New-York tribune., 1907-12-12
n JaDonese Soldiers Picture of
Wdr.
Var.

HUMAN BULLETS; : Soldiers Soldier; Story Of Port
fntroduction by Count okuna- Translated by
sao 3D. xvi. 20. Houghton. Mifain & CO.
LIFE OF JAPAN; BY Masuji Miyakawa. Illus
Sey York: The Baker & Taylor Co.
renanese lieutenant, twenty-five wears OF
20 crjnpIed for life in the opening attack on
-. Arthur wrote book with his left hand
,t,n,,an Bullets" reached its forty-first thou
II within a year of its japanese publication.
&c author received the unique honor of an
s;snce with the Emperor. TRANSACTIONS of
he ,zoiTne have been made into Russian. Ger
,,e, and French, and finally into English. In
.bis there is no cause for surprise. Human
,,,e.s' IS an extraordinary production. in the
e+ straightforward manner, with the vivid
noes of touch that belongs only TO a man who
GOES keenly and feels intensely, Lieutenant Sa-
,,rai gives an account of those episodes of the
russo japanese war-unquestionab the most
terrific conflict of our day-in which he person
arv was participant.
Could anything more forcibly illustrate the
supreme distinction accorded among the Japan
ese 10 heroic death on the field of battle than
this little description Of the authors departure
from home?
three times from the tower of the castle iIIrped
Go6ned cof 81 the es Of nv Uniforms bSe to the east
where the Great Sire resides, soleHnly read his
Proclamation OF War and told His Me lesty that
his humble subject was just starting 10 the front.
bsIeled Mhen fey NereZbefore the fam| shrine of Y
ancestors fer thrill going all through me- as If
they giving Inc a solemn injunction, saying:
.oesioTs eg rs v an act OF coWardice Nv family and
,ssfjves gathered AROUND me TO give me a fare
vel cup Of sake and to congratulate me on my
Don't worry at all about your home anairs-put
tions Fer your death your father is quite ready.
Add a flower OF honor to our family name by dis
finguished service TO the country This from my
s'Please sir. don't be anxious about This is
have 0Dly, dc take 5000 care OF your dehcate
When the time had come for me to start took
up and put the sword that bad been placed IN
dear @ had filed led and ss my 70 h@s ss wifs s
threshold no more
In this deliberate. even joyful. expectation Of
death there is nothing in the least theatrical,
7. is a sentiment shared universally throughout
the army Every man secretly or openly vows
himself to death in the high service of his Ern-
perer Over and over. as each battle IS prepared
for. the sacramental drink is exchanged by com
rades who expect never TO meet agaln-2nd VINO
separate with glad hearts. How was 1t, the
author asked himself shortly before the attack
tn which but for the devotion OF an unknown
friend he would have died on the field. how
vvas il that We were still alive after fighting one,
two three, already four battles, without having
fallen like beautiful cherry petals Of the battle
field? Surely this time 1 must have the honor
Of Offering my little self 20 our beloved coun-
tryr'
Isau,ensnt Sakurai is unsDaring in his pict-
,,res of the battlefield, with its heaps-moun-
ta,ns-of corpses; whole companies OF soioierS
d-opping In their tracks under the murderons
fire of the Russian machine guns. each OF winch
DISCHARGED more than six hundred bullets per
,n,,ute with a sound "Iike a power loom heard
Ia.a at night when everything else is hushed-
What saves these descriptions from belng uh-
besrable is lust this spiendor Of sef-deVotion on
fne mart of those who hurl themselves so Zero
,,o.,sIv a. death. IT may be a species of insan-
,tv. but unquestionably II puts its spell on the
reader And when he finds these same human
.-,a.sr exb,litinr tenderness in their treatment
20 belnIess enemies, treating all subordinates
wifi, the utmost consideration, porting at night
<or hours over photographs Of wife ana chlioFen'
rs,oscing to find themselves encamped IN 4 spot
where "sone lovable blossoms smiled Cthe Sol
diers put the forget-me-nots in their ou'ooh-
holes a reminder Of the dear ones far away
be wonders how 1t can be that in one personal
;.v s,,ch contradictory traits should De COM
bined
Doubtless the key is TO be founo IN tdo u@oP
rooted and proudly boasted acknowledgment OF
each son of Nippon that he belongs to the EN-
peror-is his property, to be done with as the
Great Sire wills. Take this paragraph, in which
there is certainly 40 suspicion Of cant:
Since We then, humble subjects, without any
snerial merit were thus recognized and encour-
esed nv Their Majesties, how could we SET az ease
Their Rfajesties' revered hearts? 1t Is haTd 10 re-
furn even one -thousandth part OF ihelr Iilfg. q
hot night of few days is nothing 10 & us; li9sd d
TTnperiaI messages simply put Us 70 shame aIl
caused US fear lest we might ran ce 70 IesSse
Their sTaiesties' boundless love ana induisessCe;
The spirits of those loyal and brave ones w2 oe1 @
tn hattie must have shed tears OF grautuoe Oh
hearing these gracious messages
Lieutenant Sakurais volume naturally gNeS
Us no explanation Of this ito Western mlno)
almost incredible devotion; we simply mo II
throughout an accepted fact. an IDEA that
Possesses him and al his race
Or Miyakawa in his Life of Japan, seeks TO
make this national trait. well as some others,
conprehensfbIe 70 an alien mind For such an
undertaking he has some unusual qualifications.
The first Japanese member Of the American bar,