The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-01-20
WARRIORS AT PLAY.

WAkklUkS AT YLAy.
The nrst anniversary Of the victory
OF the Yalu was celebrated By General
kurokPs men In q most remarkable
manner, which, says a 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 60 to Japan,
they brought japan to Manchuria. A
whole corps that had been In the field
for more than year set out to create
in bare valley overlooked by bare
hillsides an Illusion Of japan at spring
tide, all green and park-hke.
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
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-fiye feet long, which had cotton
crescents for it's scales. A mile away
the illusion was excellent, especially
II 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-fy on the next hill-a dragon
fly with wings fifty feet long and beat
en-out rati0n-meat tins for its gigantic
eyes. You had to do the same in order
to realize the Big Lion (propefly spell
ed with capitals). The holes Of his
nostrils, some fifteen feet wide, were
made with mating. Their heshy part
was soldiers red blankets, for he was
a fierce japanese lion. just now in q
red fury. His name was made Of
evergreens on the summit Of q rocky
escarpment. Five hundred yards away
more evergreens were formed into a
flashing tail.
General Full, tho chief, and tho 9TH
er members Of the STAFF entered into
the plan Of the effects and tho organi-
cation Of the fete with the same gusto
with which they have outmaneuveyed
the Russians on many fields. Young
forests Of pines and Of wild cherry
trees were literally <transplan+ed. and
walks and arbors set among them. A
gentle slope was leveled for the ap-
proach to the altar. Beyond 1t q statue
Of General Kuroh on horseback
good imitation Of bronze-looked down
on the scene, with hanging iris gar
den at his feet FROM the altar led
two avenues provided with con-
Quits where they crossed gullies-lev
eled with as much care as II they were
meant for generations traffic instead
Of days merry-making.
One Of the avenues led into the lit
tie village Of Piau-chi-tun, which had
been Kuroki's headquarters since the
Battle Of Mukden. It had q garland
ed bridge, a huge evergreen arch, and
what takes the place Of an arch in
Japan, a tori, which in this instance
was formed of Chinese mating COW
cred with cotton cloth. Lining both
avenues were alternate pine and cher
~ 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 il as the sands Of the
desert, had sprung little japanese gar
dens, such as you see from one end of
Japan 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 IL that It
Is as natural for the soldiers Of the
Japanese army to do these things as
It is 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 Manchuria, was turned the
next day into scouting the dead spaces
In front Of the enemy's works and to
desperate charges In the night
Believes Heaven FILLED With Men.