Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-07-28
One Of the Most unassuminQ Men
TO be Found Aboard a
Warship.
WHERE he WON HIS SPURS
Never Strikes Until He is Ready, and
Then Strikes to kiIl-War
With China.

ing him Fighting Bob" He has dem.
onstrated his right to the title of one
of the worlds greatest sea fighters.
He won his spurs in the Chino-Japan.
csc war, in which he fired the first
shot and participated in a number of
bloody battles. Cool, collected, reserv-
ed, undemOnstrative-th is little Of
the bluff old sea dog" about Togo.
Rather he is the scholar in action,
with every needed information as to
his profession at ready command, pro-
foundly versed in the strategy of nav
al fighting and using the murderous
weapons of modern warfare with
stern, quiet, resistless deliberation.
He strikes when he is ready-and
then strikes to kill. He has absorbed
and understood the truth of General
Sherman's ,1ictum about war, and fer
vently believes it is best and most
merciful to get over with as soon as
possible.
Is small, Stoo9y wan.
Admiral Togo is a small, stodgy
man, but wiry and tireless. He is So
years old, and, like Oyama and Nogi,
is of unattractive, commonplace ap-
pearance. He is not of princely or
noble birth, but is a simple gentleman,
a samurai of the great Satsuma clan,
as so many of his fellow officers are.
His senior in rank, Admiral Count Ito
(not to be confused with his name
sake, Marquis Ito), who was in chief
command in the navy during the
ChinO-Japanese war and is now chief
of the naval headquarters staff in To-
kiO, is also a Satsuma samurai and
formerly the whole Japanese fleet was
differed and manned by the Satsuma,
in the same way that the japanese
army was drawn from the Choshu
clan
Nowadays neither navy nor army
is entirely given over to these, the
two most powerful of the clans of ia.
pan, but many men from all over the
empire are to be found in both ser
vices. When Togo entered the navy
however, it's whole personnel was Sat
suma.
Educated in England.
Admiral Togo received a great part
of his education at the British nava
college, Greenwich, where he Wen
through the regular courses of in
struction current some 80 years ago
He thus understands a good deal O.
the history, training and traditions
of the British navy, and he has
brought the knowledge thus acquired
to bear on his own with excellent ef
fort. Returning to Japan, he was EN-
ployed in various capacities.
In 1894, when war broke out be
tween China and Japan, he was il
command of the Naniwa, a cruiser o
1850 tons, one of the vessels com
posing what was then known as tn
first flying squadron OF the japanese
navy. During the war he greatly dis
tinguished himself and earned the reI
utation of being a first-class fighting
man.
Began War With China.
It was in connection with the ep
sode of the sinking of the Kowshin
that his name first came into WORLD
wide prominence. At the time som
adverse criticisms of his action wer
heard, but these died away on fulle
knowledge of the circumstances. Tn
story reveals something of the cha
acter of the man.
1t was in the year 1894 Thong
there had been no actual declaratio
of war, it was evident enough thu
Japan and China were about to figf
over Korea. Warships had been a
sembled and large bodies of troop
were either on the field or were on tn
way to the scene of conflict. Tn
Kowshing, transport vessel fiyin
the British flag, with British capital
and crew, and carrying some liz
Chinese soldiers for Asan. was me
by Togo in the Naniwa, who signale
for the transport. by firing two blan
cartridges. to stop, which it did.
Thereafter a Japanese lieutenar
went on board the KOwshing with
peremptory order from Togo that tt
transport must proceed no farthe
toward its destination, but at once a
company the Naniwa to the main j
panese fleet. Captain GalswOrthy
the Kowshing was willing to ODE
these orders, but not so minded WEI
the officers of the Chinese forces {
the vessel; they Immediately raise
A great clamor and threatened Gal
worthey.
Seeing what was occurring. To.
sent a boat to bring off Captain Gal
worthy and his crew, but meanwhi
the disturbance and confusion on Il
Kowshing had increased. and the CT
nese prevented them from leaviI
the steamer Some time then passe
and at length Togo signaled Gal
worthy to take one of his own boa
and come over to the Naniwa, but II
British captain was not allowed
the Chinese to do so. For four hOu
Togo stood off in trying to save hi
and his ship. but, finding there W;
no chance of this, he at last ordert
the red flag. which announced tn
he was about to fire, to be hoisted.
Sunk by one Shot.
A few moments later well directt
shot from the Naniwa struck the e
CINE room and penetrated the hull
the Kowshing. which soon afterwal
filled and sank. AS Galsworthy ar
his men leaped over the bulwarks
the transport into the sea they WEI
fired on by the Chinese. Togo
once sent ont boats and rescued
many as he could.
In this way Togo began the Chin
Japanese war. His countrymen hay
never forgotten the part he he pla
ed in this episode.
"Togo?" they say: lit was Tos
who sank the KOwshing."