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Admiral

Togo.

Admieal Togo BY

Arthur Lloyd, ma. rw«wwwv\«wiiwwwwKwwi

THE KIHKODO PUBLISHING TOKYO, JAPAN.

1906.

All rights reserved.

Co,

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PREFACE. For the imperfections of the present volume I

can only plead that

a

first

publication

enable

and

edition,

me

of at

some

whom

further

detailed

prove to be

studies

and the

information

may

future time to complete, or at

the biography

the whole world

The modest and

Togo has

may

it

hope

that

more

least to elaborate, in

I

hitherto

relating to his early

lived has

many

years.

man

interested.

is

retiring

the biographer to collect

of a great

life

which Admiral

made

it

difficult for

picturesque incidents

But modesty

is

one

of the greatest of virtues, and that he has always exhibited this virtue

in

so

conspicuous a manner

seems to be one of the elements which make the greatness of his character.

Arthur Tokyo. August, 1905.

159390

Lloyd.

CONTENTS. Preface.

Chapter

The Beginning

of Japan's

I.

Naval

Chapter

page.

History

...

II.

n

Satsuma

Chapter

III.

Togo's Birth and Early Education

The

I

Civil

War

at

1

Chapter IV. the Time of the Restoration

8

28

Chapter V.

Togo

in

England

38

Chapter VI.

>

Quiet progress

51

Chapter VII.

The War with China

59

Chapter VIII.

The War with China

7?

(continued)

Chapter IX.

The Retrocession

of the

Post Bellum Expansion

Liautung and

the

78

/

(

M

)

Chapter X.

The Beginning of

the

War

Chapter

with Russia

92

XL

Dark Days

105

Chapter The Russian Armada Chapter

XII.

118 XIII.

The Fight

128

Chapter XIV.

C/An

Expert's

Criticisms

149

THE

LIFE OF ADMIRAL TOGO.

CHAPTER The Beginnings If

we were

of Japan's

our

its

Naval History. naval

we should probably choose the history of the Spanish

starting-point

Armada and

L

writing an account of the

history of Great Britain,

as

:

signal overthrow in the sixteenth

century.

This choice

of a is

English records

of an

point

starting

to be found

imply that there

earlier

would not

no sea-fighting

An

date.

in

island-

England must always have been both vulnerable and defensible along her coastlines and harbours, and Englishmen have all like

kingdom

But through their history been fighters on the sea. the Spanish Armada first demonstrated to English-

men

the prime importance of a standing fleet a permanent wall of defence, and the creation

the British

defence

Navy was the

hastily

organized

logical

in

England,

of

outcome of the

against Spain, in spite of the fact that the

which,

as

the

fleets

of

civil troubles,

followed so soon

after

the

destruction of the

Armada, interposed some years

between the recognition of the need and the creation of the*

Navy.

Japan, a sea-girt land, had a warning of possible dagger from an invasion by sea many years before

England received hers, and though the civil troubles which supervened in Japan were of far longer duration than those in England, to wait in consequence

before

land,

and though Japan had

much

she became

longer than did Enga naval Power, yet the

logical birthday of the Japanese

much that

I

Navy was

so very

like the birthday of the British naval

cannot help commencing

Power

book with

my

it.

Navy was practically born when the Lord High Admiral of Queen Elizabeth was commanded to equip a fleet as best he could to repel The

British

the threatened invasion of the Spaniards.

The Japa-

Navy may also be said to have been born when Hojo Tokimune the Regent, in 1275, took nese

his

measures

for repelling the

Mongolian

invasion.

Kublai Khan, the great Mongolian leader of the Middle Ages, had succeeded in overthrowing the Sung Dynasty in China and making himself master of the whole of the Celestial Empire. He had further reduced to submission the entire peninsula of Korea, and limits

of

the

having

Asiatic

reached

mainland,

the

began

extreme to

cast

covetous eyes towards the situated islands

beautiful and happily which form a defensive barrier for

the eastern shores of that Continent.

Koppitsuretsu (to give him his Japanese name, Kublai Khan being the name by which Europeans

know him

better

through

the

famous Venetian,

Marco

doubtless

that Japan

thought

Polo),

of

writings

—

the

Koppitsuretsu

would be an easy There was every reason to

prey for his armies. think so.

make him

Never was a country or

governed,

more than

misgoverned,

thirteenth century.

extraordinarily Japan in the

A series of long intrigues

with-

brought about a succession of abdicaforced or voluntary, which frequently left the

in the court

tions,

occupant of the throne a mere shadow of Imperial

The

dignity.

were

to act in

actual

of the

functions

executive

hands of a Shogun, who was supposed

in the all

things as the

Emperor's representa-

but similar intrigues in the entourage of the Shogun reduced this high functionary to a mere

tive

"

;

"

puppet

whom,

in the

residing at

sentative, with the

hands of

Kamakura, title

of

readers will scarce believe

the "

Hojo

family, a

his

retainers,

one of

acted as his repre-

"

Regent."

me when

I

Western

say that,

in

custom arose of having nominal

regents" as well, but they will not be astonished

to be told that,

of carrying on

was

under this extraordinary system of state, the whole country

affairs

anarchy and confusion, and every one did The Buddpractically what was good in his eyes. in

reaped a temporary harvest of wealth and influence from the system, which was one of their hist priests

own

creating, but even in the ranks of the priest-

hood voices were raised against the mis-government of the times, and the life of Nichiren, the most picturesque of Buddhist reformers,

is full

of the troubles

which

his vigorous protests brought upon him. Under these circumstances, we cannot wonder that Kublai Khan, elated with his conquests in Korea and China, should have fallen into the error

of under-estimating the

He

Japanese people.

pride and

wrote a

insolent terms, to the reigning

Tenno

—

strength of the

letter

couched

in

Emperor (Go-Uda

1257 1287), demanding submission and tribute from the Empire of Japan, but his insolence

The Regent of the time, Hojo Tokimune, though quite a young man, was proud overshot the mark.

and high

spirited,

,

and had no hesitation as

to the

He sent the Korean envoys course to be adopted. of the Mongolian conqueror back to China with which he showed to be deliberately chosen by repeating them to a second embassy scornful words,

sent in the following year.

5

Khan was

Kublai

too great

a potentate, and

defied, to sit down tamely under the insults of the Japanese. He collected an army in Korea which he embarked on board

had been too openly

fleet of 450 Korean war junks, seized the islands of Iki and Tsushima, which have played so great a role in the present war against Russia, and landed

a

on the coasts of Kyushu, where he was, however, repulsed

by the Japanese,

This was

in

after desperate fighting.

1275: three years later Kublai

sent another ambassador, and

Khan

yet another, to Japan,

urging the Island Empire to submit and send him but Tokimune beheaded them both. tribute ;

The result was that Kublai Khan, deeply sulted, vowed a tremendous vengeance against

in-

the

and prepared armies and fleets far greater than those he had sent before. It was a critical moment for Japan. * The people were insolent islanders,

moved with a mixture

of anger and apprehension

;

Nichiren preached and wrote, exhorting, reproving, and urging much-needed social reforms the Em;

peror went in state to the Temples at Ise to pray to his ancestress, Amaterasu, goddess of the sun, for help against the enemies of the country

mune went

talked forth

little

to battle.

;

Toki-

collected an army and The Mongols had landed

but

and were encamped near Takashima, where Toki-

mune

attacked them, and, after desperate fighting, drove them back to their ships. Then came an interposition of the Divine Providence which has

so

manifested

frequently

itself

the

in

affairs

of

Japan. Scarcely had the Mongol troops found refuge on board their ships when a terrible storm arose and destroyed their whole fleet. (A.D. 1281). readers have

Many between

seen the obvious parallel

Mongol Invasion of Japan and the Armada. Spanish Many have also seen the obvious the

between the Mongolian Invasion and the Russian Expedition from the Baltic. This is not the case to discuss these similarities. What I wish similarity

to say here

that as the

is

outcome

Spanish

Armada had

in the

creation of a standing logical Navy, so the logical outcome of the Mongol In-

its

vasion was the

of Japan to-day. country, a threatened invasion demonstrated the absolute importance of a Navy as

Navy

In each

a

first

line

of defence.

internal troubles tion, little fleets

the

were

more than

of the interests

In England,

fortunately fifty

where the

of short

dura-

years elapsed before the

Commonwealth were busy defending of

England against the navies

of

France and the Dutch Republic. In Japan where the evils of state and society were far more deepseated,

and where

the

civil

dissensions, followed

by the

iron repression of all activity

by the Toku-

gawas, lasted for well-nigh six hundred years, the logical

outcome of that lesson was corresponding-

ly long in being realized.

