The Washington times., 1905-07-30

The general staff Of the army at pres
ent has more boards at work consider
ing military questions OF prime import
ance than az any time in its history Inc
success OF the Japanese in the Far East
has caused the activity.
Reports OF how the Japanese achieved
their successes are just now being re-
ceived by the general staff. Although
the war has been in progress eighteen
months It Is only within a month that
the American officers sent 10 observe
the operations of the Japanese army
have been able to send in reports that
were of any value.
Reports Suppressed
Before they had gained decisive vic
tories over their enemies. japanese com
rnanders absolutely forbade the send
ing Of reports that would be OF any
value. They permitted the observers 10
make reports on operations that did not
differ in any way from the general man
ner OF making the operations
Now that the japanese commanders
have driven the Russians to suing for
peace they are permitting the observers
to forward dispatches that give informa-
tion that make officers on duty here open
their eyes with wonder.
Reports from all branches Of the Jap
Gaese army have been received by the
general staff except from the engineers.
Major Kuhn is still in the field and IN
able to get through the reports that
viii be of worth to the American engi-
neers.
Observers Isolated.
So carefully guarded are the observ-
ers from foreign armies that it is al
most impossible to reach them. Major
Kuhn few days ago received the win
ter clothing which he needed last win
ter.
The delay is attributed TO the caution
OF the japanese and not to the fauIu-
ness OF their means of postal eommu
nicaton. They want to be sure that
parcels addressed TO or by American
officers do not afford the means OF
communicating to the outside world the
wonders they have been accomplish
ing.
The QuarteTmaster generals depart
ment is the one that has found most
to think about IN the reports from Man
ehuria The extraordinary mobility OF
the japanese troops, OF course, is a
fact which all the world has been spec
ulatlng about But the whole world
has not been able TO ascertain how the
catlike moves were accomplished by
men supposed to be weighed down by
the customary camp accouterments. am
munitiOn, and ordnance
Light Burdens,
The quartermaster' department has
satisfied itself that the japanese travel
extraordinarily light. They do not car
y as much weight as Americans would
in ike circumstances. They do not
carry half as much, as matter of
fact
Every piece of metal in a Japanese
soldiers carrying outfit is aluminium. He
carries an aluminium canteen, an alumni
mum cup and wherever metal is re-
quired In the way of buckles. that light
metal is used His haversack is made
OF lightweight materials. His gun is
lighter than an American soldier would
have to pack with him. Everything is
reduced to q minimum Of weight.
Because his general accouterments are
lightweight each japanese foot soldier is
able to carry intrenching tools; that IS,
a pick and shovel. That Is a fact not
generally known, and it accounts Tor the
comparatively small mortality on a
number of fields in which the Japanese
apparently fought without cover
Novel Intrenchment.
Examination OF the fields at Lao
Yang and Mukder show that on every
advance the Japanese army practically
intrenched itself. The first line OF skir-