The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1917-10-20

TT WAS gala day indeed in Akita,
beautiful city in northern japan.
Excitement prevailed where peace
and quiet usually reigned supreme.
The tiny, narrow streets were literally
lined with gay "rising sun" flags, and
the whole city had been transformed
with gay lanterns and bunting. At ev-
cry gate crowds of children and grown
ups, too, had gathered with an expect
ant air, for this was the first Of the
three days In which Akita was to en-
terrain, or rather, be entertained by
the soldiers. They were to gather
there from the different army posts
throughout that section Of the country
to participate in annual manuevers,
writes Lillian A. Wheat in the Los An
geles Times. ........-
Soon they began to pour into the city
from every direction, by every road,
some 5000 blue-clad men-some with
field artillery, some with blankets and
camping equipment, some with horses
and Red Cross wagons, some walking
and some riding, according to rank.
Many had marched over 100 miles. All
the morning they streamed past our
place, bound for the "enoba" (parade
ground), where they were to stop and
rest and prepare their dinner.
= At noon q few men, dusty and per-
spring from the long tramp, turned
in at our gate, to beg hot water of the
maid for their tea and hibachi Of
Goals over which they might smoke
while they rested and ate their lunches
of dried fish and rice, which they had
In small aluminium boxes in their
packs. The maid rushed In to ask per-
mission of me to serve the "hetai sans"
(soldiers), impressing upon me the i'm
portance Of the occasion. For it is
serious business with these patriotic
people. I realized something of the
pride Japan must feel In her soldiers
when I caught sight Of these sturdy,
bronze fellows who had stopped to
lunch under our. stoop. "Are you
tired?" I asked.
"Iie Okasan watakushi, domowa
Omoshirai." (No, honorable madam,
we do enjoy.) This expresses their
sentiment exactly. They may be tired
physically, but their spirits never flag
where patriotism is concerned.
Not Just cogs In Machine.
We had lived near the barracks
ever since our residence in Japan, and
had heard the air being torn to shreds
every morning and evening by buglers
in training-had heard the crack Of
bayonet practice day after day-had
seen squads Of soldiers pass in the
morning going on their long tramps,
or to do target practice, which was
held two miles out from town, and
return hot and dust-covered In the eve
Inings, but until now I had never felt
anything but an Indifferent interest in
them. It was surprising to find that
they were intelligent individuals and
not just cogs in great machine. I
began to take a real human interest
In them as I questioned them more
closely about the coming naneuvers.
Holiday had been declared, they told
me, along the route which they had
come. The roads had been lined with
Village school children shouting "ban-
Izais'' and waving their tiny paper flags
each with its conspicuous "rising sun"
lin the center. Likewise Akita was
trembling with excitement and would
turn out en- masse to match the ma
neuvers, for, they added with pride,
hardly house but has a son who has
done, is doing, or will do, military duty.
/ Japanese Troops In Action.
It was an occasion Of unusual inter-
lest, for these were the first maneuvers
in this district since war had been de-
tclared in Europe, and the public as
well as the soldiers were very curious
to see what new methods would be
used, and its curiosity was fed most
generously for the next three days.
We were lulled to sleep at night by
the popping of guns and awakened be-
fore daybreak by the roar Of the can
non, as the sham battles progressed
next morning. The city was taken and
retaken. Every hay stack, canal and
rice paddy was pressed into service.
The new trench and barbed-wire meth
DDS were tried out, for Japan must be
up to the minute In warfare, II she be