But assuredly the lesson was given as well as in England. in the

If

in Japan Providence interposed

two cases to work signal deliverance,

it

was

not to encourage either nation to a blind trust in God helps those that Providence in the future. help themselves, and the obvious lesson which both nations were meant to learn, and have learned, is

need floating-walls

that island-empires

tect

to

pro-

them.

For the

practical

realization of the Japanese

Navy we must jump over a period of six hundred years from the Mongol Invasion to the middle of the nineteenth century when the day was rapidly coming for Japan to come out of her seclusion to play

a

part

in

and providential

world worthy of her dignity

the

mission.

dential mission, because

was

if

We

call it her provithe hand of Providence

clearly to be seen in the wonderful deliverance

from the Mongols, the thoughtful student may also see the traces of the same hand in the seclusion from the world which followed the establishment of the

Tokugawas, which was little

(a

seclusion

less

than

the

maintenance of

marvellous)

and the

timely emergence of the nation, as of a people in a day, to bring a new element of life and vigour into a civilization which was beginning to

born

senility and decay. nineteenth century made it impossible to maintain any longer the seclusion of Japan. The trade of Europe was expanding, the civilization of

suffer

from

The

America had emerged on the Pacific coast, Austhad been discovered, steam was revolution-

ralia

From

came past the coasts of Japan, some desirous of traffic, some for water and help, some to restore castaway JaIntercourse became unavoidable, panese fisherman. and many of the patriotic Japanese feared that intercourse would mean the loss of national indeizing navigation.

all

sides ships

pendence.

Amongst

those

who

felt

much anxiety on

this

subject was Prince Shimazu, lord of Satsuma, one

of the most powerful of Japanese Princes, and one whose territories, situated in the extreme South

and West of Japan proper, gave him much cause for anxiety on this subject. Satsuma was by no means the only Baron who felt anxiety on this The lords of Mito and Tosa, nay, even point. the Shogunal Cabinet itself were much exercised about

it,

and

deliberation

at last in the year

1847, a ^ter

much

and debate, a resolution was come to

by

the Shogunate, not only to undertake the

of Naval Organization

who

territorial nobles,

own dominions,

work

itself, but to allow the great ruled as kings within their

to raise squadrons for the defence

The Prince of Satsuma of the seaboard of Japan. first of the Dai my 6s to avail him-

was one of the

The Satsuma fleet was permission. soon one of the most powerful of the local fleets. self of this

We

the

shall find

Government merely

retreating

petitioning

the

Central

1853

for for

permission to build not coast-detence, but large

of keeping

the sea and pursuing a

small

ships capable

Prince

vessels

in

enemy. We shall find him later on send North a Fleet capable of engaging

to the

ing up the Shogunal

Navy under Enomoto, which was

stand at Hakodate. We shall also Satsuma Fleet emerging victoriouo from these engagements and so becoming, in the new era which dawned upon Japan after the war o the

making

see

last

its

the

the nucleus of the present Imperial of Admiral Togo's first sea-service Navy Japan was in the Satsuma Navy his subsequent career

Restoration,

:

has

been

with

the

Imperial

Navy from

its

very

commencement This history of his life is there fore very much a history of the Imperial Navy of Japan,

with

which

constantly identified.

he has

been so

long and so

But, before writing

it,

it

will

IO

devote one more preliminary chapter to the consideration of the Satsuma Daimyate which

be well

to

has furnished

so

many

of

the

services of the Japanese Empire.

best

men

to the

Madem Tetsuko

Togo.

II

CHAPTER

II.

Satsuma.

The by

ancient

princes

Daimyate of Satsuma, ruled over Shimazu family, occupied the

of the

southern portion of the Island of Kyushu, i.e. the whole of the provinces of Satsuma and Osumi, together with portions of Hyuga, and several islands

The Lord

off the coast.

a sense a suzerain for

the

of

of those

ruler

was also in Loochoo Archipelago, islands acknowledged a of Satsuma

the

double dependence, and sent China but also to Satsuma.

tribute

not

only to

The Satsuma Daimyos had always been very powerful,

and

on various

itself

of the

island

overlordship had extended occasions over the greater part

their

of Kyushu.

They had

also been

long years practically"' independent of the Central Government in the days before the Tokufor

gawa regime, and when,

after the pacification

which

of Sekigahara, Shimazu was head before Iyeyasu, he had with a bad grace and a reluctant heart.

followed the obliged to

battle

bow

done

it

The

Satsuma

his

people

had

always

resented

the

12

Tokugawa supremacy, very

remote

corner

have

contrived to

a

and, living as they did in a of the Empire, had always tolerably

free

hand

in

management of their own affairs. The Satsuma samurai were always noted their poverty.

Their numbers were

proportionately

to

far

the

for

greater,

Satsuma the provision of rice, which

other

than elsewhere, and

daimyates,

in

it was the custom for all daimyos to give for the support of their retainers, was constantly, in Satsuma, insufficient for the support of the whole body

The samurai

of samurai. fore,

came

of other

in

provinces

They were

of their

obliged to

most

their

by

their allowances, they cise the

ot this province, there-

time to be distinguished from those

work

industry and thrift. as farmers to eke out

were obliged also

to

exer-

economy in the management They became, therefore, a not unlike the English yeomen of the rigid

households.

sturdy race middle ages, frugal, active, and independent, and whilst the samurai of other, more wealthy, dai-

myate were enervating

all

more or less to the ease and freedom from

succumbing

influences

01

pecuniary cares, the Satsuma men, like the Spartans in Greece, stood out conspicuously among their

compatriots

practical

common

for

simplicity,

sense.

hardihood

and

3 The country round Kagoshima, the capital of Satsuma, is admirable training ground for soldiers, and the Satsuma samurai were constantly, even in times of peace, kept at work with military manoeuvres and exercises of various kinds. Hence the

Satsuma armies had always been vigorous beat, though the same might be said

and hard to

armies

maintained

by many of the East or West, North or South, Japanese princes. the Japanese has always shown himself to be an of the local

excellent fighter.

?

But Satsuma, owing to its geographical position and political circumstances, had one advanother daimyates. It had a long and a dangerous seacoast, deep, protected, bay whose calm waters afforded excellent opportunities for

tage over

all

nautical training,

and

its

Prince

was one of the

overlords of Loochoo, a position which necessitated maritime journeys such as fell to the lot of the subjects of no other daimyate.

Thus, even

in the

commerce by sea was

Tokugawa

days, the forbidden,

when

all

Satsuma

people were a sea-faring folk.

The rai is

may

spirit

which animated the Satsuma samu-

be seen from the following account which

given of the training of the

retainers.

young Kagoshima

14

Every

Gochu

village

or village

in

province had its own of young men, and

the

association

every young samurai was enrolled a member as soon as he reached the age of 14 or 15. The object of the

Gochu was

to

encourage bravery, and the power of endurance, and its members were constantly being tested by their seniors and aswith a view to ascertaining

sociates

their

quali-

fications in this respect. If

signs

a

young man, on being

of fear? he

senior members. better,

he

received If,

on

a

his

tested,

showed

warning from the next trial, he did

was forgiven and nothing more was

" he " funked again, however, then woe He was cut off from the society of betide him. young men, and no sentence of excommunication said.

If

could possibly be worse than such exclusion. Every member of a Gochu had to study for eight hours a day, four morning hours being devoted " to books," and four in the afternoon to practical exercises.

of every

On

the

1st, 6th,

month they

10th, 15th, 20th, 25th,

1

ith,

16th 21st, and 26th

practised writing, the 5th,

and 30th were given

to the

reading of books on military subjects, the remaining days were in like manner devoted to subjects likely to be of practical use in the training of a warrior caste.

They had not many

subjects

and

i5

no

useless ones, the few they

had were thoroughly

and thoroughly well learned. Any negof study was at once We the Gochu. can see the traces punished by of this custom still in the way in which members practical,

lect or violation of the rules

of the

old

samurai caste

into the study of

some

will

throw themselves

special branch of practical

science.

