The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-02-05

| swords In his belt, and the weapons
drawn were scanned sharply. In the
case Of the small boys. almost children.
who on their. twelfth birthday, a few
days before, had first girded on "the
living soul of samurai," and who now
saw solemn visaged and pompous elders
empty each sheath to scrutlnize the
blade, / was reminded OF a puppy heav-
lily muzzled and chained for the safety
Of the public,
Nevertheless. this incident gave Yam
agata, the incarnate sword Of Japan. the
avatar of the god OF war and mill
tarism, the opportunity, he had longed
for. No democrat was he no lover of
representative government; later lie de-
veloped an almost frantic--yes, insane
hatred Of party. administration. He was
an imperialist first of all, an aristocrat
next and a militarist, even to reaction.
last and always. Emerging. from the
civil war; interfuptedly a victor, leader Of
the Imperial armies against the Shogun's
following, he would now; disarm .45c, 600
wearers Of "the soul of Japan repre-
senting population of 100000, privi-
legged persons. and relegate the aacient
symbol to the cabinet and the museum.
To-day the Fukuoka clans treasure
house. for example. has 5000 blades
that have thus far defied all purchasers.
The late Emperor Mutsuhito had 500
of the finest swords In his private col
lection. In later months in Toxic I
could have bought an armload Of swords
In. the great discard for one gold eagle.
Most of these killing tools went into
Kitchen and farm use. The tsuba and
ornaments Of blade. yhilt. handle and
scabbard. epitomes Of Japan's art. wit.
fun. humot. symbolism and folk lore.
are now in the curiosity hunters
collections. y ,ss-.c: rs
What boots 1t to tell the rest Of the
story, except in outline? No expert
sword grinding shop being open at night,
three blood stained blades were finally
detected on the persons Of their own
ers, and those three knelt at the blood
Pit and were beheaded. according to the
code. with their own swords! and the
blades were then broken. Later looked
on the four foot square blood pit In the
Yedo and Toxic prison yard. into which.
according to the records, from 1904 to
1871 more than 10. 0Oo'heads had fallen.
Did the samurai resent the loss OF
their swords as required by edict? They
did But Yamagata was a strategist.
The privilege OF wearing swords was
given also to the common people, even
the vulgar folk who paid taxes. Within
year the two projecting hits, symbol
Of social privilege. gentlemanhood and
non-taxpaying class disappeared from
the girdle of every samurai. Only very
old gentlemen in the country showed
some relics of former day by wearing
for year or two longer the long sword.
What was the object OF the disarma-
ment Of these persons in one class? 1t
was the fivefold armament of united
nation. Duels. vendettas, street brawls,
rival clan fights. once 50 common, viz
tually ended. No oneacould have q war
all to himself. The four classes below the
knights or gentry made the new army,
I'm 1877, when Satsuma arose In re-
bellion, 1t was the highly paid. expert
swordsmen. selected out of the van
quished clans Of 1865; who had old
scores to SETTLE who became the real
victors. They probably more even, than
the Imperial infantry or artillery. met
the insurgents with flashing crossed
swords and established the Imperial
authority. ~ d. ~ .s....( -.
or Yamagata's career az Commander
in Chief. Field Marshal In Manchuria,
diplomatlst, traveller In Europe and
America. Premier twice.. bitter Halter Of
party government reactionary, virtual
keeper of the Emperor--the, institution
as well as the individual--the world
knows. To-day his faults are forgotten.
BY seeming paradox the soldier was
a champion of one sort of disarmament
in order to provide. Japan with the
mailed fist that ended European agrees
sion, made her world Power and
ushered nnthe day of world unity. 4.
Beyond the telling this. most famous
OF modern, Japanese soldiers was stim,i-
lated by the example, of tho United
States in .burying as rapidly as possible
the hatreds and divisions engendered by
civil strife. The writer of this sketch
knows this, because no less n parsonage
than. Hatakeyama Yoshinari. Japanese
chief director of the Imperial University
in. 1924, was sent by Yamagata to
this former Union soldier to inquire into
the spirit and action Of President Abra-
ham Lincoln. which spirit and action
were followed In both fhs: years mon
toned. above and In 1871 after two
civil wars. !, -..4'~.s s.,l...-
To-day the bronze statue. of saiso.
once the archrebel. stands in Toxic.
Yamagata, though the incarnation Of
the sword OF Japan, in reality. as seen
in the perspective of,history. was the
past master in constructing that inward
unity Of all classes in Japan which has
made her record Of fifty years equal in
its .splondors Of success to that of any
J Western nation. : 49,