The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-08-14
JAPAN THE LEADER IN ASIA

I valley of the shadow of DEATH
| The writer goes on to tell how the
| soldier on the battlefield finds the
| Bible his stay and comfort.
THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER.
1.-The night before the great battle of
Nanshan, a sergeant named Matsu.
wara was praying and reading, in the
rain, Psalm xxvii:3: Though an host
should encamp against me, my heart
shall not fear: though war should rise
against me, in this will be confident
A private named Ishikawa, who had
been very bad man but afterward con-
verted, through the gospel which he
heard at Hiroshima, listened to the SER
geant reading and was deeply impress
ed. During the great battle of the fol-
lowing day the soldier was wounded.
The sergeant went to his side and read
to him the fourth verse of the same
Psalm, One thing have I desired of the
Lord, that will seek after; that may
dwell in the house Of the Lord all the
days of my life, to behold the beauty
of the Lord, and to inquire in His tenn
iple' The wounded man rejoiced great
ly. and had read to him II Cor. iv:10,
II, 49, Always bearing about in the
body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that
the life also of Jesus might be made
manifest. For our light afflic-
ton, which is but for a moment. :.
while we look not at the things which
are seen for the things which
are seen are temporal; but the things
which are not seen are eternal"
| That was a faith that could stay him
| in his darkest hour. One church has
reported 242 members at the front
IAmong the japanese officers with the
| army, there are 81 from just one
Christian denomination. Many other
brave Christian men are with Togos
| fleet. Another letter from Japan says:
| ''But the Christian officer whose name
shines brightest in this war is Major
Akiyama. He is one of the heroes of
the battle of Liao-yang, though he did
not live to see the complete capture of
the place. AT point five miles out
side of Liao-yang, Akiyama's regiment
and two others met with such stubborn
resistance that the whole line faltered
and began to fall back. Akiyama pro-
tested that to retreat then would be
disgrace and might endanger the whole
battle. He called for volunteers to
Iidkc dIlOtHeT dllcHlpl OI Tie ISuSSldH
Notifications, and, while his orders
were being carried out, he was seen to
engage in silent prayer and then to
scribble a hasty forewell note which
was later found on his body. Then at
the head of his men he dashed forward,
followed speedily by the whole column,
inspired anew by the example of one
dauntless Christian soldier. Up and
over and through the wire entangle-
ments, and onto the bank, and into the
Russian trenches they went. and soon
were in complete possession
He lost his life in that brave as
sault. but because of his zeal and
Christian character his company was
called the "Yaso Chutai," or the Jesus
Company. The name of Capt. Akiyama
will be remembered as that of one of
the noblest Christian soldiers of Japan.
Just as Japan can turn out true,
faithful Christians, like these, so she
will be able to be real friend and
teacher of China. With a Christian
Japan, the leadership of Asia is in safe
hands.