The Gochu had

certain festivals of their own,

not religious but patriotic, for patriotism with them

The Revenge of the took the place of religion. Soga Brothers, and the tragic death of the Forty Seven Ronins, two of the most famous vendetta mediaeval Japan, were celebrated with but appropriate ceremonies, the one on May simple and the other on December 14. On these oc1 8,

stories of

casions the accounts of these heroes of olden times,

deeds were represented

and

their

and

their youthful

sion or admiration

tragedies

fell

hearts were as

on their

the ears.

in

song and mime,

moved

different

to

compas-

scenes of the

Thus we can imagine to have been moved by

a gathering of Jewish lads the narrated prowess of Jephthah, Gideon, or David, or a class of Athenians roused to anger or melted

to tears over the Iliad or the Odyssey. It is the of men of one's own blood that appeals story

most strongly to the human

heart.

i6 It

has been noted that the

no strongly

fortified

castle to

Shimazus needed

keep

their retainers

in subjection. Contented and loyal subjects are the best possible bulwarks of a throne, and such were the retainers who surrounded the Lords of

Satsuma.

We in

can understand

now

the moral atmosphere

which our hero was born and educated.

Simple

high thinking, if withal, someIn the moral and political regeneration

living, stern discipline,

what narrow.

of Japan, Satsuma (allied to Choshu and one or two other daimyates) played the part which Prussia did in

Germany, or Sardinia

like

Austria

in

in Italy.

The Shogunate,

the one case, or Pio

Nono

in

the

other, clung loyally but blindly to a lost cause trying in vain to bolster up a political system which

day and become a hindrance to The motives the healthy growth of the nation.

had outlived were

its

highest order, the patriotism of the of these lost causes was in every case

of the

defenders

most admirable, but the causes were lost from the beginning, and their defenders were overwhelmed in the fall of the ramparts behind which they stood. Like Prussia, the

men

of Satsuma saw beforehand

coming, and took their measures to champion the true political creed on which alone Japan's greatness could be based.

the

crash

that

was

inevitably

17

The overthrow

of the Shogunate and the restoration

of the executive power to its proper possessor were both measures of inevitable necessity, and if from their timely advocacy of these measures the men

of Satsuma and Choshu "sucked to themselves no small advantage," still the advantages to Japan as a whole have been still greater, and no fair-minded

be disposed to grudge them their posihonour in the councils and enterprises of

critic will

tion of

the nation.

Palmam

qui meruit ferat.

i8

CHAPTER

in.

Togo's Birth and Early Education. Togo Heihachiro was born in Kajiya-machi, the Samurai quarter of Kagoshima,

of December, 1847. His family was

descended

on the 22nd

from

the

ancient

family of the Taira, which played so great a part The last and, inin the Middle Ages of Japan.

Taira no an had only daughter, who, on the Shigemori, deed, the only sage of the Taira family, ruin of her house, being

pursued by her enemy, family, found an

Minamoto

the head of the rival

asylum in the territories of the Prince of Satsuma. Here she remained, educating her children, who, growing

up,

service of the

entered the

Satsuma

the surname of Togo. remote ancestress of the Togo house had, for reasons probably connected with the circumstances of her escape from the Minamoto,

Daimyo and were

granted

It is said that this

an aversion to riding on a white horse, and this tradition is said still to remain of force in the

Togo family

family.

In the garden

homestead

nately destroyed by

in

attached

to the old

Kagoshima, now

fire,

unfortu-

there stood during Togo's

19

boyhood a small shrine sacred the .

The

future

had

mon,

to the

memory

of

ancestress of the family.

first

a

He

justice.

Admiral's

Togo

father,

for

great reputation held the responsible

—

Kichizae-

probity and office of Kori

Bugyo or District Magistrate an office not unlike the honourable post of Justice of the Peace which is

the

pride

— England, and

of

many

a

country his

gentleman

in

duties

so

difficult

discharged the request of his fellow-townsmen, he continued to hold it for thirteen consecutive well, that, at

years,

though the usual period of tenure is only His character was very much like that

for three.

of

his

illustrious

somewhat

son

— simple,

taciturn, but kind

and

straight- forward, sincere.

He was

not a diplomat, but there was something statesmanlike

about his straight-forward simplicity. His mother, Masu-ko, is said to have been a

fine-looking refined lady, the very type of

woman

that Kaibara Ekiken, the author of the celebrated

Onna-daigaku (" Great Learning would have delighted to describe.

for

Women "),

She was frugal

and orderly, an excellent house-keeper, and moreShe trained her over, a splendid disciplinarian. Spartan mother would have done, and was a convinced believer in the old saying about the devil and the idle hands. She constantly

children as

a

20 her

kept

military

children exercises,

leisure in

four

sons,

busy with their studies and allowed them very

which to get of

The Admiral's

whom

into

Saigo,

She had

was the

third.

took part

in the

and perished

at the

Heihachiro

three brothers

rebellion of the elder

mischief.

and little

all

battle of Shiroyama. Fortunately for Heihachiro he was studying in England at the time, and out

of reach of temptation. In due course of time,

Heihachiro, like the other lads of Kagoshima, entered a Gochu. The Gochti into which it was his good fortune to enter

was one with an exceedingly good

record.

The

elder Saigo, the flower of Japanese chivalry, had and one of Togo's boy once been in its ranks :

companions and contemporaries was Kuroki, destined like himself to win distinction in war with

One

the Russians.

was

of Saigo's

younger brothers

Togo's teacher of Chinese, and read the Con-

fucian

Analects with him.

to rise early,

before sunrise,

It

was

and

to

Togo's

habit

stand at his

gate till six o'clock, when he was permitted to enter and receive a lesson of two hours'

teacher's

From

eight o'clock till noon he was busy reviewing the lessons he had learned with his teacher, and the afternoon was spent, someduration.

times

in

study

and

sometimes

in

fencing

and

21 wrestling

with

Kuroki and other companions by

the riverside.

As

a boy, he was always noted for his quiet He very seldom concerned peaceable disposition.

which took place between the different Gochu in the city, and rarely had any Yet he always conquarrels of his own on hand. himself in the quarrels

trived to hold his

deferred to

him

own amongst

as boys

do to one

his comrades, in

whom

who

they see

a capacity for leadership, even though he takes no step to assert himself, or to lord it over his comrades. In 1863, at the tered the Satsuma said

that

the

age of seventeen, Togo enNavy, as a cadet. It has been

real cause of

Navy was

the establishment

of

whose aggressions were even then known and dreaded by Japanese

that

fear of Russia,

Statesmen.^ We have also heard it maintained that when, shortly after the Imperial Restoration, the

elder

was

led astray into rebellious reason was not a dissatisfaction moving at the comparatively small amount of recognition

Saigd

paths, his

given to Satsuma in the Imperial Councils, but a desire to see a more resolute policy against Russia

adopted by Japan, together

with

a

resolution to

get the power into his own hands, so as the better to prosecute a line of policy which he felt to be of vital importance to his country.

33

Be

that as

may, the

enemy not was by Japanese but The discontent with which Russia, England. patriotic Japanese saw the sacred soil of their to be

it

of the

together with the times, made it im-

the authorities,

national or consular,

growing lawlessness for

possible

avoid

all

foreign

armies

country defiled by foreign

to

first

encountered

disturbances

feet,

between

Japanese and

Outrages against the barbarians were of frequent"" occurrence attacks were made upon the British Legation in Yedo, ships passing through foreigners.

:

were

on by the and one inciChoshu, particular occurred, which brought Satsu-

the Straits of Shimonoseki

fired

fortresses of the Prince of

dent

in

ma,

individually,

into

trouble

with the

English troop of Satsuma retainers who were accompanying the uncle of their Prince on his way to Yedo, on the 14th of September 1862, attacked

authorities.

A

a party of foreigners riding peaceably along the high road near Kanagawa, and murdered one of

them,

an

Englishman named

British authorities

from the Shogunate, ty from the Yedo for full satisfaction

the feudal attack,

Richardson.

promptly demanded but, whilst getting

Government, the

to

lord of the

and as being,

The

satisfaction

an indemni-

were

referred

Prince of Satsuma, as

men who had made

the

therefore, a responsible party

23 in

the

affair.

