Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-09-25
A Spartan, Trained For War,
He Was Unsparing of
Himself and His
Men.

' NHAN SuA>AAC Va oCACA0l NOuAI
Nogi and his wife on the occa-
sion of the funeral Of the late
emperor Mutsuhito of Japan,
strange as it sounds to western ears.
was. after all, in keeping with the
whole life and character Of the man.
In all that he did, in what he required
Of himself no less than Of those who
served under him, the dead soldier
represented sterner age and more
self forgetting principle than are COM
mon under occidental civilization. He
was samura born. and as samurai
he died. carrying out to the last ex-
IRENE that devotion to the memory
of his master which is summed up in
that curious doctrine Of Bushido.
The man who could hear without re-
pining that his two sons had been
slain in one battle and could order
through all the long months Of the
siege Of Port Arthur wave after wave
of his gallant little soldiers to certain
death before Russian guns and bay
onets was only carrying out the teach
1ngs Of mis- creed when he refused to
survive the monarch by whose virtues
his own military glory had been won.
Count Maresuke Nogi was born in
1S49 a Choshu samurai and was
grown to manhood before the great
Japanese awakening. His birth des-
tined him to the profession Of arms,
and like a Spartan lad the whole of
his training was directed to train him
in hardihood and valor. When he was
only fourteen he was studying the art
of war at the capital of the lord OF
the Choshu, and to fit himself for the
service of his superiors he set himself
to subdue every natural desire. He
schooled himself to disregard pain,
to think little of personal pleasure.
even to seem Indifferent to his own
family, and above all to scorn the fear
Of death.
With this end in view, he tasted for
long periods, Travelled barefoot on
frosty mornings and took long jour-
neys in the fiercest summer heat. 1t is
even said that in order to harden him
self to the sight Of blood he attended
executions and dabbled his hands in
the blood of the victims. So it came
about that when the Satsuma rebellion
began he was one Of the SterneSt OF
the fighters. He was in command of
the Fourteenth regiment and before
the revolution came to an end had been
twice wounded severely.
During the period in which Japan
was preparing herself for the great
struggles which have raised her to a
front place among the nations General
Nogi was studying the art of war and
imbuing himself with all that modern
science could add to the wonderful
training in hardihood which was his by
racial tradition. During the Chino
Japanese war he was in command OF
the First brigade and took part in an
attack on Port Arthur which was aft
erward to be the scene of his great
military exploit. The place was then
nothing like as we'll fortified as it was
by the Russians, and it's defense was
feeble in comparison with the resist
ance of General Stoessel. but it is q
fair superstition that when Japan
crossed swords with its northern neigh
Dor it was the experience and the
knowledge that he gained in the earlier
war which partly caused General No
gis selection to assail the Russian
stronghold with the third Japanese
army.
Siege of Port Arthur.
The history Of the great siege OF
Port Arthur is one Of the most notable
In the history Of war. Nogi landed al
Petsiwo on May 4. 1904. and occupied
Dalny four days later The communi
cations of Port Arthur with the nortl
were thus cut. and from that time OF
the grip Of Nogi on the fortress bega1
to tighten. The actual investment wa:
not complete before July 80, but To-
two months the Japanese commands
had been skillfully driving the Russian:
back and resisted successfully every
attempt of Stoesse] to break through
his lines.
1t was not till the first day Of the