The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-02-10
TUESDAY. FEBRUARY 10, 1912
BIG GUNS AT WORK

BIG GONo ~ WYNN
Dispatches from Malaga, where
British and japanese gird for the
final desperate battle for Britain )
Gibraltar OF the Var East. which
tell OF huge Nipponese shells drop
ming in the outskirts OF Singapore
CITY itself. sound unfavorable, but
ii is good TO know that this concen'
tration OF strength means rellet lot
Gen. Macarthur and his gallant
troops.
The Mikado's forces have moved
up their heavy siege artillery traln
in unusually quick time. The ar
rival OF the heavies, OF course, was
TO be expected, and was in TACT
predicted when the close siege ol
Singapore doomed as a possibility.
Big Jap guns being employed
against Singapore are probably CT
II, - and l6.2-inch caliber. The
Japanese army has devoted atten-
ton 10 these heavy howitzers for
40 years. In 1905 they used the H.
inch type, throwing a e70-pound
shell to batter Port Arthur 10 SUB
mission in their Russian war. In
1915. they used the heavier types
against the Germans, their present
allies, in the siege OF Tsingtau.
Against these the British are using
some Of the heaviest cannon in the
world, but long-barreled guns OF
totally different type.
Types Of big guns are not the
only point on which the British and
their japanese foes differ. In
equipment. organization and most
of all in character OF their troops.
the two opposing armies are sharp
" contrasted. Among the forces
of the British Empire are tall beard
ed Sikhs. long.legged Scottish
Highlanders and rangy Australians,
all members of the worlds tall
powerful. long-striding races.
The Japanese are among the
smallest races OF the world, averag-
ing about an inch over FIVE feet in
height and somewhere in the neigh
borhood of 100 pounds in weight
They do not stride, at all. Their
Characteristic gait is mincing
amble. There are two reasons for
this. First. they run 10 short, bow
ed legs. Second, they learn 10
walk in sandles secured TO the feet
by a thong between the great and
second toes. A man must mince
and shuttle to keep his feet in such
footgear.
Mentally, the British are indivi-
dualists from their youth up. The
japanese are perhaps the worlds
greatest collectiyists. In battle
they operate like a column Of fight
ing ants They will plod stolidly
through fire or water. Headed in
the direction Of certain death, they
swarm along emotionlessly 70 their
doom.
Spiritually, the Britisher 10 .
civilized human being. Hundreds
Of years OF Christianity and the
ethical training Of western Europe
has made him dislike in1icting
wounds and death on fellow human
beings.
The average Japanese soldier is
hampered by no such scruples. He
has the sayage's enjoyment OF an
enemys suffering and somethins
OF the savage's Indifference to his
own suffering.
From his earliest years the Jap
anese child is taught that he exists
only TO serve the state. The high
est form OF service Is In war. Every
japanese who dies in battle must
be enshrined in Yasukuni, the great
national shrine near Tokyo, which
guarantees his well-being in the
hereafter.
Indoctrinated with such a code,
Japanese have performed prodig-
les OF valor. At the Shanghai
siege. three troopers strapped
land-mines TO their backs and crawl.
ed under a barrier. lighting the
fuses that flew them and It TO bits
A tactic used on the Malayan
battlehelds Is an advance agains.
British lines by small suicide
groups. After several such groups
are shot down, the location Of Brit,
ish machine guns Is plotted and
they are subjected TO trench-mortar
FIRE which they have learned 70
effectively meet.
japanese soldiers before Singa
pore fight mostly in shorts and
rubber-soled sneakers. That make:
them a mark for the malaria mos
quito. Mortality from his disease
as well as from wounds is tremen
dous. Estimates indicate that y
costs about $3.50 TO make . Japa
nese soldier, about $4,000 to maxi
a British regular. This differences
is sure TO tell against the Japs de
spite their great number.