Satsuma,

the incident at

while

Namamugi

(the

deeply regretting hamlet at which

the attack was made), and willing to pay a money indemnity for the thoughtless act of his turbulent retainers, absolutely refused to

per-

Some

the English, as they occurred over the negotiations, delay

last, in

August 1863, an English Squadron

petrators desired.

but at

hand over the

crime to

of the

Bay of Kagoshima, and, failing to get its demands satisfied, proceeded to bombard the town. The engagement took place on the 15th The Kagoshima authorities were August 1863. much surprised by a visit which they hardly They were still more taken aback, expected. when the English summoned three vessels belongarrived in the

ing to the

Satsuma

anchor in a remote

Navy, which they found at corner

of

the

bay, to

shift

and take up a new position in the midst of the British Squadron, an order which their anchorage,

the

vessels

Japanese

knowing what

obeyed without apparently

This action the Japanese claim to have been a treacherous one on the part meant.

it

but the British, on their part, thought just cause for complaint, when, at the stroke of noon, without any previous warning, the of the British

;

they had

Kagoshima visitors.

A

forts

opened

fierce

fire

on

their

unwelcome

cannonading then ensued, which

24

much damage without leading The weather was tangible results. did

to

any

very

boisterous and

stormy so that the British could not have landed a party of men even if they had had the force requisite for the

Satsuma

and

the

town

On

the other hand,

selves

:

They burned

operation.

vessels

reduced

a

large

the three portion of

to ashes, but without silencing the forts.

they

suffered

severely them-

one of their ships went ashore and only of her anchor, which was

got off with the loss afterwards restored

were many losses next morning they a threatening indecisive

and there by the Japanese both of officers and men. The ;

sailed out of the bay, to avoid

typhoon, leaving behind them an They had reduced the city to

record.

ashes and destroyed a part of the fleet of Satsuma; but the forts were never silenced, and they sailed

away without having got indemnity was paid

Satsuma

in

their

September

demands. 1863,

but

The the

authorities never surrendered the persons

of Richardson's murderers.

The bombardment

of

Kagoshima was Togo

and Japanese writers tell us, with great pride, how the future Admiral, stripped to the skin, was working at the guns in one Heihachiro's

baptism of

fire,

of the batteries on that eventful day. It is worthy of note that on this

day the

25 the

fired

Japanese

first

shot, without waiting for

any formal declaration of hostilities. ber as we write down the fact that

We

rememwas Togo

it

as Captain of the Naniwa, who sunk the Kaosheng in the war with China, and Togo who, as Admiral,

ordered the discharge of the first torpedo against at Port Arthur. In neither

the Russian vessels

case had hostilities

shot

was

fired.

been declared

Can

it

have

when

been

the

first

Togo who

applied the fuse to the

in

first gun fired at Kagoshima ? The Satsuma Navy covered itself with glory It had held its own in a fair this action.

fight with a British

and had

Squadron,

lost no-

thing except the three steamers which had been taken by surprise, and placed as it were hors de

combat

the

before

bombardment nation to

action

commenced.

But the

had the effect of arousing the whole need

the

armaments.

of naval

The

Shogunate, Satsuma, Choshu, and perhaps one or two more daimyates had hitherto been the only ones that paid any attention to coast defence, but now the whole nation was roused to action. Even the

Emperor

*

bestirred

himself

*

and

I have seen a poem by Komei Tenno, the father Emperor, which runs somewhat like this " Perish my body in the cold clear depth Of some dark well, but let no foreign foot Pollute that water with its presence here." :

bade

his

of the present

26 "

subjects

sweep the Ktirofune (black ships)

the sea."

small navies

Many

made

off

their appea-

rance in different provinces, but none could compete with the Navy of Satsuma which had been in action with foreigners, and, had passed safely through The Choshu ships did not come out

the ordeal.

so well in their conflict with the foreign vessels at Shimonoseki. But then Choshu's glory has always

been great in the army. The next few years were uneventful years

Satsuma Navy

the history of the

in

years of preparation for great events generally are. Nothing much is known of our hero during this period, that

except

:

he continued to serve with diligence and that he gained a reputation

in his profession,

as an excellent officer, silent

and unobtrusive, but It was quick in decision and decisive in action. evident that the Revolution which was to put the

Mikado

in his proper position, and place the men of the South on the top of those of the North,

was coming on

at

a rapid pace,

and Togo must

and perhaps sung, the verses which San-yo Rai describes the Satsuma Bushi. often have heard,

1.

and short 2.

— down our sleeves —

Short are our skirts

At our

to the knees:

just to the elbow.

hips are our

through iron

in

I

swords

that

can

cut

touch them

man

touch them,

3.

If horse

4.

The youth

5.

the strong Youths: If a visitor comes from the North, with what

they will

shall 6.

we

7.

And relish

8.

at once.

of eighteen enters the Society of

entertain

him?

and powder

Bullets

dishes

him

kill

or

shall be the tables

;

if,

perchance, the visitor should not

them,

The sword

over

his

head

shall

give

closing dish.* * Kororao wa kan ni

Yokan no

and

itari,

sode

wan

ni itaru

:

shusui tetsu tatsubeshi;

wo kiri, uma furureba uma wo kiru. wo musubu, kenji no sha Juhachi majiwari Hokkaku yoku kitaraba, nani wo motte ka mukuin ?

Hito furureba, hito

:

Dangwan shoyaku kore zenshu Kaku moshi shoku-en sezumba, Yoshi hoto wo inotte kare ga kobe :

ni

kuwaen.

a

28

CHAPTER The

War

Civil

at the

Restoration.

We

Togo

Time of the

1

867- 1 869.

at

Kyoto

in

the

year

Satsuma and Choshu men had made good

1867. their

next find

IV.

claim

be the protectors of the Imperial

to

person, and driving out from Kyoto the rival Tokugawa clans, and the men of Hikone and Aizu, had

occupied that city

ernment, general abolished, and

proclaimed

in force.

known

as

The Shogunate Govthe

Bakufu, had been

an Imperial Government at Kyoto

in its stead.

The Tokugawa party were thoroughly disconRiots broke out in Yedo which the Shotented. gunal police were unable to quell. The Satsumayashiki at Mita was burnt to the ground, and the Satsuma adherents in the stronghold of the Tokugavvas escaped with difficulty to Shinagawa, where they were taken on board a small vessel, the

One of the Shogunate war-ships, the Kwaiten Marti, commanded by Enomoto Kamajiro, Koshd Maru. went

in pursuit,

the crew of the

after a desperate fight, in which Koshd plugged the shot-holes in

and

own clothes, succeeded in doing much damage that the Satsuma men were

the hull with their

her so

29 obliged to abandon her, and only managed to join own men at Kyoto with great difficulty.

their

When Yedo and

the

Shogun heard of

the

troubles in

the burning of the Satsuma-yashiki, he the Emperor for permission to

at once petitioned

chastise

men

the

of Satsuma,

and then, without

which he had very little chance of getting, marched from Osaka, where he was staying in the Great Castle of the Tokugawas, waiting for a permission

with

all his

forces for

Kyoto.

But the men of the

Four Loyal Clans," Satsuma, Choshu, Tosa and Higo, marched out to meet him, a battle was fought at Fushimi (28 January 1868), and the

'*

Shogun, defeated and a fugitive, appeared at Hyogo, where he was taken on board an American man which afterwards transferred him to the one of his own vessels. This ship, Maru, Kaiyo of which Enomoto was made Captain, conveyed the Shogun to Yedo. ; When the Kaiyo Maru had been coming down of-war,

from Shinagawa to Osaka and Hyogo, to look the

interests

of the

she

after

had met two

Shogun, Satsuma transports carrying troops from Kagoshima for garrison duty in Kyoto, and had fired on them as they left that port. This was beFushimi. The transports at once returned to port and gave information. protest

fore the battle of

A

30 followed, but the Shogunal authorities justified the action of the Kaiyo Maru in firing on the transports.

Satsuma and Yedo were

they said, ing off

practically at war,

and there had already been some

The Satsuma men were

obliged, therefore, to

They had no Kasuga Maru was

take measures of self-defence. of war with them, but the off

fight-

Shinagawa.

Kobe, out of commission,

available for

convoy

service,

if

it

is

true,

ships

lying but still

she could be

fitted

out.

