The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-10-03
WHY 1ApAN WAS VICTORIOUS.
Lower Mortality From Disease Than
Any Army Which Has Faced
Foe-Perfect Sanitation and
Well Equipped Hospitals.

wen 6QuppSo 1Aostaeoo'
Detroit, Michigan, September 2S.-
Major Louis L. Seaman, OF New YORK
was the central figure today at the
convention OF Military Surgeons OF
the United States, when he made an
swer to the criticisms of his utterance
made last Tuesday by Surgeon Chas.
F Stokes of the United States navy
and followed with paper on "Ihe
Real Triumph Of Japan" or "Ihe
Conquest Of the Silent Foe,'' in which
he reiterated many Of his former
statements and lauded che Japanese
government for it's conduct Of the SAN
itary and hygenic phase OF the late
war. Two executive sessions Of the
convention were held during the fore
noon, at which it was said by mem
hers certain utterances attributed to
Dr.. Seaman in an interview in an
evening paper here last night were
considered. DR.. Seaman was quoted
in the interview as saying that cele-
brated American woman physician
was regarded by the Japanese medl-
cal department as a monumental null
sance. Although officers OF the as
sociation refused to discuss the execu-
tive sessions, it is said by members
that it was decided to drop the mat
ter. DR.. Seaman having stated to the
second closed session recently that
he had not been talking for publ
cation when the statements objected
to were alleged to l1ave been made.
AS a result of the feeling engendered
;by the controversy between DR.. Sea-
man and his critics, DR.. Seaman at
the conclusion of his paper today
rendered his badge of membership
and resignation to the secretary, if
it was desired. DR.. Seaman's paper
was as follows:
'Mr. President and Gentlemen:
The success of Japan in the recent
conflict with Russia was due preeml-
nent1y to three fundamental causes:
First, thorough preparation and Or
ganization for war-such preparation
as was never made before; second, to
1he simple, non-irritating, and easily
digested ration of the Japanese troops,
and, third, to the brilliant part played
by the members of the medi:al pro-
fession in the application pf practi-
cal sanitation, the stamping Out ofpre-
ventable diseases in the army, there
by saving it's units for the legitimate
purposes of war-the smashing of the
enemy in the field.
1T must never be forgotten that in
every great campaign an army faces
two enemies: First, the armed forces
of the opposing foe; second, the fat
greater silent foe, disease.
"Of these enemies, the history Of
warfare for centuries has proven that
the first kills 20 per cent. Of the total
mortality in THE conflict, whilst the
second kills 80 per cent. This dread
full and unnecessary sacrifice of life,
especially in conflicts between the
Anglo-Saxon races, is the most ghase-
ly proposition OF the age, and the
Japanese have gone long way to-
ward conquering or eliminating it"
Record for 200 Years.
Major Seaman cited tables of sta
tistics Of battle records for 200 years
showing that there has rarely been
a conflict in which, at least four men
have not perished of disease for one
from bullets. He continued:
"But the crowning piece of imbe-
eiiity was reserved for our late war
with Spain, where more than ten were
needlessly sacrificed to ignorance and
incomptency for every one who died
on the firing line or from bullets.
This, toe, in the short campaign Of
six weeks
Cali of these statistics were studied
with minutest care and detail by the
Japanese. Their authorities recog-