Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-12-20

rience. I express their common
opinion.
In our down to- the-earth soldier
chats, we agreed that the essential
basic character of a people does not
change quickly through modern war
tactics and weapons change faster
than automobile models The jap
anese are naturally a military race.
Japanese 12-hour-a day factory
workers, men and women, still
swarm to the native movies to thrill
over the duels of old-time Samurai
warriors who strutted the streets
with a two-handed sword and a
short sword in their belts.
Fanatics as soldiers? Yes, and no.
The national Shinto religion is
military asset. The devout disciple
of the patriotic faith believes that
his spirit will look down on the pride
Of his parents and neighbors in hav-
ing had son killed in battle for the
devine emperor. But he must make
his death count. not lose his life in
vain. The measure of his eternal
bliss Is in the number OF enemy SOL
diers he killed before he was killed,
In Samurai Tradition.
Getting the jump without warm
ing at Pearl Harbor modernizes the
sudden downward flash OF the two
handed Samurai sword. The jap
anese are in-fghters just as the
Samurai was with his short sword.
To cope with the longer range
Russian artillery in the Russo-Jap-
anese War they noiselessly pushed
their short range artillery close up
TO the enemy positions overnight.
We have the report from Malaga
of how, with their two-man car
riers, they have pushed their points
forward into the jungle 10 open the
way for larger groups to advance.
AS soldiers the Japanese are as
interchangeable as ants. They do
everything in the military book, all
Vie =
The difference between our Occi-
dental and their Oriental outlook
was well illustrated one day when I
was nauseated by the sight and
smell of layers of Japanese soldier
dead being burned between layers
of wood. AS a soldier fre-tender
/ pushed in leg that was falling out
he grinned.
To smile and grin is in the Shinto-
Bushido cult in covering sorrow or
agony. But I wondered If the fire.
tender might not be envious of the
dead whose spirits were already
lowering over their homes.
No soldiers suffer more from home
sickness than the Japanese. The
ants want to get back to their home
hill. Despite the political appeal
for living room they do not emigrate
to Manchukuo where there is room,
or to their tropical colony of For
moSa.
Commander Was Homesick.
Along the line of inconsistencies.
recall how japanese division COM
mander after the terrific japanese
losses in the Battle of Mukden to
gain ony a stalemate, told me that
there must be peace To prove IL.
he summoned a group of his SOL
diers. All said they had had enough,
no more. But they had been fight
ing in a war that had lasted only
Is months
This is the background of the only
war Japan ever fought against q
Western nation, and that against
the inferior Russian Army under
weak Nicolas II. 1t is background
for the remark of an able young
soldier observer who said he thought
the present japanese army brittle.
That told it. There is not the
same faith, same stubbornness In
modern Japan as there was then.
AS for the suicide gallantry
think it is now about the same as
in other armies. Skobeleff, q heroic
general of old Russia, said 10 per
cent of all men were recklessly
brave, 10 per cent normally brave
and 20 normally timid An army is
built around the normal 10.
We do not lack the 10 per cent
necessary for the air or submarine
venture in the mortal obsession of
no thought but TO hit the target as
we have already shown.
The Japanese are still masters at
flfth-column tactics. In getting
politely down to cases with a Japa-
nese general 1 knew long after the
Russo-Japanese war I told him how
the Japanese study boys. shopping
about, interfered with good relations.
He said they were a nuisance.
Army Not on Rice Diet.
They got in the way of the trained
spies the staff had planted. One
of the plants" stepped out of his
shop as a Japanese officer to meet
invaders in the Philippines. If all
but one out of 1000 Japanese in
Hawaii were loyal that one knew
his business and had a memorized
code for transmission of vital in
formation.
1t is r. mistake to think the Japa-
nese soldiers fight on a rice diet.
They are fed all the meat available.
Once they get the British and Amer
leans out of the Far East they ex-
pect three square meals a day with
plenty of meat.
The Japanese Army is China
weary, but flush with new victories.
The myriad of soldier ants based
near their detectives have gained
these victories. The inevitable fall
of Hong Kong could be discounted
from geographical situation. When
asked about Singapore the answer
lo.y