A SILENT WAR.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1837, 25 August 1913, Page 10

A SILENT WAR.

JAPAN IN FORMOSA. EXTERMINATING HEADHUNTING- . A strange tale of Japan's silent war m I'ormosa against tho aborigines 111 that laud of camphor is told by Shinji Isbii, a Japanese, ill the "Asiatic Quarterly Keviow." "Tho conception of so-called primitive people with regard to the earth is ttally different frin tnat of their civilised neighbours, 'the lormer regard tho'soil with something akin to reverence, as their lives depend 011 Mich products as Mother Earth can supply, who is, they believe, protected by tho spirits of their ancestors. ' 'Tho wild head-hunters of North Formosa, who aro now offering a stubborn resistance to tho intrusion of Japanese civilisation, aro 110 exception to theso general rules. Sonic timo ago, when Count Sakuma, tlio Governor-Gen-eral of Fosmosa, paid a visit to the territory inhabited by tho.Taijal headhunters, 0110 of the chiefs of tho tribe declared arrogantly that 'tho .Chinese have ceded our territory to you without our knowledge, and 110 Japanese shall he allowed to step insido our own land.' Head-Hunting. These wild men, whose everyday life is shrouded and guided by various forms of superstitions, are apt to attribute the ravages of nature, whenever they occur, to human agency. If by elianco fcl.cy discover any intruder in their land, bo it a Chinese camphor-worker or a Japanese policeman sent thithor 011 duty, tho fato of such a 0110 is sealed, for ho is surely waylaid by tho savages, ond his head cut off. With this trophy thus secured, the wild men hasten to their tribe, and hold a least to appeaso tho agony suffered by tho spirits of their ancestors. This is one of t'lio principal causes of tho head-hunting reported in the island from day to day. "Tho Chinese settlers in Formosa,' who now number nearly threo millions, contrived various means, during their occupation of two and a half centuries, to dovelop tho ricli savago territory, where the production of camphor ranks foremost. The Chinese, whose racial energy as suckers of the soil is famous, denuded the mountainous districts of their home land. In. Formosa, too, whonovor they came in touch with' arable soil covered with vergin forest, this was entirely cleared, and 111 the course of a few years not even a bush or shrub remained.

When theJapaneso took possession of Formosa iu 1895 it was found that nearly all the northern, and a portion of tho southern mountain fastnesses, which cmbraco more than ono-half of the total a.rea of tho island, wero inhabited by bellicose and intractable wild men. Soon we found in them a formidable foe.

They wero not oidy a courageous people, but' armed ■to the teeth with sharpcurved knives and excellent ■ modern rifles. With, regard to tho latter arms it is difficult to iind anything similar in the neighbouring South Sea Islands. In Formosa nearly adult wild man is equipped with a rifle, which 110 holds almost as precious as life. The Communication Problem. "Since tho opening of the trunk railway line, which stretches from north to south in tho western part of tho island, rapid industrial developments aro evident, among which the sugar industry ranks foremost. But, curiously enough, tho eastern half was loft intact, and still maintains its primitivo condition, making a marked contrast to its civilised western neighbour. This is <;litrely duo to the lack of moans of communication, thero being 110 available' port alofig its cntiro coastliuo of nearly 150 miles. Here tho shore, which is washed by the rough and fierce Pacific current, rises abruptly from tho deep sot, so. that landing is ' extremely diflicult and dangerous at any time of I 'year.

"Since 1906 tho government has encouraged the immigration of colonists from tho Mother Country, and more than two thousand Japanese' have settled, up to the present, in thi» part ol tho island. Ifi tho meantimo possible meaus of communication botween tho two coasts is only prautioablo by land. This route must traverse tho central mountain range, consisting in several places of high peaks of more than 12,000 ft. iii altitude. Added to this natural difficulty, many powerful tribes' of 'head-hunters infest tho outskirts of the rango on both sides.

' 'The 'Plan of Controlling tho Savages,' as it is called an Formosa, was inaugurated ,in 1900, covering .1 period of five fiscal years, at a cost of 15,000,000 yen. 111 carrying out tliis plan tho resistance on tho part of tho savages follows in its train as an inevitable result, so.that at present much

time is spent in malnn gcampaigns in different places with heavy and costly !.sacrifices. But its ulterior object is the establishment of good thoroughfares in |'the northern district .inhabited by'tho head-hunters. Indeed, tho .construction of a good road as an entering wedge for civilising tho Wild'has already proved .successful among lull tirbes 111 tho Philippines, and among jungle peoplo in British India. The Guard Line. "Tho northern savago district, which is at present a scene of fierce guerilla wars; is surrounded by tlio 'guard lino' extending nearly 300 miles. Over this line 1700 stations and guard-houses arc sprinkled, with a total guard force of 7000, including both Japanese and For-' mosan Cluneso. In somo sections of the

line v.-iro entanglements are set up charged with electricity, which is supplied from four, small power stations erected at the foot of mountain streams. Mountain and machine guns aro also placed on commanding hills.

"For a tamo tho electrically-charged wires were objects of great marvel to tho savages', and something .quite beyond tho Ken of then' imagination. But soon experiences, accompanied bv more or less sacrifice, taught them practical lessons, and they not liiifreqtiently trespassed. over tlio line, shifting the wires by means of a dried bamboo pole, which they found would insulate tho current, or by. digging a hole in the ground just below tlio deadly wires. The Drum Sicnal. "Besides tho communication by telephone .which unites largo stations on tho lino,. a signal can be exchanged between tho guard houses by means of a wooden or bamboo drum —a piero of bamboo, or a trunk of a troo hollowed out inside, about four feet in length, and a foot 111 diameter, which is slung from the eaves of a guard house at a distance of about 400 or 600 yards. It is stated that by this means a messap c.m be transmitted from 0110 end of tlio lino to the other in about three hours. This system of drum telegraphy, however, is not of Formosan invention, but was imported by tho Chinese from the mainland, together with the guard system, somo 150 years ago. "There aro at present about 120,000 aborigines in Formosa, consisting of nine tribes—namely, the Taival, Saisett, Btiuun, Tsariscn, Ami, l'aiwau, I'iyuma, Tsuou and Yami. Of those, about 60,000 aif gentle and semi-eivilisetl people, and about one-half of tho rest have already shown allegiance to the authorities, so that the difficult task of civilising the remaining wild people, of whom tlio majority are Taiyal headhunters, has still to be achieved.

"With tlio completion of good tlioiv oughfares in tlio districts 'inhabited by, the savages',the march of civilisation and industrial enterprise will follow! and at tlio sumo timo tlio eyes of the wild men will be opened; while their future life will prove what wo have ncoomplishod for tlieir lasting bouefit."