Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 January 1896 — THE MIKADO’S ARMY. [ARTICLE]

THE MIKADO’S ARMY.

It’s Rsmarkabl* Diaoinltne Surprised Foreign Military Men. The first official report on the character. conduct and equipment of the Japanese army, as shown in the recent war in the Orient, has been made public by the Navy Department. The report is that of Captain G. F. Elliott, of the marine corps, who commanded the American force at Seoul, Corea, at the outbreak of hostilities, and who, biter, had under his command the guard that was held in readiness for service at the United States Legation at Peking. Captain Elliott’s report says in part: "The quiet, soldierly discipline of the Japanese troops astonished all foreign officers who had the opportunity of observing them while disembarking, on the march, occupying camps near, or while billeted in cities not their own. In 1870, in obedience to an edict of tiie Mikado, the daimios mustered their samuri and each and all of tiie 2.000,000 hereditary soldiers of Japan laid by their swords in a day and the privileged class became of the people. The feudal system, which had defended the country, closed it to foreigners. made invasions and filled Nippon for hundreds of years with chivalry and oppression, ended. The country was defenseless, having neither army nor navy, but the progressive party immediately took steps to create both, modeled after those existing among enlightened nations. Army officers of good standing from America, France and Germany were employed to instruct, organize and drill the new defense, but no system was adopted until, from observation, tiie German was preferred, and the Japanese army is now modeled, with slight and suitable changes, after that country.

“Casual observers, though military men. are apt to credit the iron discipline adopted from the Germans with creating in less than twenty years an army thoroughly equipped, proficient in drill and possessing in the highest degree that discipline which gives unquestioning obedience and patient endurance, but these latter qualities already existed in the sons of the samuri, and soldiers not belonging to this class were leavened by them; besides. for the first time in the history of their country, they were allowed the privilege of fighting for her. These two conditions had more to do with their high standard as soldiers, in my opinion, than the system adopted. "Japanese infantry regiments are homogeneous physically; the men do not vary more than two inches in height, seven years in age. or more than twenty pounds in weight. In tiie field they are not burdened with overfleshy men. neither with the ‘faithful old soldier.' whose pride has outlived his strength. Forced marches did not leave a fourth of the regiment straggling in the road, and the endurance of the men could be counted on nearly as a unit. Undoubtedly, they are brave, but have not been tried in large bodies up to a demoralizing loss, although small parties on one or two occasions were cut off and fell together like true soldiers. Whether they will take a panic under heavy reverses is not known. They are fairly well set up, but do not show it as much as the regular foreign soldier; good weight carriers, but I believe slow marchers, although for short distances they get over ground very rapidly ’ on a trot, having what is known as good wind. Drill has in a great degree eliminated the native peculiarity of being pigeontoed. In marching they step too much from tiie knees, and do not move out from the hips; this. I think, is due from the nse of the kimona in early life.”