This was done with hastily

prepared

for

all

sea,

speed

:

the

ship

was

and manned from the

The Satsuby to was able furnish the Kyoto garrison Akatsuka Genroku was appointed Capofficers. Sukemaro Ito tain, (the elder brother of the Admiral) one of the vice-captain, and Togo Heihachiro the transports.

troops brought up

ma

in

junior lieutenants.

As soon

as the ship

was

fitted

out she was

brought round to Osaka. The Shogun's ship was not to be seen, so the transports started on their journey to Kagoshima, with the Kasuga Maru to convoy them. Presently, off the coast of Awa, the Kaiyo Maru was seen coming through the clearing mist, close

to

them

:

and the

Kasuga Maru,

in

spite of her imperfect equipment and scratch crew,

3i at once

engaged

The

her.

fight

lasted for

some

time, without any very serious loss on either side, then, suddenly, the Kaiyd Maru sheered off and

returned to port, and the Kasuga Maru hastened on her transports, which had now to look after

reached a place of comparative safety. This engagement took place on the 3d day of the 1st

month

(old

style)

of the

year

1868.

Togo distinguished himself by his activity in helping to get the crew together and the ship ready His for action, as also by his coolness under fire. superiors

saw him

to be a steady

—and

they might rely, succeed in making a action

these

name

are

for

man on whom the men who

themselves.

was not a very great one, but

it

gave the

Satsuma men an opportunity of proving metal, and in the action Togo did his duty.

The

Civil

Tokugawa

War had now

party

found

one

The their

broken out, and the of

its

staunchest

supporters in Enomoto, whom we have already seen as Captain of the Kaiyd, but who will now

appear as the Admiral

in

command

of the Shogu-

nal Fleets.

The

a

victory at Fushimi was only the first of series of successful actions, which- gradually

brought the whole island under the rule of the Emperor and his forces, and during the summer of

32 1863, the

Shogun was ordered the Castle

Emperor

and naval.

military

as

far

as

complied were far more active himself,

and Admiral

of Yedo,

To he

this

could,

to deliver to the

and order

but

all

his forces

the

Shogun

his

retainers

support than he was Enomoto, on receiving the

in his

order to surrender his ships, quietly sailed out of Shinagawa Bay, with 1 1 ships, at early dawn on

Aug. 22 1868, and took himself north to Hakodate, where some of the northern daimyos were still

under arms for the lost cause of the Shogunate.

A

landing was made at Hakodate, the loyalist daimyo of Matsumae was defeated at Esashi, a

temporary Government was established, and measures taken for a prolonged resistance. Enomoto's

was a factor of prime importance. He had eleven ships in all : his opponent had only four or five ; and, with Hakodate as his base of operations, he might be a terrible thorn in the side of fleet

the newly restored Imperial Government.

The

Imperial Government at once took action Hakodate scheme. force of 6500

to crush the

A

was hastily despatched north, together with a squadron under the command of Akatsuka, whom we have already seen as Captain of the Kasnga

troops

Maru. Togo was still serving on board the Kasnga, which was now in better trim than it had

33

been

planned engagement off the and the Awa, Loyalist Fleet was strengthened by the addition of a new iron-clad war for the

hastily

coast of

vessel, the

Stonewall Jackson,

from the American

recently purchased

Government

by the Shogun's

and waiting in Yokohama to be Since giving the order, the Shdgun's Government had collapsed, and there being appaGovernment,

delivered.

rently

the it

no other person authorized to take delivery, at last consented to have

American Minister

transferred to the Imperial Government.

The Squadron, thus strengthened, left Shinagawa on March the 9th, and on the 24th March was at Kuwagasaki, a point not far from HakoHere a fight took place, on April 29. The date. Shogunal Flagship, Kwaiten, with two other vessels, attempted a surprise attack on the Loyalists which

was

nearly

successful.

Most

of

the

Loyalist

Captains were ashore at the time when the attack was made, but the fog caused the Shogunal vessels to part company, and the Kwaiten alone arrived at the place of

destination.

Stonewall Jackson, lying at anchor,

Here she found the

now known

as

the

and expecting nothing

Musashi

y

less

than

an attack from the Shdgun's forces. The Musashi, was an iron-clad, but that considration did not prevent the Kwaiten from proceeding to the attack,

34

and she manoeuvred so

two

ships

and the

were lying alongside of one another, rebels, leaping on board the Musashi,

The attempt by assault. however, and the Kwaiten had considerable

to

tried failed,

skilfully that presently the

her

capture

from the dangerous position into which her daring had placed her. Meanwhile her two consorts, the Banryu and difficulty in extricating herself

Takao, which had lost her in the fog, seeing that the attack had failed, did their best to return to

Hakodate.

In this the

Banryu succeeded, but the

Takao, pursued by the Kasuga (Togo's ship) ran aground near Omotomura and was fired by her

own

crew.

The engagement restore the balance

Imperialists had,

the Rebel loss

it

at

Kumagasaki did much to

between the two is

true, lost

was only 17

fleets.

over ioo

killed

men

The while

and 34 wounded;

but they had lost one of their best ships, the Takao, and as the Kwaiyo, which we have already seen

Awa, had been lost during a gale, Shogunal Fleet was now not much stronger

in action off

the

than the Loyalist, and had no vessel withstand the iron-clad Musashi.

The remnants after this

of Enomoto's Fleet

completely

disposed

of.

In

the Imperialist ships were engaged in

that could

were soon

May

1869

the task of

35 covering the landing of troops on the shores of Yezo near Esashi, and the rebels, after vainly

attempting to defend that town, were at last driven

back

into

Hakodate, which was invested.

During

these operations, the Shogun's people lost all their smaller ships, so that, by the end of the month,

they were reduced to three ships, Kwaiten, Banryu and Chiyoda, all three of which had been more or less

damaged

in

action.

On

the 14th

June, the

Chiyoda struck on a rock and was abandoned by her crew. The next morning, she floated off without assistance,

and came

floating

on the

towards

tide

The Imperialists, with the Imperialist Squadron. of memories the Kuwagasaki fresh in their memories

commenced

time before they

firing

on

discovered

her,

it

was some

they

had been

and

that

wasting their powder on a deserted vessel.

There

remained

now

only

the

Kwaiten

and the Banryu. In a general attack on Hakodate made on June 20th, these two vessels performed

A

prodigies of valour against tremendous odds. shot from the Banryu fired the powder-magazine

of the

Choyo

and destroyed her, and her crew

fought valiantly until she at last received her coup degrace in a shell from the Kasuga which smashed her engines and disabled her. now sunk by her own crew,

The Banryu was and the Kivaiten,

36 to be hopeless,

seeing further resistance her example.

Thus was quenched the

last

spark

followed

of resis-

Enomoto tance to the Imperial forces in Japan. surrendered on the 27th of June and the pacificawas complete. It is true that we shall again find rebels in arms against the constituted authorities, but Saigo's rebellion was a He was not fighting, dfferent thing altogether. tion of the country

was Enomoto, for the maintenance of a political system which had been established for many years. as

We

can

feel

prompted these

and

men

admire

from which their families had so

many

proofs

This feeling was

of

the

loyalty

to hold fast to the

which

Shogunate

in the past, received

kindness

and

consideration.

shared

by the Imperialist party itself and the generosity with which the Emperor treated the faithful adherents of the lost cause has done much to heal the

And what

are

we

wounds of the to

civil

strife.

say of Togo's share

in

these events?

We diligent

see in

him the

patient painstaking officer,

in the

devoid of

all

performance of his duty, absolutely thoughts of self, and happy in the

triumph of his Master's cause. can say no more than that.

We

Kasuga,

did

good

service

in

His

ship, the

the pursuit

of the

37 Takao, and the attack on the Banryu. interest

personal

the

in

involuntary exclamation

saw the Teibo

fight

(" the

is

own

His

shown by

coward

")

his

.when he

retreating from her position to avoid

the explosion of the

Chdyo during the battle at a long time chaffed by " his messmates for having scolded a man-of-war".

He was

Hakodate.

for

There are no picturesque incidents of Togo's life of the reader,

:

His was the

Nelson. officer,

nothing such as

a

life

amongst whom

not it

we

find

in

proved

by

promising to

officer,

England

the

Life

of

of the quiet conscientious without its effect on those life

was

lived.

