The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-02-21
JAPS BRAVE
Cool Courage But Not
Rashness Disting.
uishes Them
ADMIRABLE QUALITIES

Ihey hght ike fanatlcs,' seems
to have become a stereotyped phrase
on the lips of all travelling Americans
in the Far East whenever they refer
to the remarkable feats at arms of
the Japanese.
My personal observations have led
me to the opinion that the origin of
the expression lies in the occidental
idea that the Japanese are semi.bar-
barrie race, with heather religion
holding forth to warped and misguided
intellects promises of everlasting re.
ward for bloody death.
Cause for the remark is more diff.
cult to discover, and it would be in.
teresting to know whether it is not
due, in some degree, to the patroniz
ing pride of the white man toward all
others not of his color.
Fighting fanaticism" suggests the
running amuck of the Mohammedan
who wildly, blindly kills in order
that for each thrust his future re.
ward in heavenly bliss may be the
richer.
There is no such spirit in the Jap.
anese army-absolutely nothing
Shintoism-the imperial religion, or
philosophy-is a reverencing of the
| emperor and of ones ancestors. 1t
| teaches that the highest duty of every
man is to his country. Buddhism, the
real religion Of Japan, is distinctly
pacific in its teachings.
What we do find in the Japanese
| soldier is love of country and a will
ingness to shed his last drop of blood
to preserve its honor and the honor Of
his emperor, Almost every Japanese
soldier knows the slogan of the lead
ers, I'VE are fighting battle for the
benefit of the world, for the open door
of commerce in the Orient" He be.
lieves that IL he fails the national
existence of Japan will cease. He
fights, not to pay the price of future
life in his own blood, but to preserve
that which is dearer than life, for his
emperor, for his leaders and for pos
terity-Japan for the Japanese. The
sentiment is one which has been hon
ored by us from the dawning of our
civilization.
The strategy, tactics and individual
conduct of the soldier are all against
the assumption of fighting fanaticism.
Perhaps no army has ever taken the
field whose movements were so large
ly on the lines prescribed for scien-
tific warfare. Grand strategy is
worked out to the minutest detail.
The tactics adopted have in view the
least sacrifice of life possible for a
given result.
No one has ever seen the Japanese
engage in such daredevil charges as
the British made in South Africa, for
example, where thousands Of men
went forward in rushes in the open,
speaking of them.
The carping critic might say:
"Humph! The Japanese learned what
not to do from the British"
The Japanese soldier often secures
his development and general align.
meht--if the advance is made in day
light-just ouside the zone of rife
the line breaks up irregularly, taking
to bitches, gulches, ravines, under
brush and growing crops-to any
and unless stopped by a bullet he
goes there. There is no fanaticism
in this intrepid but intelligent indi,
vidual bravery. The first line may
have to wait for second or a third
line of men before there is sufficient
strength for the final charge. 1t is
then that a wild rush is made over
the short intervening space through
shuddering rifle fire, and the japanese
soldier accomplishes the feat-hither'
to supposed to be impossible with
modern weapons-of a hand-to-hand
combat with fixed bayonets and club,
bed guns.
1t is true that Japanese officers com
NIT suicide when they believe they
have disgraced themselves by failure
when they are so cruelty wounded
that death will ensue, or when they
have been captured. This is a matter
of ethical training, a punishment self
inflicted to escape disgrace or TO end
useless suffering, II has no more to
cover which will hide the men. They
rush forward singly and in bunches
every man knowing approximately his
destination before the enemy's lines
do with religion than has the act OF
the defaulting cashier at home who
blows out his brains.
The word "cocky" implies AFRO.
gance and ostentation, qualities never
present--on the surface at least--in
the Japanese.
II "cocky" suggests that the Jap
anese have confidence in their coun
try and their future, that they have
personal pride and pride Of ma
tion, then perhaps no people are more
"cocky"-and exhibit it less.
No one has ever heard Japanese
officer assume boastful tone; on the
contrary, in speaking of the war, he