The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-07-18
Admiral Togo Of Japan Is Regarded
as the Peer Of All Sea Fighters
Who Arc Now
Living.
IDOL OF HIS COUNTRY
Man Who Destroyed the Russian Ar.
mazda Is Coming Over to
Visit the United
States.

! WASHINGTON, July 1s.-Admira.
/ Toga, of Japan, who will be the guest
OF the United States for seventeen
days next month, is regarded as the
greatest living sea-fghter In the
world today.
/ He bears the distinction of having
won brilliant, unqualified victory In
the greatest naval engagement of
modern times. He is the only COM
mander-in-chief in any navy who has
successfully directed Titanic con-
flict between great fleets of warships
of the twentieth century The series
lof victories of Admiral Togo in the
war between Russia and Japan, in
l904-05, eliminating in the battle of
the Japan sea,.were the justification of
the present type of sea-fighting craft
which has revolutionized naval war
fare.
Since the war with Russia, Admira!
Togo has held the position of Chief of
the Naval Staff of Japan, position
corresponding to that conferred upon
George Dewey, who is the Admiral of
the United States Navy and president
of the General Board. Togo is the
popular idol of his nation.
4 He comes to the United States from
England where he represented the
Mikado at the coronation of King
George V last month When the Jap
anese Foreign office preached the
i plan for the Nipponese naval hero to
visit the United States on his way
home from England, the suggestion
was most cordially received by Presi-
dent Taft and Secretary Knox.
Through the Department of State, all
arrangements for his visit are being
made, and the plans thus far decided
upon assure the distinguished admir-
crate receptions ever accorded a for
eigner by the American nation.
1 The tentative program for his visit
includes entertainments at New York,
Boston, Philadelphia and Washington.
The official functions will eliminate
at Washington, where elaborate prep
arations are being made. Dinners and
lunches at the white house, the home
of the secretary of state, and the
Japanese embassy are already decided
upon and other entertainments of a
semi-public nature are being arranged.
Admiral Togo will also go to Niagara
Falls, thence into Canada and to Van
couver. where he will take the steam
err for home
American naval officers and diplo-
mats who are acquainted with Admir-.
al Togo declare that modesty and re-
serve are his most striking character
listics. He IS described as man of
few words, almost never mentioning
his own deeds He is small in stature,
even for a Japanese, though stockily
built He wears a beard, which, though
trimmed close, almost wholly concealg
his features. He is said to be exceed
Iinglv simple in his tastes, and a man
delighting in his family, which con-
sists of two sons and a daughter.
Hunting is said to be one OF his ia
vorite pastimes when on shore. Togo
ia a member OF the nobility. with the
rank of Count. and bears the decora-
tons of the Japanese orders of the
Golden Kite, First Glass, and the
Grand Gordon of the Chrysanthemum.
He was decorated with the Order OF
Merit by King Edward.
Togo Heihachiro-it being the Gus
tom in Japan to place the given name
second-was born in 1S47, the son OF
nettv retainer of the Lord of ka-
goshima. one Of the famous mobiles OF
the Satsuma. In Togo's youth, the Sat
suma contested with the Shotgun. or
council. which surrounded the emper-
or the supreme power in Japan. The
satsuma we're famous for the military
prowess Of their young men, and 1t
was in the Satsuma navy that Togo
baean his career 1t was from the
navy of the Satsuma, victorious over
the Shotgun forces, that the Imperial
navy of Japan was created. The story
If Toeos career is coincident with
the birth and growth of the Imperial
Japanese navy
The young cadet had hardly entered
the Satsuma navy when he got his
first taste Of sea fighting. Strangely
enough. his first engagement was
fought against ships of the English
navy. which bombarded the town OF
Kagoshima, because of the attack up.
on some British merchants by the
satsuma. The Satsuma fleet returned
1.-THE bombardment. and young togo
stripped to the waist, passed ammunl'
ton to the gunners.
In the civil wars of the next few
wears In which the Shogunate was ov'
erthrown, Togo fought in many OF the
naval battles, but without special dis
Itinction. With the triumph of the en-
peror and the forming of nucleus
Of an imperial navy out of the yictori
ous Satsunia warships Togo saw his
opportunity. He applied fer and re-