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MR. CARPENTEn AND TR1NCE TAMA G
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PRINCE TAMAOATA.
(Copyrighted, 1909, by Frunk G. Carpenter.)
3KIO, Japan. (Special Corre-
1 ipondrnc-e of The Bee.) Have
I I just returned from an Inter-
I I'lotw -&fth Tlrtrn Vn mn ira t ft.
one of tho greatest generals
and BtateBmen of the last half
century. What Von Moltko was to Ger
many and Grant to the T'nited .Statin.
Prince Yamagata has been to Japan. In
many respects he has been even more. He
was practically the originator of the
Japanese army, the man whose organizing
military ability has made it one of the moat
formidable fighting machines of the world.
The story of his life has been wrapped up
In the new Japan, and he and Prince lto
and one or two others are all that now re
main of the links which bind the oM feudol
times to the up-to-date live activities of our
western civilization.
Prince Taraacata In 1000.
It was at his homo in the suburbs over
looking Toklo that I met Gi-neral Yam
agata by appointment tills morning. My
audience, had been arranged thrmiKh letteis
of Introduction from Huron Takaliira, the
Japanese ambassador at Washington and
his highness was ready to receive me. His
on-ln-law, Mr. Bliuichl Hagiwara, acted
as interpreter, and for an hour the famous
general talked most Interestingly about
army matters and of the position which
Japan now holds as to the rest of the
world.
But before I give you the Interview let
me tell you something about how this great
Japanese general looks, and a bit as to his
history. He Is now 70 years of age, but is
as straight as an arrow, and his mind is as
clear as It was when, as captain of tho
Choshu Clan, he fought against the Slio
fun Invasion more than forty years ago.
Ha Is tall for a Japanese, Is slender and
wiry. "'I gentle and tiulet In his man
ner and conversation that one would never
Imagine that his life had been that of a
minister of war, an organizer of armies and
a general In command.
Prince Yamagata was born at Just about
the time Andrew Jackson 'eft tin j:erl
dejicy of the United 8ta?a. He lb
years old when Commodore Penv pre
sented the letters he b ought here from
President Filmore, and male the tuaty
which opened Japan to the world, and he
was a man of thirty at the time tiie em
peror was brought out of his seclusion to
ba the ruler of the new Japan. At that
time he had already mude a military repu
tation and soon thereafter he js ap
pointed major general and then minuter
of war. He was acti-.is us the war min
ister at about the time that (itr.eriil irant
ended hta term as president the I .lited
States, and after that held i.n w . iv a.i
well as military potltlor.s. He a.ded in
organizing the govcrmiunt. and has sev
eral times been at the head of It as pre
mier. He attended the cor oasilon of tho
czar In l&Ki, and ,hon brought back the
treaty with Russia, which gjes by his
nama. Ha waa tor a time comin mJer-in-chUit
t Uu axiuy of Japan In Ha war witU
im up m i jii;.-i' vy uy-HMPwi i.miii ! m
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Japan's Greatest General on
(7
ATA IN THE MATTER'S GARDEN'.
China, and was mndn chief of the" general
staff during the war with Russia.
Japan anil the" I lilted States.
With a record like tills one would imag
ine that General Yamagata would be an
advocate of military aggrandizement and
that his voice would favor the pushing of
Japan to the front as a military nation. I
did not find him so. When I asked him
whether there was any feeling hero in
favor of a war with the L'nited Statts,
he replied :
"No, there Is nothing of the klnl. We
do not want war with any u'.iion, end
most certainly not with our old frien l, the
United States. On the other-hand I chn
not believe that there is any aifch senti
ment in your country against our's.
We Japanese have always looked upon
you as our great and good friend. You are
a sort of mother country to us. Tim Japan
of today Is a child of America, it was
yon who opened our ports to t'le world and
It was f:om your teachers that we tcok out
first lesson In tiio arts of modern civiliza
tion. Throughout our new national life
you have always stood by us, and we have
felt that we could rely upon you. We feel
so now, and I cannot believe but that thu
general sentiment of your country Is
friendly to us.
Nation jf I'cace.
"Besides, continued his highness, "Japan
Is not anxious to be considered a warlike
nation. Cur military establishment was
created for defense and not for conqueBt.
We hope to continue our national life along
the lines of peace, not of war."
"But your military establishment Is so
large that other nations fear that you
may need to make war to occupy It. Do
you think a big army a necessity In these
modern times?"
