Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1916-09-14
SOLDIER SPIRIT IN JAPAN
Boys Are Taught. From the Earliest
Age, Every Sort o. Military
Drill EXERCISE


Drill Exercise.
The wariike spirit Ia inAtilled into
Japanese boys from mere habyhood.
the FIRST presents TO them being toy
Samurai, armor. etc So says Con
noske Komai, distinguished Jap
anese writer. now In England for the
period OF the war. Continuing. In the
London Times. he writes OF these
boys: They have their own special
manlike festivities on May s. These
are enlivened by ags and BY Samurai
warriors. each bearing the celebrated
ancient crest OF the boys family. And
In their gardens are fixed long bamboo
poles, on which are hoisted carp made
of cloth OF paper. shimmering Ia gold
and silver, dappled and scarlet, a.
symbols OF warlike fortitude and read
mess to endure adverse fate with thu
calmness Of those brave fish.
These customs have been observed
In Japan for centuries, and naturally
we Japanese feel very proud II No
have more boys than girls In our Tam
lily. The festive opportunities are
seized by IN to make presents to our
friends whenever they rejoice at the
birth OF boy.
apart from these boys festivities
we celebrate on the same day tbs
great anniversary of the famous 'Yasu-
kuni Jinsha' shrine in Toxic. whore
all the spirits OF our officers. soldiers
and sailors are deified and w0rshiped.
For. as the reader may easily recall.
we Japanese are great worshipers az
our ancestors. to whom we really owe
our present existence and who ara
embodied In and represented by our
illustrious Mikado."
At the age OF seven boys enter tho
elementary schools and at the COM
pletion OF their six.year course, 1t the
age OF thirteen or fourteen they arc
entitled to enter this middle school
course. during which they have To un-
dergo the military drill exercises. the
favorite national games OF wrestling.
fencing. and tiu jitsu all being OF
tionai. Some cannot afford to enter
this course. Others 80 on TO college
and university. AT the age OF TWEEN
ty, whether rich or poor, high or low.
priest or no priest. comes the Ques-
tion of CONSUMPTION" says the writer.
whose treatment OF this subject Of
| universal service In affected by the
current discussions In England. for
he says that 1t is not regarded by tho
Japanese as heavy duty, but 40 .
glorious privilege.
Prior to the restoration IN Japan"
he says, military service was regard
ed az the honored privilege of the
Samurai class and priced az such.
The Samurai were our hereditary
warriors and enjoyed monopoly Of
all fighting. The system continued
until the abolition OF feudalism In
the country In 1868" Conscription.
proper, he SAYS, was really introduced
In 1872, and provided In principle for
the obligatory service OF all men, mar
ried and single, from eighteen to forty.
But In practice the states right was
| mover executed. even during the Chi.
no.Japan war. In 1896. or In the Rus
sian war in 1905. Then 1,350.0OO
men were mobilized In Manchuria
alone. Universal service. the writer
says. 10 individually priced by the
Japanese as an opportunity to each
| and every one to become q Samurai
| and to be allowed To fight for his a.
Their and mother. 1T never occurs
to u.s." he writes. ito call It com
pulsion. We regard 1t az q personal
shame or disgrace II we are rejected
through physical unfitness for the
army. We do not hasten to get mar
ried before we join the army. There
is no such thing as separation allow
ances, ETC., In japan"
But az Japanese are increasing ct
the rate OF 10000 year, there fire.
quently happens to be an enormous
excess OF candidates for military serv.
Ice and In such cases exemptions are
decided by lot. Apart from this the
only exemptions permitted are of only
sons OF aged parents more than sixty
years old whose maintenance depends
on them. and number OF liberal con-
cessions made to students and those
employed on special missions. The
latter are allowed to postpone their
term OF military service until they
finish their course OF study.
--
Maniike Teeth OF Ancient Ape.
DrNf A