Togo had already

attracted the attention of his superiors his

in this part

strike the imagination

to

being

whom

presently it

and

selected

this is

as

a

would be well to send

for further training.

38

CHAPTER.

V.

Togo in England.

When been

Hakodate

the

destroyed

triumph to the capital

hama

the

fleet

Loyalist

under Enomoto had troops

returned

in

Yokohama, and what had now become city of Tokyo, and it was at Yoko-

Kasuga was paid off. Togo's employment was now for a while at an end. The Satsuma Navy had ceased to exist that the

with the restoration of the Imperial Power, which brought all military and naval forces under the control of the

newly-formed

central government,

and the Imperial Navy had not yet been founded. Still his

heart remained in the naval profession,

and the expriences of the Hakodate campaign having been quite long enough to let him know the imperfections of Japanese seamanship, his own included, he made application through the leading men of his clan to be sent to England for purposes

of study. He had many rivals to fear, for there was then a desire in every young samurai to visit foreign countries and learn

be of use to

his

country

something that might and himself, and the

39 responsible officers were

were unsuccessful,

Okubo, was Minister

made

His

when

but

with applicants

over-run

wishing to be sent abroad. for

first

applications

fellow-clansman

his

Home

Affairs,

application once more, and after

Togo

some delay

found that he had been chosen.

We

he

can well imagine the anxiety with which awaited the verdict of the authorities. The

Japanese say that one evening a band of Satsuma young men and others, whom the generosity of

was keeping in Tokyo as students, unable any longer to restrain their eager curiosity, went to a fortune-teller to learn their future destiny. their ex-lords

The

anxious

fortune-teller,

smooth

things,

and

they were going

be

please,

prophesied

first

three or four that

greatly

distinguished, so

told the

to

to

that everything went off pleasantly until No.

5,

a

named Matsuyama, presented himself, much worse for liquor. Matsuyama was not pleased

student the

with the fortune he received, and a noisy altercation ensued during

which the

others,

who had

not

they had

yet been examined,

picked up the fees Thus and walked out in disgust. already paid, future about his from was hearing Togo prevented victories in the seas

around Japan.

the permission

However, Togo, who had been

came

at

utilizing the precious

last,

and

moments

40 in learning

naries

Yokohama, from

at

English

and from

the

soldiers

Legation guard, received his

March

He

belonging

missioto

the

marching orders

in

1871.

and

his

companions must have presented

a strange appearance

as

There were no

Europe. who wished to be future Nelson

they

left

Yokohama

tailors, then, for

dressed as

foreigners,

for

Japanese

and the

started in a second-hand

of Japan

costume which must effectually have obliterated He must during signs of a destined greatness.

all

his

voyage have been continually treated with a goodnatured contempt due entirely to his clothes, and yet surely no one ever deserved less to be treated with disdain than did he.

Togo was a

fine

which he had been in

our account

young men

in

of the

We

Gochu

Satsuma, how

of that province were

of the Bushido in

specimen

trained.

have seen already,

or

Associations of

the youthful samurai

taught to endure

to look fear in the face without flinching.

learned other virtues

as

well.

The

in his girdle

was a perpetual reminder

death was at

all

pain and

But he

short sword to

him

that

times preferable to dishonour, that the remedy for disgrace was in his own hands. The proverb bushi ni nigon nashi, ("the bushi has

no second word") reminded him of the cardinal

41 virtue of truthfulness,

consistency, faithfulness to Fair play and loyalty were ingrained in

promise. the bushi's character, and the

civil war which had was an admirable specimen just of those chivalrous qualities in action. Each side had treated the upholders of the other side with the utmost respect and consideration. The Satsuma

come

retainer,

to

loyally

quite ready

samurai,

an end

supporting

to accord all

who was

lawful master.

his

feudal lord,

was

honour to the Tokugawa

doing his duty by his parties were united in their

only

Both

reverence for the Sovereign, and their only thought was how to deliver him from the mistaken council

men

The entourage. Sovereign, on his part, recognized the good feelings that animated both parties of his subjects, and of

the

when

formed

that

the fortune of

his

war decided that the victory

should belong to the Satsuma men, the vanquished were treated with the utmost generosity. The

were

living

pardoned,

and

presence honoured with those

perial

and admitted to the Imcouncils,

the

dead

were

posthumous rewards of rank and position which mean so much in the Japanese world even Saigo, who died in arms against his :

Sovereign, was pardoned posthumously, and restored to his former dignities. The one exception ^o this universal clemency has been the unfortunate

42 Ii

Kamon no Kami,

the Shogunal Prime

and he, undeservedly

as

I

believe,

lies

Minister,

under the "

" in reproach of not having played the game his dealings with his Imperial Master. Togo's chivalrous spirit was to be shown years after in the first attack

etiquette required his

own name and

that

upon Port Arthur. the

titles

knight

to his

the correct thing for

Togo

to

before his attack, he sent a

should

it

notify

comwas absolutely

enemy

mencing a combat with him, and

Ancient

before

do when, a few hours wireless

message to him surrender. Admiral Makaroff, advising to How Togo must have rejoiced when he got to know, as he must have done during his time in

England, a few of the old-time English gentleideals of life and honour were perhaps

men whose

the nearest approach in modern times to the spirit of the Japanese bushi. In the year 187 1, Thackeray

had not been very long dead

— years or so:

—not

more than

ten

Col. Newcome and Major Pendennis were types still recognized as being in existence, and Kinglake's "Crimea", with its justification of

a noble though much-abused English samurai, was still making its vigorous appeal to the English sense of justice. Togo must have been just to appreciate the good side of English life character.

ripe

and

met several of his compatriots, Satsuma and Choshu clansmen, such as Kawase, In London, he

Kawakita, and others who were studying like himself. Kikuchi Dairoku, now a Baron, and for some time a Minister of Education, was then either in London, or in Cambridge, and a few others from other parts of Japan were there to form a bodyround which all the Japanese students in England might from time to time rally. Togo did not want for

companions

tually "

led

him

in

London, but circumstances even-

to Plymouth, to the

training-ship

Worcester," which seemed to offer him the greatest facilities for obtaining a practical mastery of the details of his profession.

The

about him were so good that

reports sent

in

1

home

872 the Govern-

ment decided to grant him the rank and treatment of a 2nd Lieutenant in the Imperial Navy, which had been reconstructed since his departure for England, and when his course of training on board the Worcester was finished, in 1876, he was ordered

to

remain

in

England

watch the con-

to

struction of the

new Japanese

was

January 1878, and reached Japan

finished

in

in the following

May.

ship

Hiyei,

which

»

The Strand magazine for April 1905 contains " on Admiral Togo " as a youth in England, written by the Rev. A.S. Capel M.A. to

an

article

44

.

whose care T5go was for some time committed. The writer of this book knew Mr. Capel very well by sight in Cambridge and must have been in undergraduate of Peterhouse just about the same time, .though he never saw Togo,

residence as an

nor even heard of his existence.

Mr. Capel tells us that Togo was put under his care for a few months in Cambridge during the interval between his arrival in England and his joining the

Worcester training ship.

He knew

very

little

English, and his progress,

illness, and partly perhaps from a natural incapacity for mere language study, was

partly from

In

mathematies

however he

very

slow.

much

progress, and soon learned

made

enough English

to discuss the problems of that science.

Mr. Capel next speaks

and

ners,

tells

recommend

us

how

it

of his excellent

became

his

man-

practice to

to his other pupils the study of Eastern

manners as being so much better than the Western manners which Togo and his brother-Japanese had

come

to

His

England to natural

When Togo was

learn. is

modesty a student

shown

indirectly.

Mr. Capel's house of two or three naval in

he was already the hero fights, and what would have delighted the children of the house more than an account of the stirring

45

bombardment ofKagoshima? Yet, fond though he was of gossiping with children, he incidents of the

seems to have resisted

temptation to boasting, and Mr. Capel writes as though he did not know that Togo had already gone through a couple of all

campaigns.

and fondness

Togo's kindness to animals children are early traits which are

grown man, only with more scope

in the

exercise, and we are also told

for

to be found

still

for their

wonderful

of the

power of enduring physical pain which he showed under the

operations

and troublesome

made necessary by a long

affection of his eye.

which caused Mr.

affection

It

was

this

Capel to have the lad

removed from Cambridge to Portsmouth, and thence Worcester for to Plymouth where he joined the training, and yet from the very had stated his intention of becoming he beginning " a sailor on dry land ", by which he was supposed

special

to

nautical

mean

a

shore

appointment

at

the

Japanese

Admiralty. Mr. Capel incidentally also mentions the young man's fondness for attending Church, the singing of the psalms aud

him,

and the use

enabling him

hymns having of

to follow

intelligence the

worship

the

a fascination for

English

with that

Prayer-book

a certain

amount of

was going

on.