"As your president has said, the best
guarantee of any nation against war Is the
fuct that that nation Is prepared for war
If It Should come. This we believe to be
the case and I see the United States be
lieves likewise, for It la now talking of in
creasing Its army and navy."
"Will the time ever come when war will
be done away with? When such peace con
ferences us that of The Haguee will settle
all international difficulties by arbitration
and conciliation?"
"Yes, I think so, but that time will be
distant. When all the nations of the world
are equally civilized and they have united
In their efforts to benefit themselves and
humanity as well we may be able to dis
pense with our great armies. I hope such
a day will some time come."
Fly Ins; Much lues In War.
"How about these new Inventions In mod
ern warfare? May they not be so terrible
that a small nation might destroy a great
one?" ,
"Yes, I ran Imagine Inventions which
would make warfare mean annihilation.
Some of the new explosives are terribly
destructive. T.iko the balloons and the
flying machines in which your people are
now so wildly rxrvrlnKMiling. If they
should be siiccessful they would ehanga
tho conditions of buttles and fighting. A
few such machines and sunie bushels of
dynamite might wipe r.ut an army. There
might be charges from the clouds which
the forces on the ground, however great,
could not resist. Inventions of that kind
would very likely put an end to war.
Yellow 1'oril.
"ITow ab ut the .1 .v p. ril. your htt-'h-tess?
Ts there not dntiger that the f'iilnse
may become a great fighting nation, and
thnt by combining with Japan the yel'ow
races may conquer the world?"
"There is no such thin,' as a yellow
peril." replied Prince Yama'ata, "and no
reason why Japan shonl 1 be associated
with China In the minds of the west. The
chief difference between the nations of the
west nnd curs Is that of color. We have
the Fame ambitions alone the lines of
Ivll'sation. fnd the s-me des'res toward
the betterment of mankind and of th?
world. There Is no reason why we should
be prt aside by ourselves.
"As to China," his highness continued
"what It will be In the future I rannot
rrcdlct, except to say that In the past Its
power has been greatly rvsirstlmated. and
that today It Is in no position to have a
war with any great nation. At the t'me
of the Chlno-Japanese war there was gen
erally supposed to be In the neighborhood
of l.tW.OOO troops in China. L.1 Hung
Chans had BO.OX) men, who were reported
to be well equipped and trained by Ger
man officers, mid he had alsi JiX,oiO sol
diers In the north. Upon Investigation we
found that a great number of these men
were enrolled only that their pay might
be taken by the officers. They had n)
existence except as men of ttraw, and botti
army and equipment were of a I w rrder.
It will be a long time before Chimi can
put a gr at army Into the field. As 1 Ioj!i
at It, the Chinese empire today has very
little strength in Itself, and Its existence
as a natijn and its preservation as sach
depends upon the treat powers of tha
world, who are interested in keeping It
independent."
"But can Chios ba wcsttmlzedT It IM
THE OMAHA
. -. , ..j-,. i-fiMalnnill
said to he now Introducing our modern
civilization."
"I do not know. It will probably change
in time. If It should have a strong em
peror, who would take the reins of gov
ernment into his own hands, it would he
as easy to change It as it was to change
Japan. The system of laws Is similar
throughout the country. The emperor Is
supreme and theoretically he controls
everything In his empire. The military sys
tem might be centralized and the taxes re
organized so ns to give the count iy a
revenue. If properly trained the Chinese
might become excellent soldiers, and with
almost Infinite resources of men and treas
ury a strong emperor could create n most
powerful army, in such a case China itsolf
might becom? what you cull a yellow peril.
At present, however, there is no danger of
such a possibility, although China in tho
ptst has hud two rulers of the present
dynasty who have governed the people with
a firm and capable hand."
llow .Inpnn'H Army W t rented.
The conversation here turned to the or
ganization of t lie Japunesu army, which
was largely performed by Prince Yama
gata, ami I asked him to tell me some
thing as to how it was done. He replied:
"In tho feudal times the imperial army
consisted of about 400,1X0 families of Slil
zuoka, or the followers of the daimyos,
who were the feudal lords. Each daimyo
kept as many retainers as his finances
would permit and, allowing two or threo
men to the family, the aimy of that day
had possibly as many as l.tKo.tBU men. This
included not only the soldiers, but thu sur
geons, treasurers and other officials. It
was In 1871 that tho system of conscrip
tion was Introduced and the reorganization
of the army began. It was first started
in a few provinces and thence extended
throughout the empire. The imperial
scheme was to organize a standing army
of 400,000 men, comprising six army corps.
