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

uSilluu III every uluS else. NO DdtIlc
on the European field of war has been
fought more earnestly or with greater
ferocity and with happier results, for
there were no dead or wounded after
the noise of the guns had ceased and
the smoke had cleared away.
Trained From Cradle.
Japan Is a nation of soldiers. They
train them from the cradle. Hetaisan
is favorite game with the small boys.
Often the narrow streets are block
AIDED with squads of small, kimono-
clad figures-shoulders erect and with
tiny paper flags and wooden sticks for
guns, If not in the act Of fighting, be-
ing put through innumerable drills by
a small captain. They are put into
uniforms as soon as they leave kinder
garten. All government schools in
towns Of any size are military schools,
where boys get the training Of soldiers
along with how to read and write.
Every man must do military service
at the age Of twenty-one. They are
divided into four classes, according to
physical perfectness. First-class men
enter the army at once and do three
years straight service. Second and
third classes do several months of the
year for three years, then 60 into the
reserves, subject to be called out at
any time. Even the fourth class,
whose physical condition is far below
normal, get few weeks Of training
each year for three years. Only the
deaf, dumb and blind or physically dis
abled escape military duty entirely.
Well Fed and Neat.
The expense of the army to the gov
eminent is very small, considering its
size. 1t takes very little food to keep
them "well fed" A bit of beef is add
ed to the daily fish and rice when some
unusually hard training is being done.
In appearance they are neat and
clean. Uniforms much the same as
those of our own soldiers are worn
blue flannel in winter and khaki
trimmed in red for summer. Puttees
are worn with foreign" shoes, and
after never having worn anything but
straw sandals or wooden geta Except
for the few who were fortunate enough
to have attended military schools
where uniforms similar. to those Of the
soldier are worn) getting accustomed
to the foreign" shoes is not the least
Of hardships Of military training.
The regular soldiers are paid about
yen 1.50 Cor rs cents gold) per month,
for tobacco and spending money, ev-
erything else being furnished them.
To US this seems an absurdly small
sum, but In Japan, where the cost Of
living Is SO low, this seems to provide
very comfortably for the modest needs
Of the japanese, who have practiced
self-denial from infancy.
The patriotic spirit is absolutely ma
tional. It has been instilled into them
since Japan was nation, and is one
Of their most marked characteristics.
In the days when the old feudal lords
and daimios ruled the land, before the
restoration Of the emperor, and before
western civilization reached them,
when they had so many other things
to think of, it was even greater than
1t is now. For man to give his life
in defense Of his lord and master was
not only a duty, but great honor, q
thing which he would 60 out of his
way to obtain, for In this manner he
might bring honor and a great name
to his family which could be handed
down from generation to generation.