The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-05-16

both arms were in slings, his hands
having been shot away. He had not
had chance to wash his face for two
weeks before he was wounded. So
started in. But soap and water had
no effect on that accumulated dirt, so
finally had to scrape the man clean.
Then | cut his matted, bloody hair,
and when l got through the man was
weeping for gratitude. He could not
utter word of thanks-and when the
politeness of the Japanese deserts
him; he is in a pretty bad way"
A New Feature of the Army.
All this work was done by force
of only Al secretaries, the Americans
who initiated and largely directed it
being c. V. Hibbard, v. w. Helm,
George Gleason and G. S. Phelps.
There was an abundance of volunteer
help on the part of the soldiers, and
by military details officially appointed
The officers themselves freely CO.
operated. In the matter of outdoor
sports and indoor entertainments the
soldiers gave unlimited assistance
But the best friend of the secretaries
was the graphophone, of which the
men seemed never to tire. Now one
hears these machines at work day
and night all over japan.
Since the return OF the army, per-
manent Y. M. c. A. headquarters have
been established, by the urgent re-
quest of the army officers, at Liaoyang
and at Port Arthur. The governor
general of Lioayang peninsula made
personal subscription of thousand
yen for the continuance of the work.
At Port Arthur the military officials
turned over to the association and
agreed to keep in repair. beautiful
Russian cathedral to be used as Y.
M. C. A. headquarters. The most
active Y NJ. G. A. in the world was
probably at Dalny; as many as 10000
soldiers passed within its portals in a
single day. When the main army was
returning home it ministered to more
than half million men. One of the
Japanese secretaries of the associa-
tion has gone into rescue work at
Dalny, for, while the army was kept
absolutely free from these camp fol
lowers during hostilities, food of dis
solute women, recruited under the
most pitiable circumstances, has since
poured into Manchuria.
Touching the Nation Through the
Army.
The part that the army has played
in the modern religious history OF
Japan is more considerable than
would at first sight appear. During
the war the Christians were foremost
in visiting hospitals, meeting soldier
trains with refreshments and food,
and in preparing comfort bags" a
compact assortment of useful articles,
including a copy of the gospels. Some
10000 portions of Scripture were
distributed among the soldiers. A
small book of Comfort Songs for Sol.
diers" was compiled and distributed
freely by the missionaries. and it was
quite common to hear crowds of men
Justify singing these Christian hymns.
Not few of the missionaries did
nursing during the war, and in the
care of soldiers families and orphans
they have been conspicuous.
The value of this work as an ad,
iunct to the strictly military prepara-
tions were seen at Dalny where prac.
tically the whole army OF the Yalu
passed through the Y. M. c. A. rooms.
After the fall of Port Arthur the sol
diers expected to go home, at least
for a rest. They had endured hard,
ships of which the world has some
knowledge. OF the minor depriyations
the world knows nothing; one of these
was the inability to get through the
censor more than one letter every
month or two. Even then the paper
and envelope cost five cents, and the
soldiers pay for day was only three
cents. After the fortress surrendered
the soldiers thought these troubles
were over Instead, they were marched
across the ice, at temperature al
ways below freezing, to augment the
army at Mukden. En- route this dis
pirited army touched the Y. M. c. A.
It warmed itself, drank its fill of hot
tea, heard the old home songs on the
graphophone, and wrote letters, some
times $4,000 a day. This revived the
spirits of the men to a degree almost
inconceivable. They entered with
grumbling; they left with songs, as
sured that such a country which made
possible such an institution as this
had not forgotten them.
The consequence of all this self-ef-
facing, assiduous and effective minis
try to the nations soldiers has been
to establish Christianity on new and
more favorable basis throughout
japan; and should this soon come to
pass, as is predicted, national move
ment toward Christianity, this army
work will have been largely respon.
sible for it.