The Southern Mercury. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 24, No. 19, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 12, 1904 Page: 7 of 8
eight pages : ill. ; page 24 x 17 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
0\
Cbe Veteran Generals 50bo Lead the JVfthado's Hrmies
RUSSIA may have her Kuropat-
Un, her Llnevltch and her
Stoessel to throw into the
campaign in the far east, but
Japan can pit against these a long line
of generals who have seen an equal
amount of service and have won as
many victories. In fact, most of the
Jap commanders have participated in
three fierce and successful wars—that
of the restoration in 1868, that of the
Satsuma rebellion, led by the renowned
Saigo in 1877, and that fought with
China in 1S94-95. If it is objected that
these triumphs were only won over
the reactionary element of their own
population and the inefficient Chinese,
it is equally true that the Slavs have
only been successful against the deca-
dent Turks and the half savage hordes
of central Asia. It Is probably true
that ICuropatkin is better known to
western nations than any of the fight-
In^ men of Japan, but Is this not due
rather to geographical contiguity than
to superior generalship? If Japan
were as near to America and Europe
as Russia would not Yamagata, Oyama
or Nodzu have a renown at least as
great us that of ICuropatkin? If. any
one has doubt3 upon the matter let
him road a record of the exploits of
these men.
It i;? not probable that Field Marshal
Yaf.mgata will go to the front in the
present war. He is very old and In
feeble health. But as chief of the su-
premo council of war he will have a
very considerable part to play in order-
ing the campaigns. Yamagata, at the
age of twenty, when a force of 20,000
men invaded his home province defeat-
ed them with 2,000. He bore a distin-
guished part In the war of restoration.
He was tjie man responsible for putting
down the Satsuma rebellion. He was
an important figure in the Chino-Jap-
anese war. He was often at the head
of the war department and prime min-
ister. He negotiated the treaty with
Russia over which the present war is
being waged. He is the military hero
of modern Japan.
Second to Yamagata is Field Mar-
shal Oyama. He is a member of the
supreme council of war and chief of
•the general staff. He is about sfxty-
one years of age, Is tall and stout and
a man of very gentle and kindly dis-
position. He is a Kagoshima samurai.
Thus from youth his trade was fight-
ing. He served in the war of the res-
torations afterward took a three years'
military course in Europe, bore a con-
spicuous part in putting down the Sut-
suma rebellion, served often as min-
ister of wur and chief of the general
staff, was promoted through all the
grades unlil he reached the highest—
that of field marshal—commanded the
second army of invasion in the Chino-
Japanese war, taking the difficult forts
of Port Arthur and Weihaiwei and,
whether in the field or the cabinet, has
always shown himself a man of sound
judgment and of the highest skill as a
military tactician. The Chinese con-
sidered Port Arthur and Weihaiwei
impregnable. Yet Oyama with an army
yt only 30.000 reduced both strong-
holds, and the scientific precision with
which he carried on these campaigns
excited the admiration of military ex-
perts the world over.
His most notable traits are benevo-
lence, geniality and calmness in the
face of danger. His humane disposi-
tion is illustrated by an incident of the
war with China. Noticing some Chi-
nese prisoners shivering in the cold and
sleet, he pointed to them and said,
"They are men," and at once gave or-
ders that.they be placed under shel-
ter. When it was reported that there
was no shelter- available he directed
that his own horses be taken out of
their stable and the prisoners be placed
there.
Marquis Oyama Is not In the best of
health, and it is possible that he will
not take the field in person, but at any
rate he toill have a very active part in
directing the course of the war, aud
the man In active command. After
Yamagata was recalled because of ill
health Nodzu again became the su-
preme head of the army invading Man-
churia, now increased to 45,000 men.
tlclan, but exclusively a fighter, ben-
eral KukIzu for some years past has,
been engaged in teaching Japanese of-
ficers American and European military
tactics.
