The new age. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1896-1905, 1906-01-20
WARRIORS AT PLAY.


S~~~e<~A~~~~A~~~~~~~~e~~~S
The first anniversary of the victory
Of the Yalu was celebrated by General
Kurokts men in a most remarkable
manner, which, says London Times
correspondent who was with the First
japanese Army, involved work nearly
as hard as that required to win the vic
tory. Not being able to go to Japan,
they brought Japan to Manchuria. A
whole corps that had been in the field
for more than a year set out to create
In bare valley overlooked by bare
hillsides an illusion of Japan at spring
tide, all green and park-like.
In Japan carp swim up cataracts-in
fables When they reach the top they
become beautiful dragons. That is
the national example of the reward for
perseverance which takes the place Of
the story of Robert Bruce and the spi-
der.
One of the brigades, as its part in
the battle of deception, built both the
carp and the waterfall. For more than
a mile, and then up the steep slope
which was the scene Of their compost
ton, they brought pine boughs to form
the sides of the channels, the over
hanging verdure of crags and of rocky
islets. The foaming torrent was made
by bolts Of cotton laid In waves that
half-submerged the leaping fish, sew
enty-five feet long. which had cotton
crescents for its scales. A mile away
the illusion was excellent, especially
If you half-closed your Occidental
eyes, which are always seeing scaffold-
ing and the prompter's box.
| You had to do the same with the
dragon-fiy on the next hill-a dragon
fly with wings fifty feet long and beat
en-out ration-meat tins for its gigantic
eyes. You had to do the same In order
TO realize the Big Lion properly spell
ed with capitals). The holes Of his
nostrils, some fifteen feet wide, were
made with mating. Their feshy part
was soldiers red blankets, for he was
fierce japanese lion, just now In
red fury. His name was made of
eVergreens on the summit of a rocky
escarpment. Five hundred yards away
more evergreens were formed into
flashing tail.
General Fulfil, the chief, and the 9TH
er members of the staff entered into
the plan Of the effects and the organi-
| ~ - %ha nj h. 70
with which they have outmaneuvered
the Russians on many fields. Young
forests Of pines and of wild cherry
trees were literally transplanted, and
walks and arbors set among them A
gentle slope was leveled for the ap-
proach to the altar. Beyond it statue
of General Kurok on horseback
good imitation Of bronze down
on the scene, with hanging iris gar
den at his feet From the altar led
two avenues-even provided with con-
Quits where they crossed gullies-lev-
eled with as much care as If they were
meant.for a generations traffic instead
of days merry making.
One Of the avenues led into the lit
tie village Of Piau-chi-tun, which had
been Kurokrs headquarters since the
Battle CT Mukden. 1t had a garland
ed bridge, a huge evergreen arch, and
what takes the place of an arch In
Japan, tori, which In this instance
was formed Of Chinese mating COW
cred with cotton cloth. Lining both
avenues were alternate pine and cher
ry trees, and set between them trans
parencies made by soldier artists. Ven
cradle Fujiyama, the most painted
mountain In the world, was there, of
course, and scenes both at home and
at the front
On the plain, out of the earth Of the
dreary kaOliang fields, whose never
ending stubble Is as the sands of the
desert. had sprung little Japanese gar
dens, such as you see from one end Of
Janan to the other. Miniature lakes
were set In miniature landscapes; and
fountain played among the beds OF
imitation iris.
The night before the fete millions OF
Imitation paper flowers, which had
been fashioned In the leisure hours Of
camp with the skilfulness of Partisan
shop-girls, were brought In great bas-
kets and fastened to the twigs Of the
transplanted trees.
The strangest part of 1t all is that 1t
ia as natural for the soldiers Of the
japanese army to do these things as
It Ia for them to fight. That same skill
which was devoted to making water
falls and paper flowers, that trick Of
ready improvisation which brought
Japan to Manchurla, was turned the
next day into scouting the dead spaces
In front of the enemy's works and to
desperate charges in the night