The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1905-04-08
OYAMA, A GENERAL
JAPAN'S GREAT FIELD MARSHAL
IS A MILITARY GENIUS.
Weighs 300 Pounds and Is Six Feet
TsII-Fias Tremendous Foreslsht-A
Practical Fishtsr-Has Been Mar
rlsd T~Ies-seeOnd Wife Studied In
United States for Several Years.

Marshal Iwao Oyama has earned the
title Of "the Napoleon Of the Far
East. 2 Il is doubtful IL a greater
military genius has pet come ont OF
that strange country.
Oyama comes Of fighting stock. be-
ing Of the Staanma elan and the de-
seeDdant Of centuries Of Samurai. Ira
dition gave him the instincts OF the
soldier. and his education developed
them. The japanese army Of today ia
largely Of his creation.
Unlike most japanese. the Marquis
0yama Is 4 big man. He Is ak feet
tall. broad Ehoaldered, deep ehested
and weighs 800 pounds. He il. in his
official relations. q man Of few words,
but In society most genial
He is a man Of tremendous foresight
always looking ahead and seeing
what will be necessary 20 do almost
~ II he had pFopbetic vision. he is
81 years old. and was about "a in
1865. when he took part in the war
for the restoration Of the emperor.
After that war he rose steadily in mill
tary rank, and travelled a great deal in
foreign countries. While be was min.
lister Of war be organized the japanese
army on = modern basis-organiEed As
IL is today.
There are many great soldiers who
are splendid organizers, bot not rs ae-
tnal fighters much use. Marshal
Oyamh IL not one Of these. He IL a
fine. practical fighter. as his cam
paigns against China and Russia
show; . magnificent and daring strHte-
gist and a man Of great personal bFav-
cry. He has the valuable faculty. OF
gathering about him men Of high char
aoteg and ability. Of inspiring them
and getting them 10 work together
without friction OyamR knows his
officers and knows how 20 place them
where they can do the most effective
WORK.
The career of oyAma has been an
active one, both IN war and IN politics.
His first active service in the field was
In 1888. when he Joined hia cousins.
the Counts Saigo. in leading the revo-
dictionary movement which restored the
mikado % the throne of his ancestors.
He entered that war a. q captain and
at its close was made ma jor general.
When the Franco. IN nssian war broke
out in 1870 be was sent by the emperor
10 observe H.
Soon after his return his cousin.
Count Saigo. rebelled. But OyAmA
remained loyal 10 his emperor and
commanded a division Of the army in
the long civil war which resulted in
the death Of 10000 men, including
saieO. In 1850 be became minister Of
war. and be spent the next 10 years in
perfectinR his army organization. In
1890 be was = full general. Count
YamaRatR being the only other man
with that high rank. He and Yama-
gaia had joint command Of the armies
that went 70 MAnchuria to fight the
Chinese, and when YamARata was in.
vAlided home Oyama was left in SUI
pTeme command. After q brief but
memorable campaign he took Port
Arthur.
The glory Of this campaign was due
to the percikion Of the tactics. the init.
mate knowledge Of the enemy q country
and the perfection Of the organization.
Had not the powers stepped in and
called = halt the victorious OyAma
would have swept on PekinR. But the
war was stopped and the powers man
aged to desPOil Japan Of the fruits Of
her victory.
The campaign was not lost, how
ever, for the knowledge gained In il
has proved invaluable 30 the generals
who have directed the war against
Russia. Besides giving them a per.
sonAl knowledge OF the country, IL
proved to them that the Japanese were
as good in the field a. on paper, and IL
also gave them the lessons in commits.
aAriat that can be learned only By 40.
tual experience in warfare
oyamA'a reward for this campaign
was the coronet Of q marquis and the
baton OF q Geld marshal
What his next reward will be IL Il
hard 70 say. he has risen now 10 the
very pinnacle Of military rank.
IL Marshal oyama's military chra.
ncteT II interesting, the domestic aide
OF his disposition IL thoroughly dslihgt.
ful. Not only 10 he a fighter, but he ID
= great patron OF the fine arts and one
of the best amateur art experts in
japan. His house, In a suburb OF
Toxic. IL externally like a beautiful
American home, with a splendid gar.
den laid out in thoroughly modern
style.
His Wife.
Scarcely less interesting % American
eyes than che marshal e his wife, the
girl who was known at vassar ~ SUITE.
matau Yamakana. During the IA
years CHE spent in this country she
lived At the hOIse Of the Rev. DR.
Leonard Bacon "a New Haven and Al
Vassar college, She came here when
IL years old and when abe returned b