There are five full generals In the
Japanese army. The other four, three
of whom are in the field, are Kurokl,
Katsura, Sakumu and Oku. Kurokl Is
another Kagoshima samurai. His age
is fifty-nine, and he is a man of vig-
orous constitution. He is one of the
coolest and bravest commanders and a
other Imperial troop, after which he
whipped the insurgents tbat had be-
sieged him. That act gained him such
fame lhat he has been steadily pro-
moted. •
The present prime minister, Katsura,
also bears the rank of general, but be-
cause of his official position Is retired
on half pay. He was Nodzu's right
hand man in the war with Chlnu, re-
ceived his military education in Ger-
many and is u first class soldier. He
has been a very successful premier,
however, and It Is not probable that
he will be permitted to relinquish this
post to go Into the field.
General *8akuma commands the mid-
dle division. He performed brilliant
service In the war with China.
There are a large number of lleuten
ant generals, chief of whom at pres-
ent Is Baron Kodama, vice chief of the
general stuff. He was second in the
war office during the Chino-Japanese
war, later being war minister and gov-
ernor general of Formosa. He is only
zteut.
Field MarjeuU Mktxv*
fx
General
h
&an. ~Ma,goa.)ca.
J/'
j9<xr-ai% JCotXame*..
when the rigors of winter are ended
he may go to the front.
After Yamagata and Oyama, the most
distinguished soldier of Japan Is Gen-
eral Mishizura Nodzu, who is already
with the arnfy on the march. By many
Nodzu Is regarded as the greatest Held
commander in the Land of the Rising
Sun. He is the same age as Oyama
and, like him, is a Kagoshima samurai.
At twenty-five Nodzu was a captain in
the war of the restoration and five
years later was made a colonel. In 187C
he represented his government at the
Philadelphia Centennial exposition.
While in America he took part in a
campaign against the Indians. The
next year lie was made a major general
and assisted in putting down the re-
bellion of Sttlgo,-. JCine Years later he
accompanied Oyama on a tour of mili-
tary inspection in Europe and Amer-
ica. Promoted to lieutenant general,
he commanded the first army of Inva-
sion in the Chino-Japanese war. Ya-
magata is usually given the credit of
having won the battle of Pingyang. but
there are some who doubt about his
having arrived in time to participate In
that memorable fight. At any rate,
Nodzu planned the campaign and was
and drove the enemy before hin\ across
lhat province, ending the campaign In
a blaze of glory by capturing New-
chwang after a hard fought battle.
At the end of the war bo was given
various honors, among the rest being
made a count and a full general. In
appearance this Ideal soldier is of me-
dium height and of very strong phy-
sique. In youth he was a wrestler and
all through life has been devoted to
athletic exercises and outdoor sports,
being fond of hunting and shooting and
having one accomplishment rare among
the Japs, that of being a good rider.
He has a reputation for courage and
intrepidity. He is in no sense a poll-
strict disciplinarian. Baron Kurokl of
late has attempted to organize the
much neglected Japanese cavalry.
Bat;on Oku is about fifty-six. Ho,
i too, is a samurai, but of the Olta clan,
i llo was a major in the Satsuma rebel-
j lion when he broke out of a beleaguer-
; ed castle with an Inferior force and ,
i succeeded in effecting a union with an- '
a little past fifty, Is full of nervous en-
ergy, making decisions with lightning-
like rapidity, and is said to be the best
tactician in the Japanese army.
Another lieutenant general, Terauohl,
Is the present minister of war. He was
a member of the board of .strategy dur-
ing the contest with China. Like Kat-
sura, he received his military educa-
tion in Germany. Because of their offi-
cial positions it is not probable that
eithef Kodama or Terauchi will tukc
the field.
Lieutenant General Nogl, who did
notable work In the taking of Port Ar-
thur arid Newcliwang from the Chi-
nese. Is at the front.
Lieutenant General Yamaguchl was
in command of one division of the Jap-
anese in the march of the allies on Pe-
king In 1900 and did conspicuous work
in the reduction of that city. He will
participate in the present war.
Another lieutenant general saw serv-
ffe in China In 1894-95. He Is Baron
Oshlnta, now In command of the ad-
vance guard that sailed for Korea some
weeks ago. There Is also another Gen-
eral Oshima In the present contest.
Lieutenant General Tachimt is now
in command of the eighth division and
Is reported at Pingyang.