This vii.s found impossible at the start and
a small army, of 40,000 was created. That
was about 1S73. At that time French offi
cers were brought In to train the soldiers
and for several years they were our chlof
Instructors along the lines of modern war
fare. "Then, after a careful Investigation of
the armies of Europe it was decided that
Opening: of Parliament an Historic Day
nvaTAKTixnpr.K. Dec. 18.
I Thursday, December 17, will long
I I be remembered In Turkey as the
I I ,lv whpn Turks And Christiana
assembled on ati equal footing
for the first time, thus achiev
ing a great event ln Turkish history the
opening of the first Parliament ln thirty
one years.
For weeks past there has been Intense
excitement as day by day the rrlous bal
lot boxes, little oblong tin traveling trunks
gaily decorated with flowers and ribbons of
red and white the .constitutional colors
were carried ln state to the Sublime Porte,
accompanied by regiments of soldiers, bands
and an enormous crowd. But tho opening
day. or'glrally fixed for November 14, had
to be postponed as all was not ln readiness;
tiie toe. iliers could not be elected in a
hurry, b- many of the voters knew nothing
f eh i ' Ions.
Kuiiiu: -i t;vated about the city that the
" VTHE CROWD ASSEilBLED
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SUNDAY ?,KE: JANUARY
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JAPANESE- SCHOOL. EOT SOLDIERS.
the German system was better suited to
our needs. We then introduced German
officers, and our tactics of today are based
upon those originated In Germany. In
lSf3 the army was reconstructed and In
creased to 2ot,iO, and In 1MM, aftc r the
Chlno-Japanese war, It was again reorgan
ized and brought up to oio.OuO. (Jn a war
footing It Is now considered larger than
that."
"What does your hiphnoss think of the
German system of military training?"
"I consider it superior to any other,"
replied Prince Yamagata. "It seems to me
perfect and I do not sue how it could be
improved upon."
"But does not that system turn the man
into a machine which makes him useless
in times of emergency, where he has to
uct for himself? I have always thought
that so of the German soldier."
"The German is a very uble soldier," re
plied Marshal Yamagata, "and the German
army, though nut as good, perhaps, us It
would be had it had practice in actual war
fare, Is a very well trained and efficient
one."
Schoolboy Soldiers.
Since this talk with Prince Yamagata I
have visited many of the schools to see
the material which Japan is now working
up into her soldiers of the future. Every
boy in the empire Is now undergoing mili
tary drill. The law provides that all the
schools shall he equipped with guns and
knapsa'cks, and the pupils nre regularly
trained by an army officer. Every school
has Its drill hall and exercising grounds;
and ruin or shine the boys go through
their marching. I see ihem In the streets,
tramping along with their guns on their
shoulders and their kimpsacks on their
backs. They are taken to see the army
maneuvers, and officers are especially ap
pointed to explain what Is going on. The
children are taught that It is their duty
to fight and die for their country, and
tiny have school songs in honor of the
heroes of Japan. Almost every school
teacher has been In the army at one time
or another, and there is a six-week service
which has begn especially created for the
teachers of the primary schools. During
tills time they are made to go through
ttm regular training of the ordinary soldiers
and are then disbanded.
sultan would not attend the ceremony, bo
a deputation of the Young Turk committee
of union and progress isited him and re
quested that he should. The sultan Is re
ported to have replied that he would go if
he wero well enough, otherwisu his
brother, the heir apparent, would go, and
with this they were forced to be content.
I'p to the last min.ite, until he was ac
tually seen upon the road, the question was
in every body's mouth: "Will the sultan go?"
It was proposed the other day that a
banquet should be given to all the members,
but as many of them, knowing nothing of
knives and forks, eat everything with their
fingers, the idea was dropped. Then the
president of the chamber hud to be chosen,
and It was decided th-it the honor should
fall to the oldest ivtmber. He happened to
be an old fellow from a small distant vil
lage, and he did not know what to do or
how to do It, so place of honor fell to the
next in age.
QX TUB MOSvltE OF BT. B0?U1A TO
17. 1D00.
the Subject of War
11
Aa an Instance of the patriotism of the
school children, during the war with Russia
subscriptions were gotten up by th-m to
purchase a warship for the emperor. Every
litllo one gave his pennies, denying himeelf
candy and toys, and the whole amounted to
many thousand yen.
Every Japanese a Soldier,
As It Is now every Japanese is a soldier.
