The Conduct of Russian Soldiers.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7926, 6 October 1904, Page 3

The Conduct of Russian Soldiers.

Well-authenticated instances of shocking atrocities perpetrated by Russian soldierH are coming to light. On April 26th, during the operations preparatory to crossing the Yalu, three men of the Fourth Begimenfc of the Japanese Guards fell into the hands of the Bussians. -Two days later the corpse of one of these mon, Watanabe Tatsujiro, was found entangled in the boughs of a tree overhanging the rivtr. The flesh had been partially torn from the face, the s'f mach cut open, and the legs hacked to cpiece1*. In a letter written on May 25th, describing an incident of the last offensive return ot the Eussians at Homutang, in tha rear of the Kiulien position, Major Fujioka said: "The enemy returning advanced over our prostrate comrades. His mnn with their bayonets, his officers with their pistols, ptabbed or shot every one of the bodies that shewed any sign of life." Assistant-Surgeon Kato, addressing Colonel Matsukawa in a letter dated May 11, said:—" The wounded and the prisoners were profoundly gratified to find that Japan adhered strictly to the terms of the Red Croas 4 C'onvention As for the -Russian troops, however, they cut off the ears of our wounded, filled their mouths with sand, and slashed them to death. "We found the corpses of those that had' been thus treated and the spectacle filled us with indignation. Neyertheless.we are determined under all circumstances to persevere in extending civilised treatment to the enemy's wounded, and not to fail in any point of international ethics. In the battle of the Yalu, a first-eJass private, Horio Zeuroku, who had been ehot in the head and was endeavouring to bandage his wound, observed two companions of Busaians advance to occupy a position which, having been previously held by the Jajanese, was strewn with dead and dying. The Eusßian soldiers bayoneted every wounded Japanese soldier. This savage work went on steadily and syotematically, and as the Eussians approached the spot where Horio lay the horror of £a similar fate gare him strength to fly, and he succeeded in escaping among a shower of bullets. Shigematsu'Togo, a first-class private of the 24th Hesiment of Infantry, was among those engaged in the Homutang fight on May 1. A bullet pierced his "right arm, and at the same tirue a comrade who fought at his side was struck down. The two men set about bandaging each others wounds, j when a Russian officer, accompanied by a soldier, approached and stabbed them both. Shigematsu's comrade died at once, but as Shigematsu still moved the two Russians returned and stabbed him. agam. When the man was ultimately brought, into hospital he had, in addition to the bullet wound in his arji, three stabs in the chest and one in' the stomach, but he survived. Tamashita Shotaro, who belonged to the fifth company of the 24th Regiment, came out of the Homutaug fight with nine wonnds and a shattered face. Only one of these wounds, a bullet through the thigh, was received in fair combat The rest befel him in this way. While he and some 10 of his comrades, all wounded, were bandaging each other, as Japanese soldiers are taught to do, the Russians ran un and began to stab the helpless men in a ruthless manner. Not content with mere thrusts, they twisted their weapons m the wounds. Tamashita was stabbed eight times and lost consciousness. Prior to the capture of Kiu-chau in Liau-tung the Japanese sent out two reconnoitring parties, "one under an officer, the other under a noncommissioned officer. Several men of the latter - party, attempting to enter the town, .fell into the enemy's hands. When Kinobau was occupied on the following daj the corpses of the non-commissioned officers and his men were found. They had been partially flayed, their noses and ears cut off, and their flesh sliced awivy. Many other instances of conduct similar to the above have been related. In neatly every case it is the same shocking story itera ted and reiterated