The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-31
JAPAN AND THE RED CROsS.
Mercy and ChiyaIry to tho Enemy was
Always Her Practice I'm war.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Str: HUI
manitarlanism In war. as the Japanese
| practise II. Is not n novelty with them.
They have taken up the Red Cross usages
and propa ganda with an enthusiasm
J hardly paralleled elsewhere, but the idea
of mercy to fallen foes. OF care for the
| enemy's wounded, of burial of the enemy's
| dead with proper decorum and religious
| rites. of perpetuating the records of the
| foes bravery as well as of their own,
comes to the Japanese strengthened by
centuries OF practice from the ancient
days of their martial history. Whether 1t
originally came in the train OF tho sam
ural chivalry or from higher national
source Is somewhat obscure but there II
certainly was.
In 1910 at the Kioto Red Cross Confer
ence collection of ancient documents
was exhibited which showed that the code
or mercy existed in Japan in the eighth
century. Many documents of later date.
similar In tone, were also exhibited. with
bilingual TRANSACTIONS. orders relating to
olden battlcfelds repeated this admonl-
ton. spare all who yield" with added
injunctions as to merciful treatment of
captives and as to the religious rites to be
performed. over their dead.
Indeed, the matter goes further. for n
common practice In olden times was the
erecting of monument sacred TO the
Memory OF Friends and Foes on bat
tleheld where questions had been put TO
the arbitrament of the sword. ON the
battlenelds of the Russo-Japanese war
handsome monuments to tho Russian
dead. built by the japanese, stand wher- /
ever monuments are erected to their own
heroes. as. for instance, at Liaotung.
Mukden and Port Arthur This comfy of
nations touches upon the other world and |
II should not he, nor Is It, lost upon the |
living
A. f.r no. u, IL, a.
Red Cross movement. but beyond formal I,
organization little progress was then /
made. In 1886 japanese delegates sat In !
the Geneva Convention. ON their return .
the National Humane Society was thor
oughly reorganlzcd and the Red Cross en- .
bem was adopted. At the fourth cnnven-
tion. held in Karlsruhe. 1887. Baron Tad
anori headed the Japanese delegates. aud
with Dr TaniguChi and Dr Morl gave an
exhibition OF how the japanese soldiers
had been taught to apply first aid to
the wounds of themselves and others, and
related how the Red Cross Primer had
been distributed through the army and
navy. The conventions interest in the
exhibit. however was largely academic
because nj that time the japanese soldier
was an unknown factor IN big wars
The war with China. 1885. the Boxer
trouble In China I'm 1900. and the great
Russo Japanese conflict. l9OI-05, within
potent warrior entity to the world The
Red Cross institution. which started with
members shows to-day
roster of over l.J00 600 members and sub
scribers. twelve hospitals. two hospital
ships, 3,7S7 doctors. pharmacists and
nurses and its property is valued at over
sS.1j0.000. Its two ships, the Hakuai
Naru and the Kosai Maru built In Eng
and. run in times of peace I'm the Nippon
iusen Kalsha service AZ passenger car
Hers, but must upon weeks notice be :
turned over tn the Red Cross society.
they were well tried out I'm 1900. when
hey brought to Japan for treatment full
Dads OF wounded. not only Japanese but
French and Austrians from Taxa, out :
ide Tientsin. Its service includes proba- I
ionary as well certified nurses. at 7
endants. stretcher bearers and clerks v
The devoted women nurses come from all I
'ver Japan In the war with Russia they =
AIRED for the Muscovite wounded equally l
With the wounded OF Dai Nippon. i
on the same side with Justice and hui =
nanity lie the regulations promulgated by /
apan relative to shipping belonging to
nations. Instead Of instant
elzure of German vessels In port at the
rst declaration Of war. II was decreed tina, I
hey might proceed with unloading and
night take on new cargo not contraband
Z war and sail unframed at any time
inside of three weeks. Vessels arriving q
With masters ignorant of the declaration u
{ hostilities might do the same within =
wo weeks. Clauses relative TO cargoes a
we're dealt with In the same wholly be- "A
evolent way. Japan IL determined not q
o take one side only OF the benefits of a
ur civilization, but TO act kindly toward L
hose whom war has thrown upon her a
mercy. EpirH A. SAWYER !,
WELLESLEY. Mass, October rs. IL
-------- "A