Service In the army Is universal and com
pulsory. Every boy is expected to enter
the army at 17. although he Is not required
to perforin active service until he, is 20. He
then serves off mid on unt.l he is 40. At
the emperor's call the whole nation might
bn put into the field, although there are
some exemptions. The only son of an Indi
gent parent over 60 years of age may stay
at home, and there are certain exceptions
as to Japanese living In foreign countries.
There are a few young men of the higher
circles who have to serve only one year In
the ranks, ufter which they may be enrolled
as noncommissioned officers. Such men,
however, must possess an education equal
to that of the graduates of the middle
schools.
The service expected of every man Is at
regular Intervals from the ages of 20 to
40, and this service Is such that the greater
boily of the people may be made ready for
active war at any time. The number of
trained and partially trained' men available
at the beginning of the Russian war was
about 600,000. This was added to as the
struggle went on, and when the war closed,
notwithstanding the heavy losses, Japan
had more than 500,000 men in the field. I
am told that 600,C0 men could now bo
massed without trouble, and that within a
short time an army of not less than 1,000,OCO
could be cajled forth.
In addition to the many soldiers here
there Is now a garrison In Formosa, and
there are 30.000 or 40,000 men In Corea, con
stituting a permanent force of occupation
for that country.
Nation of 1'lntiters.
From this It will be seen that the Jap
anese are a nation of fighters, and that
In a war with them the whole people must
be taken Into account. Every man, woman
nnd child is n patriot, and every one es
teems it a glory to die for his country.
During tho war with Russia tho women
worked almost day and night to add to
Yesterday long before 7 a. m. we wero
awakened by the sound of many trumpets
and t lie tramp, tramp, tiamp of goldlciV
feet. Every one was up curly and we found
a gloriously bright, crisp day awaiting us.
Instead of the snow and rain we expected.
We had taken the precaution to secure
a card signed by the prefect of police so
we were able to drive ulong the whole
route, only having to show our permit
occasionally. Once an officer stopped us;
we slit wed him the card, written In Turk
ish, but he shook his head, puzzled over
It and was about to turn us off the route
when another and younger officer came
forward and, reading the card Immediately,
he suluted and allowed us to puss the
barrier.
There was a very marked difference in
the arrangement of the soldiers. In Pera,
the European quarter, from Ylldiz to the
brldgo the men were pluced in twos several
yards apait; ln SUmboul, thu Truklsh quar
WITNESS THfi OFENINO OF TVtlKXTU NEW PARLIAMENT.
i , . .
kPl'rl- MS'
V.T v 't. j.r.n,
PRINCE TAMAOATA'S
the army funds and they frequently ex
pressed their regret that they could not go
to the field. I hud a talk tho other day
with an American professor who has been
teaching In the Japaneso school at Shlz
tioka, one of the largest cities between
Toklo nnd Osaka, during which he gave
me an Instance Illustrating the war pplrlt
among the school girls. Said he:
"It was in one of our girls' schools. Tho
American teacher was discussing the war
situation. Some bad news had arrived that
morning and the teacher said she feared
Japan would finally be defeated. Upon this
one little Japanese girl burst out: 'Oh, no.
Japan will never be defeated, for when
the men are all killed we girls will take
the guns and fight for the emperor.' "
Japan's War I'ond.
"At the time of the war Japan had a
serious problem to face," continued the pro
fessor. "It had Its standing army of (100,000
men, who were nil sent to the field. Then
the reserves were called out, numbering
hundreds of thousands more. All of these
came from the ranks of industry. They
were taken from the farms unci factories,
from the workshops and gardens. The pop
ulation hero is comparatively small, and It
was a question how the war could go on
arid the factories not stop and the fields
not lie uncultivated. This question was
solved by the people Jumping in and sacri
ficing themselves without pay. The . men
In tho mills worked overtime to make up
tho loss of the force which had been called
off to war. In many casea their overtime
wages were given to the families of the
soldiers. The farmers, clerks and mechan
ics combined together to till the lands left
vacant. Often they worked n.t night and
sometimes together In gangs. The children
worked after school hours to help the fami
lies of soldiers, and in some places farms
ter, soldiers lined' the whole route, In some
parts two rows deep. Outside the British
embassy were men from Salonlca, Tripoli,
and Albania, standing ln twos, smart look
ing fellows and seemingly well phased with
their new uniforms and bright red fezzes.