I

46

remember to have read some months ago in a New York paper (I am almost sure that it was the Freeman s Journal) a statement that the Admiral England, been baptized a have never been able to verify

had, during his stay in

Roman

Catholic.

I

the statement, and I do not think that

The editor of that when the " yellow and

it

sheet published

this

think that,

doomed

to

the hand

peril

fall

its

height,

to

him

to

before the pagan Japanese, at least directed the blow was that of a

was not much of a comfort, in it rested, I fear, on no

Catholic Christian.

It

and the

was

little

true.

of Christian Russia were

the navies

that

is

statement

"

folly was at was evidently a great comfort if

it

there

solid basis of fact.

And

read the

in

dispatches

yet

no one can have

which he announced

his

Sovereign without being impressed deeply religious tone. All wise men,

victories to his

with

their

says Lord Beaconsfield,

in

one of

his novels, are

all wise men belong to the same religion, religious but they never say what their religion is. Whilst Togo was thus laying the foundation of :

his future greatness in

happening

in

Japan.

England, great events were The elder Saigo, the beau-

Japanese samurai, and the darling of the Satsuma clan, had put himself at the head of a reideal of a

bellion,

which, though nominally directed against

47

who surrounded the Sovereign, and not against the Sovereign himself, would nevertheless, had it been successful, have ended in the unthe counsellors

doing of the whole work of the restoration. Satsuma men that It was due mainly to the

Emperor had got back to his own. They, with their colleagues of Choshu, Hizen, and Tosa, had overthrown the Shogunate and restored the the

The statesmen who

personal rule of the Sovereign. directed that

movement saw

that the personal rule

of the Sovereign was incompatible with the existence of the quasi-independent princedoms which, during the Feudal times, had covered the whole

Japan, they insisted, must be unified, and in order that the unification might be accompli-

land.

shed, the minor principalities central

government

barons, to their -

mediatized

united

'

be

must go, and a strong

established.

endless

The

honour, consented

and to become

the

nobility

great to

be

of an

Empire instead of the ruling Princes of a

divided land.

But further measures were necessary.

was

If

Japan

become a great nation in the modern sense of the term, it was necessary that she should have to

a strong army, resting military clans but

whole people, and

not

on the it

was

on the loyalty of the patriotic service

of the

also of the utmost im-

48 portance that she should

have

a period of peace

during which to effect the necessary changes. It was proposed therefore to abolish the special privileges of the samurai class by adopting universal conscription, and to take conciliatory

measures

in the

had occurred

matter of certain

in

difficulties

which

Korea.

looking back, with the experience of years behind us, now know how wise these

We, forty

measures were. Conscription has made samurai of the whole nation, and the present year has seen the sons of farmers and merchants rivalling the deeds

The breathing space that her reconstruction has been used

of the ancient bushi.

Japan needed to

the

for

and no

full,

fear

of

foreign

aggression

disturbs the nation.

But

in

so evident.

saw

1875 or 1876 these results were not Men of a less penetrating gaze only

that the

samurai

nation's military power,

class,

the

backbone of the

was being threatened with

moment, too, when foreign Powers were knocking more loudly than ever at It was not unnatural that the the gates of Japan. extinction, at the very

Japanese

samurai,

especially

those

of

Satsuma,

whose merits had been so great in the troubles which Japan had just passed through, should lift a cry of alarm.

Neither was

it

altogether strange

49

rumour of a

that the

plot against Saigo's

life

should

send the military students of Kagoshima to arms at last force Saigo himself to put himself at

and

was a most regrettable occurrence, but a natural one, and one which the Japanese have done well to condone. Certainly no act could have demonstrated more clearly the magnatheir head.

It

nimous generosity

Ruler than that which

the

of

restored Saigd posthumously to his former honours

and allowed

monument

his

countrymen of a

life

which,

to speak to his fellowif

at times a

mistaken

was always noble.

one,

Had Togo been

Japan, he would in all pobabilily have 'gone out' with Saigo. Saigo was a Kagoshima man, a former member of the same in

As gochu to which Togo afterwards belonged. an older man, and of leading influence in the councils both of the clan and

many

the

nation, he

had

opportunities of helping

his younger clansHis influence had frequently been exercised on behalf of members of the Togo family, and

men.

when at

Kagoshima men rose and placed Saigo

the

head

their

brothers

him.

all

The

rebellion

in

their

thought

three

it

brothers

Lieutenant

rebellion,

Togo's

their

duty

to

lost

their

lives

three

support in the

Togo, living peaceably in England, was saved from the necessity of making :

50 a

difficult decision,

invaluable

her need.

service

and was thus spared to

his

country

to render

in the

hour of

5i

CHAPTER VL Quiet Progress. Lieutenant the Hiei, on

Togo

May

2,

returned to Japan on board 1878, and on the 3d of July

following was promoted

nant {cku-i).

On

the

transferred to the Fusd,

to the

rank of 2nd Lieute-

18th of August, he was and on the 1 8th December

received another step, being promoted a full LieuteThe rapidity of his promotion may nant {tai-i).

be taken as some indication of the esteem

he was held by

in

which

his superiors.

one year after his return he was moved back to the Hiyei, and to Japan, in 'December of the same year received the rank In 1880 (January) nc of Lieutenant-Commander. In

May

1879, just

went to the Jlngei as Vice-Captain, and received the junior 6th grade of Court rank, and in December 1 88 1 became Vice-Captain of the Amagi. Whilst on board the Amagi, he had occasion little service in Korea. On July 25, 1882, he was at Bakwan (Shimonoseki) with his

to

see a

when a disturbance broke out at Seoul which summoned him to Korea. A disturbance had ship

52 in the Korean Capital, and a mob the Royal Palace had threatened the life invading of the Queen. That unfortunate lady (she was

broken out

murdered some years later) had taken refuge in the Japanese Legation, but the mob had pursued her with violence, and, in the attack on the Leseven Japanese were

gation which ensued,

Mr. (now Baron) Hanabusa, who was

killed.

at that time

managed, with some of his on board a foreign ship at Chemulpo, which took him to Nagasaki, where he was able to inform his government of what had Minister,

at

length

subordinates, to escape

occurred.

The Amagi was and

a

landing

marched up

to

at

party,

the

once ordered to of

whom Togo

capital,

and,

with

Korea,

was one, the

good

offices of the foreign

Powers, succeeded in convincing the Korean King of the wrong he had done in permitting a foreign Legation to be attacked.

The Amagi then

returned

to

Bakwan,

and

Togo, whose services were recognized by a present from the Government, remained with her until the 24th of February 1883, when he was ordered to

come up

Tokyo on board

the Nisshin. Arriving he found that he had been appointed Commander of the Teibo> a ship which he did to

at the Capital,

not long retain, as, in

May

1884, he was sent back

to the

Amagiy as commander, and ordered to cruise and Korean coasts to observe

along the Chinese

war which was recognized that he, especially, was the man to whom such an opporAt the conclusion of tunity would be profitable. the operations of the was then in progress.

Franco-Chinese It

Tokyo, when he made a person to His Majesty, and was

that war, he returned to special report in

The

honoured by a banquet. is

very

mined

The

clear.

quiet,

was making

officer

significance of this

patient, his

and yet

deter-

in the

ranks

way up

of his service.

From June

1885 to

in

Department the

1886, he had shore

May

billets, partly at the Shipping

Bureau of the Naval

Tokyo (Shusenkyoku) and

Onohama Dockyard.

partly at

He was

then placed as Yamato, but transferred

commander on board the in November to the Asama, a post which held for some time concurrently with the Superintendency of the Yokosuka Arsenal (Heiki Bu Cho). In July 1887 he was at Yokosuka as President of the

Court

stranding

Martial

of the

which Kongo.

short

in

time

Station.