The other lieutenant generals are
Nishi. Oseko, Okubo and lnouye. The
last must not be confused, however,
with the famous , Count lnouye, the
right hand man of Marquis lto.
All of these lieutenant generals, by
the way, saw service In the Chiuo-Jup-
nnesc war.
Russia lias a number of grand dukes
at the front, all of whom are members
of the royal family. Japan will also
have a prince royal in the field, Koto-
hlto Kanin, who is a major general of
cavalry.
Another man of princely rank who Is
now with the troops In Korea is Uen-
eral Sadatiuru Fushimi. He is one of
the younger officers, of whom much is
expected.
General Okura Is an older officer and
a man of great firmness and bulldog
tenacity. He Is also with the army in
Korea.
Major General Nagoaka Is one of the
chief artillery experts of the Japanese
empire, lie is In charge of that branch
of the service in the Yalu district.
Major Generul Kigoshl Is one of the
able commanders now in command in
the Pingyang district.
Another major general In the present
war Is of particular Interest to west-
ern readers. He Is Yasumasa Fuku-
shimu, who commanded the Japanese
troops and executed such brilliant
moves In Oie reduction of Tientsin in
1900. The skill as u strategist display-
ed by the Jap commander at that time
was such us to arouse the wonder aud
admiration of all the military experts
who witnessed It. Later Fukushlma
accompanied Yutnaguclti in the march
against Peking, where the little men
from the Land of the Rising Hun out-
marched the troops of the other allies.
At the end of a hard day's drive two
American correspondents, nearly ex-
hausted by the heat and the fast pace,
dropped into Fukushima's tent. The
little man was calmly pouring tea, dis-
playing no bad effect from the day's
work.
"We are very tired, general," said ono
of the Yankees. "You marched us very
hard today."
"Oh," said Fukushlma, with a laugh,
"you must rememhru- the Chinese are
very tired too. Wo are very hot. They
are very hot, too, and they are very
scared, and we are not."
It was this same Fukushlma, then a
major and military attache of (he Ber-
lin legation, who in 18!)2 started out on
| a 10,000 tulle tramp to Tokyo, crossing
I Russia, Siberia, Manchuria and Korea
, on the way and studying these coun-
tries at his leisure. It is for this reason
that he is now reputed to be so thor-
oughly acquainted with the theater of
the present war.
Those ure some of the men against
whom ICuropatkin will have to battle.
It is possible that in; will find them a
somewluit stllTer proposition than ei-
ther the Turks or the burbarlans of
central Asia.
THKODORH W. FAIHAN.
QUARTERING JAPANESE
TROOPS IN
Since the outbreak of the
Japanese war troops have •been,!
Into Tokyo, and In many inaU
has been found necessary to lodge
In the housoc of citizens. The mlk
soldier is said to be a well behaved i
M
SI
i
dividual t all times, and the resident*
of Tokyo are put to but slight lnc6n-
venience by having Johnny Jap billeted
ou them. The artist has made a sketch
of some soldiers in the act of seeking
admission to a private house.
PLATTEi) MAP OF PORT ARTHUR
HARBOR.
It Is reported that each of the ofB
cers on the destroyers that made tl
attack on Port Arthur was suppll
with a map of the harbor laid out It
squares, as shown In the cut. On th^i
map was marked the position of the
Russian battleships as fully as known
at that time. This illustration gives
some Idea of the scientific accuracy
with which tho Japanese plan their'
campaigns.
Characteristic Illustrations of the War In the East
FIRST DISEMBARKATION OF JAPANESE IN CHINA.
It might have been expected that the first disembarkation of troops in China
by the Japanese would have been attended with a pardonable amount of confu-
sion, but such was not the case. On the contrary. It has been designated as the
best organized military landing on record. On reaching, their destination, tho
beach near Yinkow (port of Newcliwang), the Invaders are said to have had ev-
erything ready at hand to carry their campaign to its logical culmination,
RUSSIANS LAUNCHING" A SUBMARINE AT VLADIVOSTOK.
he queer under water craft shown In this picture was launched In the
Kope that it might prove efficacious In protecting the warships of the czar or
in bringing destruction to those of the mikado. When this submarine was
Boated In the water It was found necessary on account of the Icy surroundings
to bring into requisition a novel method of procedure. The boat rested on the
tee, which was sawed all s opund it. With a comparatively slight push the ice
Meek was then overturned, as/ the submarine took Its position la the water.
