Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-17
MODELS OF OBEDIENCE
American Soldiers Can Learn
From the Japanese.
FREEDOM FROM DISEASE
MEDICAL OFFICERS DIRECTIONS
scRUPULoUsLY FOLLOWED.
Surgeon William c. BREASTED Writes of
His Observations Of the Navy
Of the Mikado.
FREEDOM FROM DISEASE

Surgeon William c. BREASTED OF the navy
has made an interesting report of his OBJ
servations of the operations OF the med
ical service OF the Japanese navy during
the recent war in the far east. He says
| that the Japanese, in building UP their
medical service. have drawn largely from
| the Germans to some extent from the
| English and French, and much less from
| the Americans. The people are intensely
| patriotic. Unparalleled discipline exists In
the army and navy. Their soldiers are
| models of obedience-'if men are told not
| to drink, they obey; if they are told by
| their officers to take care of their bodies,
| their clothes, their selection of food, they
! follow implicitly their Instructions This
accounts for the freedom from disease
caused by careless living, added to which
the Japanese have the advantage of pos
sessng a national characteristic of clean
illness.
Officers Of Superior Intelligence.
At the head Of the affairs of the nation
are men of superior intelligence and edu-
cation. Again, 1t is recalled that for near
ly ten years the Japanese have been pre-
pairing for the struggle, organizing, study
ing. planning, drilling and gathering stores
in large quantities against the war which
was certain to come with the result of the
preparation that things move on in Japan
almost smoothly though there were
no war going on" Surgeon Braisted con-
tinues:
''They have the method of enlistment by
CONSUMPTION, but this Is supplemented by
a most rigid physical examination, and no
weak or impaired personnel is allowed.
Thus, they start with forces in perfect
health, with a personnel not tall but
strong, sturdy, intelligent and active, men
| who are accustomed to but few luxuries,
| al, D-fIr mar,
air. whose bodies have not been under
mined by alcoholic excuses, men quiet in
demeanor, but determined, active and
capable. These are the circumstances tina.
have added so materially to the wonderful
campaigns of the japanese.
Americans Can Learn Obedience.
What. then, can we in the navy learn
from the Japanese in the present war?
First, and most important, discipline and
unwaverlng obedience to Instructions. Thes
Japanese officer as rule commands the
respect of his men; they look up to him
and follow absolutely his directions. The
Japanese officer is dignified, but approach
able, and his demeanor toward his IN
feriors is kind, interested and tolerant
THE American recruit is, as rule,
bright Intelligent and loyal, but extremely
difficult to control especially in matters
affecting his own person. He delights IN
doing all sorts of daredevil tricks that
only too often end disastrously; he will
drink water from almost any source, a
ditch or we'll by the wayside; he delights
to forage, and commits all sorts of fntes
| final excuses and errors. In these things
he Is a law unto himself. and only long
training and much experience tend 10
change the aspect of his character.
japanese organization is good, but IN
| theory not superior to our own; but prac-
tically they excel US on account OF their
absolute adherence to orders.
The Hospitals Compared
There is but little else that we can learn
at this time from the Japanese. Their
hospitals are good for Japan, but fitted for
the care of the Japanese only. Their m
stitutions would not be at all satisfactory
to our people, nor indeed could they be
compared in any way with the beautl-
full and efficient hospitals that are SO
marked a feature of almost every city or
our states. They are especially fond OF
surgery, but it is largely emergency sur
gerry. They are gaining much experience
and have much practice during this war,
but there is little of what we look upon as
higher surgery. Abdominal surgery does
not flourish; there is but little of it being
undertaken.
THE medical corps of the Japanese navy
probably excel us in pathology and bac-
teriology. They always have at each m
stitution extensive, well-equipped and act
lively working laboratories. They take
much interest in the work. and 1t is easy
to predict marked success shortly in ex-
detrimental work of this character. The
Japanese navy surgeon takes his profess
sion very seriously and Is hard and intel