Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-03
WHERE JAPAN BREEDS SAILORS.
Sidelights on Nippon-Korean Straits
Good Hiding Place.

! rom tue fsil NHll Gazette.
From Nagasaki to the SImonoseki en-
trance OF the Inland sea is about nine
hours cruise. At least 1 remember leav-
ing NaEasakt about { pm. and passing
through into the Inland sea about a. m
Ii Is in that area where the Japanese
Swallowed the Russians and closed with
them. Nagasaki lies away at the foot of
green hills hidden from the sea, and any
ships attempting to pass into the harbor
without pilot would be blown to pieces
L don't remember having ever seen any
thing quite so smart as the naval men
about Nagasaki. Even an unimportant
little steam launch raced about with the
Importance OF destroyer 1t did not fol-
low that because a man was only deck
hand on launch his mission In life was
uuimpOrtant.
The deck hand just turned to and tried
10 make his little thirty feet of shipping
rs smart as flagship. Everything a year
ago was in order at Nagasaki, and L am
confident that they were ready for the
Baltic men. 4 remember staying up on
deck all night while steaming from
\agasakt to SimOnOSeki and can never
forget the beauty and grandeur of the
seas there. Even then the Nipponyiu was
watchful Twice through the night a
cruiser swept down on us and threw her
light across US. Then she raced away into
the night, probably to report our move
mentS- Far out YOU could see other ships
moving swiftly on the face of the waters;
and how on earth the Russian admiral
conceived that he was going TO pass
among those Islands off the south of
Japan uunoticed is something beyond the
comprehension of man.
The Korean straits are full of islands.
and those Of the coast of kinshin are in
habited by the men OF the fishing flats.
as brave and daring men as ever sailed
the seas. They will face all weathers In
boats that only look fit to cross the Ser
peutiue. The very cleanliness of these
give a Of 10 M "a
of these fisherfolk. l remember passing
hundreds of them, and they were all the
same picture of spotiess and scrupulOus
cleanliness This result has been brought
about by the ceaseless energy of the peO-
pie who inhabit them They are con-
stAGtly washing the boats down. 1t was
the sa me on these boats as on the Maya
S1ki launch Because the skipper only
had fifteen feet Of plnewoOd TO command
he did not Immediately become dissatis-
lied with his lot in life. but was just as
proud of his little craft Togo was of
his squadron. And so when the little ISL
and fishermen were called to the fleet
they were ready to do and dare every
thing. When they have finished fighting
they will go back and take care OF the
English who visit the Islands from
Shanghai in the holiday season.
People have wondered how Togo has
managed to be in hiding all these months.
hut among the islands in the Korean
straits there are many hiding places. And
what better spot could he have chosen?
We're there not thousands of brave lit
tie fishing craft moving about on the face
ot the waters there, each acting as a
scout for the admiral? Not a single ketch
could have passed through unnOtiCed.
Then there Is the mouth of the Inland
sea. about two hours away. and Togo
could have received ten thousand recruits
I'm less than tweuty-four hours. for the
Inland sea is as fun Of Seafaring men as
the Cornish waters are of mackerel. II
the car thinks he is going TO tire Japan
ont, and reduce her forces to impotence.
then the sooner he takes an excursion
from Nagasakt via the Korean straits and
the Inland sea TO Kobe the better for the
Russian people. Even Englishmen are ig-
nOraut or the mighty reserve of seamen
who live OF the Inland seas. Nothing
throughout tie country impresSeS one
more than that mighty aquarium where
I4pau breeds sailors