A NIGHT PATROL OF THE MAN-
CHURIAN RAILROAD.
Because of the importance of the
Manchurian railroad to Russia's mili-
tary plans the tracks are closely guard-
ed day and night. To detect uny ob-
structions placed on the track for the
derailment of trains or other tampering
with the road Cossacks gallop along the
line at night with a powerful hand
searchlight, which they flash continu-
ously on the rails. Ill this way many
miles of road may be covered by one
man.
JAPANESE HOSPITAL BUILDINGS AT CHEMULPO.
As an evidence nf the fact that the Japanese are of a high grade of civiliza-
tion It Is necessary only to cite the fact thai In warfare they |my the strictest
attention to ail Red Cross requirements. In the days of the old samurai, the
warrior princes of the mikado's empire, the methods of lighting and the treat-
ment of the wounded of the enemy may have been conducted according to the
customs of barbarians. Now, however, all the amenities of modern warfare be-
tween civilized nations arc observed. The sketch shows the Japanese hospital
buildings at Chemulpo, where the wounded Russians from the destroyed Variag
and Korletz were received.
RUSSIAN CONCENTRATION ON THE YALU RIVER.
The above represents the gathering of the Russian troops on the north bank
of the Yalu, across the river from WIJu. Note the ever present Chinese cooly,
who does the work of the Russian In the far east. At WIJu occurred the first
land battle of the Chlno-Japanese war, ten years ago, and in this vicinity has
been the moat active concentration of troops In the present conflict. In the be-
ginning of the war the Russians put a large force In tae tewn Itself, which Is on
the south bank of the river, but it retreated on the approach ef the Japanese.
JAPS DRAWING ENEMY'S FIRE.
The seeming utter Indifference of the
troops of the mikado to personal dan-
ger shows that there Is some ground
for calling these men "the Spartans of
the «ast." The proverbial Greek youth
Who permitted Ills vitals to be gnawed
JAPANESE ARTILLERYMEN AT PRACTICE.
9
Kuropean arid American military experts who have witnessed artillery ma-,
neuvcrs in the Japanese army have been loud in their praises of the rapldlt)
and precision with which the little brown gunners handle themselves. In modern
Warfare the tendency Is to tight at longer range than formerly, so that the artil- t
lery Is constantly becoming a mure Important arm of the service. One difficulty
Willi securing good gunners among the Japs is said to he the poor eyesight that
Is a national characteristic. This obstacle has been overcome In a measure by
choosing for artillerymen only those with the keenest \lslon. The Japanese field-
piece Is tlie Arisaka twelve pounder, invented by General Arlsaku, the muster of
ordnance.
VIEW ON THE EAST OF KIRIN, MANCHURIA.
out rather than make a sign of dis-
tress showed no more stoical disregard
of pain than has been recorded of many
of the little brown men In the present
war. The accompanying cut shows a
somewhat hazardous ruse common In
the Japanese armies tbat Is employed
for the purpose of drawing the enemy's
fire and thus bringing him Into an en-
gagement with a larger body of troops
lying concealed.
On the Sungarl river, about 250 miles west of Vladivostok and over sixty. '■
miles southeast of Harbin, lies the Manchurian town of Klrin, which Is the cap*
j ital of the province of the same name. Klrtn, which Is at the end of a spur of
the Chinese Eastern railroad, Is a city of nearly 100,000 Inhabitants and an lm-
portant military point. It Is a beautiful city, many of the squares being nm.- '
mented with potted flowers. At one place the main street extends out
river, being built on plies. A great amount of timber is floated
In the shape of rafts, * group of which is shewn i% ttw
«*atieB. „ ... • . . a.,I, v-ilL
m
i*.
, ml
A-"
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Park, Milton. The Southern Mercury. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 24, No. 19, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 12, 1904, newspaper, May 12, 1904; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth186047/m1/7/: accessed July 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .