The Far East.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 8, 11 January 1904, Page 4

The Far East.

THE JAPANESE -TOMMY ATKINS.'' Sii?ce the Japanese entered the list 01 progressive nut ions a comparatively few yeurs ugo they have lisGiie rapid strides in education and trade ali'J commerce, but it is in regard j»erhaps to Uveir army tluvl tfwy have wajie the greatest advances. At the pmsent time it is <onsidertd by military experts as bein.g> j cw>e oi the most edieient lighting ior- I cos in the wor#d. During its reco*v;tructicm some years ago it had the ai.lvice ami assistance of tho best military skill that couJd "be obtained from Great Britain ami the Continent, and is said to possess all t-lw fiuvatuuges and lew or none of the ■dlsaUvauvtages of other lighting forces. CONSCRIPTION. The army of Japan is recruited\U\ conscription. Military service is com-* l>jl:;ory ou all üb-le-lxxlicd men between the a.g>es of eig<hte\m and fortylive. Ujjon a peace footing it consists of 250,000 men, but in time of war the authorities could place in the iield in eight days a million we-il-ti ainod soldiers. The term ol advice la&ts twelve years, the first thive of wi.'iuh are spent with the colours. At the toid of this j>eriud t-Le soldier returns to civil life, but Hor lour years afterwards lie <s a member of the tirst class reserve, and may be compel k-d to go upon active service in any pait of the Empire at any time. After the expiiation oi" lour years in the ilrst-clu-ss reserve he serves live years in th> second class, or territorial forces. Even,' soldier in the Army posu'&K-s four uniforms—two made of -heavy cloth for winter service. ft'r.iJ two of white cotbon for summer. All his accoutrements and arms, cannons, rifles, u-n-d bayonets, are of J-ai&nesc manufacture. The Imperial are at Tokio,wheie rifles and bayonets ait; produced. TO OBTAIN A COMMISSION. There ate 85,000 officers of all arms and grades. To obtain a commission it is necessary Co enter the special preparatory military school, which is foinid in all the chief military centres. After six years of training—that is, when the cajiet hois reached the age af eighteen—he enters tlie army as a private soKtk-r, and when he lias attained the rank of songoant-major he returns to the special military school at Tokio, where he remains XiUftil he is twenty .one, when, after panvng a severe examination, he is %'iwn the i-ank of sub-lieutenant. The J-apa,oe:>e private is s/aid by tfccoe who know him to be intelli-fev-vt, o ( Jient, and sober. He is of pliys'ijue, but, on the other ha: 11, he is as quick and agile as a eat, a-.id at the same time stion-g ar.li muscular, lletai Sin, whicn is the Japanese way of saying Mr Thomas Atkins, is (says the Manchester Gu'.j.-iiun) also a. wry lively littlj fellow, a-i.d maintains his good humour under the most distressing circumstances. He is patriotic, and foas e\ ery confidence in his officers. JAPAN'S POSSIBLE ALLV. CHINA TURNS A(iAINST RUSSIA. Writing on Nov. iiS, the Hcngkti.tf correspondent oi the Svdnvy Laiiy Telegraph furnishes some in-teret-kjug notes o»n tlie situation in the East, which is just now ent».*ousii.y the attention of the world. Wheit-as in tin? past, he writes, China was practically a Nonentity, a»ul the diileience was solely betwooa Kuhsin and Japan, she has lately wakened up, and has dellberatviy thrown down tlte glove to The occupation o-f Mukden, the remc/val of the Chinese guards from the gates of tlie city, the impri.icument of Tartar General Tseng Ohi, and the flying of the Russian flag from the watch-tower in the place of the Yellow Dragon, hftve caused the revulsion of feeling, and now China is looking to Iser antitqauU J arms. employing Japanese to drill her soldiers-, aard -doing other things which give the impression that siie is ready to wde with Japan in the ousting of the Muscovite. Wltether there has Ixvn an actual or»w».iive auJ defensive alliance with J-u];an, Ki>ort saitii not, but th-.-re are unmistakca-ble indications that Chu.a has at last openud her eyes to the frac-Jids-hi]) wliich «jiic* has been keeping up Russia, auJ has tuiiK«l before it was too late. For years or nnue aiow she has beun yiihservlent to every wish anJ whim of Russia, and tljdt can easily be understood when the crookedness oi the Dowager and tb„« wcalkness of the rulers is re-mc-m!be»\.f.l. Russia hus been hovering in the north strong aiul htsty, posing as China's sole friend and adviser. Russia's attitude after the terrible outrage by China In 1900 is now a matter of history. She it was of all the nations who strove to* siave the Dowager and her friends —«jid Sil.e it is who has stuck to her ever since, draining every drop- of tool possible as a *quiid pro 'quo. Wiietiier the G Qvernmunt has bee* forced to ol|jerve the fact or not cannot be said, but certain it is that Russia hatv now ilx-en given the g?oby for what looks hike gotvd and all. Tartar generals, Viceroys, acd Governors in the various provinces, especially the Vang-tse Valley and maritime provinces, have Uvii busy raitAi.-g extra trooiis, reviewing garri.vons, arjj seuiimg' arms an-d ammunition to important cities and towns within tWir several juriydictions. Princes of the blood fwve come forwaid, and lva-\e oO'ercJ to raise troops auJ leuij them against the Russians, and whilst the Throne has not accepted the offers, still the fact of their having Uvn made is suillcient to show the way the wind is hlowing. 1-he latest infonination with regaiU to the re-cstablishmen't of tin* army on a war Footing comes from -Mongolia, «.;i,.ie dwvll some of th# fiercest fighters in the Emjjirt'. Tiic ifon K .)l I'rmce of AlaU-iu lias received ins't rue lions to raise cverv ablt-bc.iioJ of his tribe and league, una to organise ami urill tb.-m ill the modern fashion. foi tl»is pui]>ose a r.iunrher of .lapanest ofl.ee,-S have hivn engagvil a,AI .sent to him, while some 1100 sergeants a « well as about U.iilj- graUuates ' oi the Chinese Militarj- Academy, li a v t received ojvlers to start at once ioi Alatsin. Tka ilwi. S0 ls of this k-u.-guo, winch consists of a number oi tivbcs, nai-mtKM- aver mvn, aa;d tiK-ir ,^, WCTS of anee are j to be second t.j none of the tnljes oi Hunan ur.'.l oilier well-known nariior-ruisinif iiro\viices. Similar activity is being displ'ajtd m otiior jiravinces, and now that the prol.-i /tio» a«Bfast the iniportat.oiii Of arms to China has ra,s « i . the possibilities „re «.,,t the forces will be better e.juipptU than ever b-.-fore «"? h KEINFOKCKMEXTS. With a Gfoiroesc army in the lield B'feU.nst her, Kus.via w-ill l.v e.xtreme v UfJiappy, and whei-cas she miol.'t have been able to come of vicio.i ous hwl she only Ohin-a to consider. chances are ten to one that with Japan backing CM,,a up, a « she is sure to do, i!„ (isia driven completely out oi the I'ml° arm « a c«"'b«H.,l attack,she fLt „ u •V'. Wa " d 'cements as fast as posabie. Only a week arriti J -! ,0 1 .' nU '' inW Spptaoiw roachuil

hiave receive*! orders to procwh to Hay to lake the place of two regiments that aie mnv inarchimg to Port Arthur,whilst the other half will be distributed in \arious places. The iKHh lH\i.sion amid the -Otii Regiment at Tsilsihjai* will shortly l>e sent down to Port Arthur, and Liatong, whilst iSOOO nu'ii are iK'ing got' ready to reinlorce tU; iiOOO at prose'U't at Dalny. Isy s.'a she is also ivceivi.t.'g I'einrotvenu'nts. anid otY our shores at present are the armuured cruiser : Da\ an and the ImiUii/tte ship Tsai ei vitch. Doth have just come to the Kast, a'iikl aav on tiuir way to reinfoice the Kussiim .squadron at Port Arthur. Their mowu.eats are being uiailchod with interest, foj* it is announced that Japanese menrOl'-war have Ixvn »ent out to meet them and prevent t.hem joining tlie Port Arthur styuiudron. 'lTils is a new development, ami is, of course, a serious effect upon t;he condvtii.'n of atiairs here. No continnatioii can be got of the import, however ; but is known that certain I war vessels have left Japan with soalod oixlers. Sivoukl their mission be to stop the Russians, war is sure to eventuate, for it is certain thai they would not turn back now, wluitever the eonsiM iences. THK WAU VEWAi IN JAPAX. In Jaj)an itself the feeling is just bad as ever. The people have (i.t'cii, ui.d are being, kept in ignorance of the position, and the jinge«es are stiil shrieking for war. The Government, however, remains un-i ni'oivtAl, and regaids the demands o/ | the people with an TmliHemice that | i.s iastoumiii?g. A week ago aT> as- I sevciation with the peculiar mime of ' Tukyo-ku-Mon'dtti Hengo Ivon./iiiii-k-a;i, or '-Friendly nuvtiitg 0 { persons tv«oviate/J to consider tiie U-jcstion oi the situation," met and iislemM to adthessi's from liaron Viscount Miura. Viscount Akimoto, a-.jJ other heads of important infustrial and bankin>g ccmceins in ToLio. The meeting was enthus'ia-stir, and deprecated peace at any price, or a p-c'uee that ]fj)ie:ien'tcd a ltw-te jnonxirtary patching up of dilhculties, u..li allirmud t'ho desirability of the ; cc'iiuviry i isiing as one man atui urgj the oiiicials to adopt an i.yi--1 flinching course. The Taaro Doahi | lvai Ivas also sjjoken strongly, and : Ijus now threatened to commence a \:i'gorous camiwign agains-t the (Jowinment shoujid the next nwetirjg between Da rem Ivomura (l'remieij ai:-<d liaron Rosen (Russia's Kiu\oy) pi*ove abortive, and the negotiations Ia; iii'deiinikiy protracted. '1 hey claim that should slfenee be maintain<d it may be taken that Ujo (»o?vernment is content with the px-ace of humiliation," and the members consider it surprising that the gl'eat parties of the Constitutional Association and the Progressionists are apparently so unco'/icernod in rt?-g-ard to the question. The socie'o has been firing oil" wrbal bonubs in other directions, aird just recently accused Al-ai'.iuis Ho of abusing the s favour for the purpp&e of continuing the Government : Insulted the Cabinet by implying that it remained in odice without liberty to ok-ey its co-evictions as to the ' retjtiiviemtnts of the Emi)ire's interests. A day or so later the members of 11 k» Association were summoned Ixiore the Premier, ur»«d he gave tbem some sound advice to be more circumspect in the rut'ure. He made tine important dwlaration, however, aivl that was tiluit the 'negotiations ccini-lvile-d in a fashion which would brim* no disgrace upon Japan. Unfortunately, that is mot the general impression amongst the people, and the lx»lief is gaining ground that tlx* ultimate settlement oi the question will be tlx 4 humiliation of Jail/an. Indication ant resentment agtainst the Government arc co,nisequentlv lx.*ing around and fostered more than ever.