked battle
OF the war was fought, when SO many
men went down before the Russion ma
chine guns and rifles on the bloody
slopes Of Nanshan.
Now comes the turn Of the third
army, Up to this date year ago moth
ing Of surprising interest had occurred
| in Nogi g army. However, the men felt
here that it was Incumbent upon them
to celebrate something SO after mature
deliberation they picked the date when
year go they captured the first line Of
outlying hills in the defenses of Port
| ended and the siege proper began. 1t
was June 30, 1904, when the grand old
ninth division of the Japanese army oc-
cupied and made it's position permanent
on the first great hill that lay between
| it and the main line of the Russion de-
lenses. So we took an entire day to re-
| joice fittingly on this, the first anniver-
sary Of that blody event.
wrestling the Favorite Sport.
1t is the rainy season here now, how
thusiasm until Aug. l, for it was
thought among the powers that be in
the third army that pouring rain was
not conducive to the spontaneous hilar-
| lty that the occasion warranted. For
| tunately, the day set was fine one, all
ltninggs considered, and every one had
ia good time. '~ ,'7e s- ..,zass
The main event was the westling
which the Japanese seem to enjoy more
than any other form of field sport. Fol
a week the best wrestlers from every
division had been picked and some hun
dreds had come into the headquarter!
to wrestle off the preliminary bouts
Thus by the afternoon Of the grani
day there were left only the picked
men of an army Of 10000 or 10000
soldiers, all Of whom are more or les!
trained in the art. In one of the bis
compounds the: place for the entertain
acre or more was rooted over with mat
ting. In the center a ring, or, mor'
properly, "square' of soft earth abou
twenty feet each way was raised On
one side were seats for the officers
Then the members of General Nogi'
staff were seated, while on every othe
side crowded the soldiers who had bee1
permitted to come in for the sports
Several thousand squatted about il
their worn khaki suits to watch tn
, game which they so admire.
Salute General Nogi.
At 2:3OW'clock all were seated saw
;; the commander himself. On the from
bench were the generals, includin
! Lieutenant General Burnett and Majo
= General Pertey Pasha of the BIRTHS
, and Turkish armies respectively. A
the appointed time there was a rustl
, in the outskirts of the crowd, and wit
! a single movement the entire audienc
: rose, every hand at salute, while tn
3 general himself came down the narro7
| lane GudG was C1edIcu LUZ ILL., LII IL
! Tapping black top boots, his white trol
sers and old uniform that has seen s
: many fierce days in Manchuria, the oil
8 man with his grizzled beard advance
:. to the center and took the seat allotte
1 between the English and Turkish a
Y taches.
Then the wrestling began. To
n westerner the sport is not nearly a
: keen as a prize, fight or even wrest
8 quired among these wrestlers is tina
e the opponent be thrown or pushed gu
of the ring. The result is that tn
e bouts seldom last over minute an
! often but few seconds. The two me1
b stripped except for loin cloth, ente
e the square, salute the grandstand
$ and then face each other. They squa
sand, eyes glaring into. eyes, they star
with chins on a level. But for tn
movement of their heads swaying t
e and fro as they seek for an opening
t their figures are motionless. They r.
n mind one of the cocks, faced in the p
j. stretched and their neck feathers ru
e fed up behind. 49, ~
Bouts Are Brief.
q The umpire gives. the word and the
J. with the agility of cats, they hop 1
1t their feet and close upon each othe
e For moment there is a deadlock
e the 1.-THE bodies sway to and fro The
one or the other is thrown. Occasional
ly two well-matched men will 90 ovt
minute before fall comes. Som
times one Of the antagonists will,
the first rush, pick up his man, carr
n him bodily out Of the square and Dire
II him outside. For an hour or more v
watched wrestling of this sort.
Then there was variation of IL
program. It was dance remar
able dance. A dozen soldiers entere
e the ring, six from side, dressed on
y with aprons. improvised from VIII.
it each could pick up in camp. One wit
re "a blanket. decorated with paper f1oy
ers, another with bit of carpet stu
e, ded with little hand mirrors. The
q dancers Joined hands and then cor
"a menced a series of evolutions whit
K were graceful but not, as one mig
y say, filed with fire.
u After this came more wrestling al
. of much more interesting characte
70 for each winner was called upon
y y throw three opponents in successio
Continued on Cd Page, 18th Column.