The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-07-14

ecdote related about passage be
tween French military attache III
Manchurla and Japanese staff officer
! Inc military attaches were disgruntled
over their treatment and the refusal OF
the Japanese to let them see the opera.
tions On this occasion the French off.
GER had requested permission to inspect
some Japanese field artillery, only to
meet with the usual evasion and delays
t1nauy, becoming impatient, he pressed
for a definite answer to his request.
But, suavely replied the japanese
ofncer, you must appreciate the vast
tary secrets"
Your secrets7 Boshl" exclaime cd
the French officer, his disgust for mo-
ment getting the better OF his manners
'As If you hadn't stolen everything
you have from u.s.
1t took considerable palavering, so I
am Informed, to span the diplomatic
gap caused by this blunt. if truthful,
pans major military and naval appli-
ances are directly taken from the West,
usually without any regard to patent
or copyrights.
Good Naval Material.
The personnel of the Japanese navy
is drawn from practically the same
sources as the army, but the conditions
are slightly different, owing to varia~
tlons In the two branches of the serv-
Ice. IT is harder to train a good man
of-war's man than to make a fairly
competent soldier, fact which is recog-
nizcd In most modern naval regulations
and eulistments. In Japan naval serv-
ice Is also compulsory, the minimum
term being three years. while, as In
most navles, special Inducements for
longer enlistments are offered. AS in
tho army, money bonuses were given
just prior to the war to retain expert
enced men In the service, with about
the same results. The perpetual exist
ence in Japan Of a large seafaring
population insures plenty OF good naval
ing modern naval service do not de-
mand a large number of "sailors' in
the old meaning of the term. An ac~
tive, clear headed boy of an inland
farm IS apt to make as good gunner,
or what not. as youth raised within
sight Of the salt water.
No Peculiar Advantage.
In Japan the human material is good
enough, neither much better nor worse
than the average run of such material
In European countries, and not so good
as the enlisted men in the United States
navy. But The problem which con-
lronts tne japanese admiralty is tho
same as elsewhere, the task of contiu-
ually whipping a lot Of green recruits
into an understanding of their duties
and developing competence therein; and
in tins it has no advantage over any
of its rivals for naval supremacy. The
present naval personnel has followed
very much the same course during the
last two years as has the army; which
means that probably not more than 10
per cent of the enlisted men saw any
thing or very much OF the war with
Russia. Any assumption that the aver
age Japanese is capable Of absorbing
or naval instruction more rap
idly than the average European or
American has, so far as / know, no
foundation upon fact.
AS to naval units, expressed in ships
.Japan's equipment on sea is by this
time tolerably we'll known, through the
numerous statements which have been
published, Much comment assumes that |
the equipment of the Japanese navy is
as efficient today as it was when the |
war with Russia began This, in Tea-
sou, must be far from the truth Aside |
from the wear upon the vessels and |
and damages sustained in |
actor, (Which may or may not have
been fully repaired), there is the vital
factor of armament. No modern naval
armament has ever before been sub
lected to such strain as was nut ND