The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1905-09-23

e..,hIished the First Naval Col
,.oe in Her History-In It Admlra
1ooo Learned His First Lessons
"a remarkable Narrative and the
Glory Of His Pupil.
The founder of the japanese Navy
vas Count Katsu Ava, who died In
I,nuary, 1899. AT that time the Japan
Monthly Evangelist said In his
aooth Japan loses the most venerable
amre in her public life. 1t was this
.,otesman who became the first cap
tain of the Japanese navy. establish
ed the first naval college in her his
tory and was made the first Minis.
"a, of Marine. More than that, 1t
roc largely owing to the wise and
energetic craftsmanship of this Bis
marck of Japan that the restoration
Of the Mikados Empire was effected
without bloodshed."
II was in recognition of this work
that Katsu Ava was made peer. a
Count a Privy Councillor, and
month or SO before his death the
Mikado also decorated him with the
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 has
81 forcib!e impressed its strength on
the worlds mind. Beginning at the
bottom, Katsu Ava worked his way
up from position to position. till In
1853, when he was 32 years old, the
Shotgun (TycoonD made him presi
dent OF the naval training school at |
Nagasaki. This was just one year
before our Commodore Perry made
his appearance in the Bay Of Uraga.
AT 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 moat, has subStan-
tid stone buildings and warehouses
like those in Holland. and in walking
the short and narrow streets one
might well imagine himself in the
land Of dykes"
It was here that Katsu Ava had
bis first naval training school. He
had faculty of six Dutch officers,
Ind about forty students. The school
vas creditably conducted taught prac-
ical gunnery (very practical gunnery
hese days), producing graduates
ONE OF whom have been heard from,
lotably Admiral Ito and Gen. Saigo.
[atsu Ava was also the primary in
tructor of Admiral Togo, the Nelson t
nd Farragut Of Japan.
The first illustration of steam DOW {
at sea which Katsu Ava expe- I
enced was in 1854, when he saw c
Perry's ships coming up d
le Bay OF Yeddo against wind and v
de 1t was then he said: people a
no can make ships that sail against I
IND and tide are not such barbar-
ns aNer all" It is noteworthy that n
niie we with our century and quar- b
OF national existence have until RI
cent years been calling the Japan G
'heathen," they with their twen- tt
centuries of history have also un- c.
recent years classed us as "bar- Il
rams. We understand each other
''er now. Heather" Japan ana
arbarian" America are setting d,
CO which the rest of the world find d;
nard to keep up with. in
4ater, on hearing the salute of m
"itzers on Perry's boats. Katsu al
q added: People who can mani
sucn power and such patience at pr
same time-when we are trying te
'nWart them in their purpose ia
people whose friendship is at
- cuitivating.' To good effect ne
Japan cultivated American to
ausnip since those words were ut
q oy Japan's Bismarck. ce
lol. Clark says: The great event wi
aa'sus life. from nautical point
iew was soon to happen. He was M,
- 10 become a second Columbus ro,
u'Scover America He actually no
y, or rather steamed, to San sal
'cisco In a vessel of his own. do
sa IL was only of $50 tons bur. tn,
IL was In 1853, when the per. da
ent treaty between the United gr.
. and Japan was to be ratified. :
secured the Tycoon's permission ter
company and protect" in his we
ooat the Japanese Ambassador lea
MS suite, who were carried to {
:. francisco on the United States my
nip Powhattan. This he dill cir
as 1t may seem in these days so
wy ton warships. His boat was 'en
"a Holland, was 1862 feet long. eve
= Vide, had nominal 100 horse "
: carried twelve popguns, ana It'd
allied the Kaurin Mau. Of
y was the first Japanese warship ha,
east to so beyond the waters Of live
. That was the precursor of "
mighty feet which has ami. 6
! the two mightiest fleets of Ne,
! And all this naval progress
pan sprang out Of Commodore Z
3 morning call Of the Sunrise wo,
ON only fifty-one years ago. ma