As a company of soldiers was marched
up the two end men were ordered to fall
out and take up their position in a vacant
place, then the rest marched on a short
distance and another couple of them fell
behind. The Erthrogol lancers, dirty and
splashed with mud, were stationed outside
the ministry of war, while further on came
the fire brigade ln shabby blue uniforms
and tattered red helmets, all looking In
need of a wash and many officers un
shaved. On the bridge men were busy tying up a
rope of flags, and as we passed over an
old Turk was giving the finishing safety
touch to the dilapidated structure by driv
ing lu a louse nail. For the Illumination
n
and Peace
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HOME NEAR TOKIO.
were let out free to soldiers' f.c.vilies and
capital was subscribed for thorn. Ln one
village the families of the men absent at
tho wnr were given the monopoly of selling
matches a.nd soup, and In others they had
like privileges. Many landlords remitted
rent to such reople. and the doctors treated
their sick without charge. A relief associa
tion with a capital of JI.000.M0 wes tin n
formed to support the widows und orphans
of soldiers. The Red Cross society, which
was so efficient in the hospitals und on
the field, was supported by all the people.
That society lias l.OtO.Ooo member, und
one In every forty-five of the Japancsa
population belongs to It rnd has pleliicd
himself to pay tl.60 for ten years toward
its maintenance. The Japanese Red Cross
society wus organised with the idea at
paying the country's debt by helping its ,
soldiers, and It has done an enormous.
good." s
Small flotilla Owned In .in pan.
The money ruined for the war, while
some of it came from abroad, was largely
supplied at home, Tho action of the peo
ple ln this regard shows that the emperor
can call on his subjects for the last sen
In their pockets at the time of any national
struggle. Everyone subscribed to the bonds,
and they were made of such small de
nominations, with the payments bo grad
uated that tho poorest mon could Invest.
One could take a bond on the payment of
I2.S0 of our money. When they wero of
fered the peoplo rushed by the thousands to
buy them. Jinrlkisha men and factory
hands carried their savings to the bank
and men who were working for 30 cents a
day put all their little hoards lrto govern
ment securities, and tiiat largely from
patriotism and their reverence and lova
for the emperor.
FRANK C. CARPENTER.
in Turkey
I ; ......
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'MB
at night half a dozen lamps were fastened
to short poles on either side of tho bridge.
The enormous crowd now assembled In
tho n( reels was composed of ragged,
patched, rough-looking fellows all Intent
on making their way to the house of Par
liament, but moving along without any
enthusiasm, shouting or noise. We came
upon a long procession of students from
tho military college, young men and boys
fiom 10 to 20, slouching slowly along with
heads bent, looking like a gang of crimin
als being led to prison and having no In
terest In life. As we got close we tried to
make them Bliout; we spoke to them, but
they marched stolidly on In silence, car
rying their flags, and when one of tho
youngsters In front started a dirgelike song
the others Joined In mournfully.
Every window was filled with unveiled
Turkish women, whu had thrown up the
wooden screens which usually protect
them from the world and now looked out
with great wondering eyes on the moving
mass below. The grills aid walls of
mosques were thronged with men, and here
and there a group of poorer Turkish women
etood huddled together. Uu one narrow
street several hours befoie the royal p:o
cesslon passed, we found a couple of
benches filled with tiny white f rocked glils
decked out with green ribbons, the little
cieatures already shivering in their thin
frocks and blue with cold.
As we neared St. Sophia, the huge
mosque which overshadows the Purllanion
hcuse, the road was blocked with magnifi
cently d.essed officers, one of whom re
quested us to leave our carriage and walk
down the road somo hundred yards to our
destination, the terrace of a Turkish hou-o
immediately In front of the mosque.
Hera wa had a splendid view of tho whol4
scene; to the right the Insignificant
storied building In which tiie Parliament
meets and to the left the long roud lead
ing to it. The atalwart Albanian guard in
cream coloied uniform and red f . z was
auctioned on this road, at one point of
which several narrow streets joined. The
double lin of soldiers threatened to be
come broken by the surging r.d fezz d
mob which moved to and fro like a crimson
ea and gradually .oiled, us though be
hind forced forwurd thoso in front. Sud
denly a company of lancers galloped up
and it officers commanded everal of the
men to ride in among the crowd and force
it back.
For a moment we held our breath. The
hore kicked and plunged; men pushed,
fought and struggled to get out of tni
way; some clung to the horses' bridles,
while others dashed underneath. Soou a
pace was made around the soldiers, who
fell back Into their former position while
the eavalry rode around them to keep the
ground clear. , ,
Priests, hojaa and men In all manne,
quaint costumee swarmed like files n i
innumerable roofs ( the mosque, man
putting up umbrellas to keep off the heat
of the un. Branches of tree cracked and
(Cuntluued on Page Four.)
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