Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-02-09
UNTOLD
HORRORS
OF WAR
War Correspondent Tells OF
the Darker Side of Rus
sian War

after day, making little wooden DoAeS
These boxes were about six inches
square and two inches deep. Day after
day I passed the place and the carpen
ters arc always busy, always making
the little wooden boxes.
At first I looked at them idly, then ]
became curious, and when the whole
shed was filed with these little boxes
! decided to find out what they were
for. l asked a japanese officer who
speaks English. He laughed:
"Those are for the transportation of
some Of us back to Japan" he said.
| Then I understood. Those little boxes
were cofins. In them the mortal re.
mains of the soldiers who were to die
in the next great battle would be sent
back to Japan for final burial in the
old earth Of their own country. The
bodies of the japanese dead are ere.
mated and the only relics that are sent
home are bone from the throat, a
finger nail and lock of hair.
j had seen the heaps of dead in the
trenches on the Shu-Sham.Po hills. II
had seen hundreds of horribly wounded
men in the field hospitals, but strange
as it may seem, it was that pile of lit !
tie, plain wooden boxes that brought !
home to me for the first time the true
horror Of war. Think Of il for mo-
ment. Here in the plain sight of every
soldier that passed were these stolid
Cinnamon making eofins-for whomi
For that soldier on the platform per
haps or for one or all of that laughing
knot Of young fellows who are listen.
ing to a story a few yards away; per
haps for the officer yonder with the
gold shoulder knot, perhaps for a great
general himself. They might be for
any Of the men around, any of the hale,
hearty men, anyone in sight except that
sorely wounded man who is being care.
fully put on a train by his comrades
lie Is on his way home; it is for those
who stay that the little wooden boxes
are being made.
a few days after we captured the vii.
lage Of shi.Li.Ho and took M opr
here got my second impres.
sion OF the real horrors of war. Our
quarters are on the edge Of the vii.
'age and Just outside is a great plain.
across which the japanese drove the
Russians before entering the village
Four or 500 yards from our quarters
Is the last Of the Russian trenches
where there was very desperate lit I
iie hght, one OF those small incidents
ot the battlefield, scores of which 90
10 make up a big battle l walked ont
'n'o the field and seeing this trench
went toward il. As approached
Jaw just beyond the parapet a score Of
he wolf-like Chinese dogs that ipfest
4 N-+NNN AAANNk
he country. They were fighting n
vent closer and then suddenly mrno3
'Way In this trench the Russian dead
lad been buried. but the graves had
'een TOO shallow, l called the altar.
lon OF some japanese soldiers 70 tho
logs and when next passed that wav
Ia MM
ne a'r' had been headed up high above
ne parapet OF the trench.
oa one Of tAe last days Of the sybt
ng at the sa-Ho I went forward ,Ios,
.ehind the advancing japanese Bne
'nly half an hour before the Jansno.,
Aa moved out Of their shallow trsreh..
hFongh the town. Unexpectedly ~.
ame upon the trench. There son.,
ed do~n In the trench. his ride ae,,ss
he paraPet was Japanese sol3;.,
walked around the end OF the ,rsr.h
nd looked at him. There was a hale
mile on his lips, and his cheek was
gainsi the hu't Of bis ride. his ave a,
he sight But 80 the center az ~
arehead was "a tiny hole. Tbe,s -.
il'ng for ono OF those little v,,Jaa
oxrs '''u
! don know why IL is. but +, can |
Aialy IS fact that lot Of ds,5 ~,
'''s are not impressive, while a .,,.l.
Ne - on several occasions si,,a
ave 'ern With the army 2 have $40.
''"1 nau ocrs of dead meu. Al s,,
@" TO there were hundreds Of ,h.,
~ a. they bad fallen IN tbe trsB,h...
Tier the oeeupation OF shi.Ii.HoT.
'oFe than 1900 dead Russians IN
cap. faese did no, inpre., M. -
aH'a'ng bar curiosity. But wbs, 60
''aes across dead soldier In ~. -
''a somewhere an by hinself ~.
''''f cones I dout kuow What 4,
possibly d is ths lousliaes, ~ !,
70 'ss' 'aat one instinetivelv kr,w.
az 'le Feo' chap vAo lies tAsre ss,a
= saHe'ed By Aimsslf. Tar from h,,
,.-'' ans eomFAaeN wheu the sp..
'''' 'f ias wina Whistles arouna IN. |
's-sf q ne house Al nisht an. -,