The Minneapolis journal., 1905-10-06
THREE GREAT men
LEAD JAP ARMIES
How Three Great Generals Rule
the Japanese Hordes in
Manchuria.
BRILLIANT KODAMA
Is THE MAINSTAY
Stanley Washburn Writes Of the
Great Dependence of Oyama
on His Chief of staff.
Special Correspondence of The Journal.

Grand Headquarters Imperial Japan
ese Armies in Manchuria, Mukden, Aug:
Is, l905.-Mukden today is the home OF
the general staff and the great men
that make up the brains of the vast or,
ganization now in the field. The world
quarters as one of the busiest places on
earth, thronging with officers and hum
ming with activity. It,is, however, the
quietest place in Manchuria. The few
gentlemen in Mukden that are running
this war are having very quiet and
peaceable time. Surrounded by a hand
full of soldiers as their headquarters !
developments from America which shall
determine whether it is to be peace or
| war. .-.> '-..t.
The plans Of the next great battle, if
there is to be one, were made long ago. |
The necessary orders have been given.
The. generals commanding the various
armies have all been to Mukden and
have been assigned their respective
parts. They have returned each to his
own headquarters, where they in turn
have marshaled their division command
ers, who have in similar way been noti-
fed as to what they may expect to be
called upon to perform. 49,.
Checking Up the Program.
So the army waits The general staff
is arousing itself by quietly checking
up up the early q STAGES Of its program for
as they reach their destinations they
are reported in Mukden. Day by day
the general staff knows to man the
strength of every division in the field.
Already troops have left Japan to oc-
cupy the places made vacant, by the
casualties of another great fight. The
machine is moving. slow ly but surely.
!, the consulting expert. while a handful
of other staff generals are the oilers
who are slipping about the engine, lu-
bricating here and Tightening up
I screw or loosening bolt there.
In the meantime, Oyama is spend
ing his days in receiving reports on his
organization and in amusing himself
] with Kodama and Fukushima, horse
back rides with his staff and entertain
ments given to his generals help to
: while away the time.
] Of this great organization Oyama is
the bulk force, the great cohesive power
which binds the many parts to compre-
4 performs the functions for the armies
Z that the mikado himself does for the
component parts of his empire-holds
them together by the prestige which
1 his name has over his people.
The vital spark. the brains and the
creative energy which have been re-
sponsible, as most think, for the Jap
Z anese successes, are vested in one small
2 man-Genera! Baron Gentaro Kodama
. 1t is difficult for correspondent meet
a ing men in at best but superficial
way to form estimates Of their char
2 acters, and much therefore that is
written & IS in the nature atH q Of surmiset It
4 many months with an army in the field,
4 little by little one soaks up the atmos-
y phere and by degrees the personalities
y of the great forces that are controlling
q the army.
q Kodama Like Moltke.
81 General Kodama is recognized as the
Moltke Of the Japanese army. That be
"A is all of that no one questions. That he
y is much more than Moltke ever was
ID cannot fail to believe. He possesses il
mapS mRmSnt eenus a of aa& 59s great adGon GfFman
o shrewdness and brilliancy of intellect
IS in diplomacy which may some day b,
n classed with that of a Talleyrand
"A Tho comparatively young man
y for he is but. So, he is the creates
p1 force in the, Japanese army: When h
y general. Since then he has been pro
y NOTED to the rank of full general
o. Thruout the field of operations fro1
q the beginning Of the war until tn
"A present MON ent, at every point hi
D force and influence have been fell
"a tho not on the surface, perhaps. I
D for months. The foreign ambassador
a raised a fearful hue and cry. The JaI
" anese statesmen were appealed to fo
@ help. "Who is behind itY'' every on
a was asking. " Ito and the leading Ja1
q anese diplomats are doing all they ca
y to get us to the front.'
y Blocked the Correspondents.
Il Then it came out who it was ths
" had blocked the correspondents. K,
81 dana! He, then a mere lieutenan
a general, had received the entreaties (
y the leading statesmen with absolu1
= ataff,' he IS Said to have n replied %
y Ito himself. ct say the correspondent
Oh shall not go until I am ready. I a:
q not ready now. You have my answe
q If it does not suit, you can have n
D removed. I shall not CHANGE At Po
z Richard Barry Of the Chicago Dai
p News, it was Kodama, not Nogi. wi
"A low of my hand.'' In every great a
y tion it is always Kodama who stan,
, at Oyama's elbow. Kodama who a
b vises this, that and the other thin
a Nominally, he does as the marshal tel
a him; actually. Oyama depends upe
in this lies the strength Of the old
a and more famous man. Oyama, as '
y have said, possesses all the moral qua
% ties, the iron will, poise of iudgme1
M but, greatest of all, he possesses tn
y keen perspective which makes M
D. really great-the ability to see in othe
a qualities which he himself does n
y possess, and to give those men wi
D their greater talents, in their .speci
II field a free hand. It is, then, this co
y bination of the keen intellect and
y massive will Of the two men that ha
81 done so much toward making the Js
a anese army invlnclble.
A Man Of Magnetism.
g Kedama exercises fascination o,
a all with whom he comes in contact,
= the whole atmosphere around him fe
the magnetism Of his wonderful char
D ter. He is small Of stature. With clio
d cropped hair, white mustache and sh
a beard, he is in appearance as well as
"A character not unlike the great Cardi
y Richelieu.
@ Other Japanese are remarkable