In

In

the

1889

case

we

of the find

him

captain, and promoted In 1890 he was for a Court rank. Chief of Staff at the Kure Naval

appointed to the Hiyei,

advanced

tried

full

1891 he was appointed to the Naniwa,

54 the armoured cruiser which was destined to bring his

name

the

for

first

time

before

the

world

of Japan. In this ship he cruised around the coasts of China and Korea outside the naval

Japanese

Hawaiian archipelago to care and cruised off (1893),

the

(1892), visited for

circles

interests

In that year Hokkaido and Vladivostok (1894). he had a break for two months on shore as Director of the Kure Naval Station, but in June he was back again on the Naniwa, and in Chinese

waters, waiting for his

opportunities

of service in

the imminent war with China.

None but a Japanese, or one of those favoured foreigners who have been privileged to see the Japanese Navy from within for a long course of years, can form an idea of the strenuous charac-

which we have been considering

ter of the period

in this chapter.

Togo's

life,

with

its

continuous changes, and

and responsibilities was no more strenuous than that of any of the hundreds of able and ambitious officers who were

its

rapid succession

at this time

of duties

engaged

in

the creation of the Japanese

Navy as a first-class fighting force. The material they had to work truth of the very best,

a Herculean one.

The

with was in

nevertheless, the task was authorities

had

to turn the

55

hardy and daring

fisher population of the sea-board of Japan into an effective force of blue-jackets, capable of understanding and handling the complex

machinery of a modern a place side

by

battle-ship,

and worthy of

side with the jack-tars

of Britain,

America or Germany. In order to do this, a body of able officers was absolutely needed, and though the samurai were ready at hand with traditions of military valour, the samurai themselves

be

shown how much more

needed to

than mere valour was

necessary for the evolution of a naval officer. The samurai, especially in the days of confusion and laxity

had

which preceded the into lawless

fallen

force of

a

strict

fall

of the

Shogunate,

ways and needed to Instructors

discipline.

feel

the

could be

procured, but education was not so easy. There was a temptation to political activity in days when young Japan was looking forward with feverish

anxiety to the

of constitutional government, which was to give to every intelligent student a chance of political distinction, and it was rather gift

hard for the samurai, whose influence had been so great during the to turn a politics.

There

course with

Japanese

birth-throes

deaf ear to

was

the

also

of the Restoration, allurements

another danger. had revealed

nations

foreign the immense

of party

wealth of

Inter-

to the

England

and

56 America, and the gospel of materialism had come to break down the in, along with other gospels, old ideals of mediaeval Japan. It was absolutelynecessary to keep the Japanese naval officers free

from the materialistic notions of the West, and to make them feel so inspired with the dignity of their should value the com-

noble profession that they parative poverty which

the

their uniform implied

above

more tangible comforts of wealth and

ease.

There was yet another task. Satsuma men had been the creators of the Navy, and their influence has always been very great in the force. But men of other clans were now chosen to fight side by side with these intrepid and hot-headed men from

wanted an

of tact, patience, perseverance and good sense to eradicate the clan feeling from the force, to merge all local interests the South.

in

the

make

It

higher

all,

officers

them would be vided a

interests

man

infinity

Empire,

and to

alike, feel that

none of

the

of

and men

out in the cold, but that, prowere a good officer, it did not much left

The

matter where he hailed from. attended patient,

largely

due

self-denying efforts,

of that

band of de-

voted officers

efforts

to

the

whom Togo

when we think

Navy

success which

was

these

of the

in the twentieth

so well represents, and glories of the Japanese

century

we must not

forget

17 the patient labours of the latter part of the nineteenth.

and perhaps always will be, a comparatively poor country, and her poverty hindered Japan

is,

her naval expansion to

money

buy

Parliaments

Japanese

always

for

in

vote

to

much

costs

It

years.

and equip vessels

the early days were not supplies for a fleet, the

eager which was not then as clear to the

utility of

in the street as

it

is

The

now.

It

organization.

do

so, but

it

was doubtless was good that

smaller ships were as those early

much

man

authorities were

consequently obliged to go slowly to

and

of war,

the

in

work

irritating to it

was

as the

of

have

The

so.

inexperienced

were

crews of

days competent to and reason of this very manage effectively, by tardiness of development the Japanese Navy was probably saved from many of the disasters which other navies have met with even in days of peace.

When Togo that

vessel

was appointed Captain of the Nanizva, was one of the finest ships of the

Japanese Navy.

Launched

at

Elswick she

the

in

1885 and

300 ft in completed following year, 2 length, with 36 ft of beam, and a draught of \%y ft. Her displacement is 3700 tons, her indicated horsepower, 7235.

gun

positions.

,

She

is

Her deck armour carries 2

is

3

in.

for

ten-inch and 6 six-

53 inch guns, steams 18.72 knots with a coal capacity of 800 tons, and has a complement of 350

men. of the

we compare these dimensions with those monster battle-ships which now fly the

If

Flag of the Empire, they are as nothing. 1893 they meant a great deal.

But

in

59

CHAPTER

VII.

The War with China. Korea had a bone

The

for

for a

contention

overtures,

friendly

Government

long series of years afforded between China and Japan.

to

Korea

by the Government of

in

made by 1

868,

the

had been

Imperial rejected

that country, which inclined

strongly towards the stagnant decay of the Celestial Empire, from whose rulers it received constant

encouragement, a Japanese man-of-war was even fired upon by the Koreans in the early days of

and we have

Meiji,

to the attack

foreign

made

parties

in

already had occasion to refer by the anti- reform and anti-

Korean Capital on the Seoul, and Mr. Hanabusa's

the

Japanese Legation at

narrow escape from imminent

Two peace.

Kyun formed tical

peril.

years later another peril threatened the The Korean reformers under Kim-Ok-

rivals

a conspiracy to murder their poliof the conservative, or Chinese,

during a banquet, to get possession of the Person of the King and, to establish a progressive

party

Government.

In

this

attempt they seem to have

6o confidently,

though without

official

authority, rec-

koned on Japanese support; for Japan, they thought, would naturally be well disposed towards any attempt at progress or had been,

their plot

carried

gation

they

out,

Guard

to

enlightenment; part at

in

the

protect

when

the Japanese

Le-

Royal Palace

and

to

appealed

thus,

least, successfully

This brought the Japanese into collision with the Chinese troops, who were called in to aid

Person.

by the

anti-reform

a regular fight reformers were driven

and,

party,

and

ensuing, the Japanese out of the Royal Palace,

the

Japanese Legation

was again attacked and burnt, and the Legation staff and escort obliged to take refuge at Chemulpo. The Diplomacy of the foreign Powers now intervened gized to

to

save

Japan,

the

situation.

Korea apolo-

and agreed to pay an indemnity Japanese Legation, and

for the destruction of the

both Japan and China promised by the Treaty of Tientsin, in April 1885, to withdraw their troops

from Seoul.

A

second portion of the same treaty if at any future time the interests

provided that of one party required, or seemed

to

require, the

presence of its troops in Seoul, the other party should be notified of the fact, and be entitled to

send an equal force interests.

for

the

protection of

its

own

6i

The Treaty of Tientsin worked several years. The Governments

fairly well for

of the

three

countries were outwardly at peace, and the surface

of affairs was smooth; official

but

there

intriguing going on, and

it

was much un-

was

just as im-

Korean Reform party not to look sympathy as it was for the Conser-

possible for the to

for

Japan

to refrain from

vatives

fellow-feeling.

were

parties

remember

covert appeals to Chinese resorted to by both

The methods

reprehensible at times, but

that

misgovernment always deeds of violence, and the misgovernment

we must leads in

to

Korea

had been long a bye-word and reproach. The Korean reformer Kim-Ok-Kyun had been leave

to

obliged 1884.

He

Japan,

in

his

country

after the events of

spent the years of his

exile mostly in

retirement and semi-concealment; but in

March 1894 he was

at Shanghai, staying in a under an assumed name, and was boarding-house

there assassinated by a

Korean named Hung.

The

Chinese authorities arrested Hung, but, instead of punishing him themselves, sent him along with the

body of

his victim to Seoul.

At

Seoul,

how-

ever, he received no punishment: he was on the contrary loaded with honours by the Korean King,

whilst

Kim-Ok-Kyun's body was quartered and

exposed

to

view

in public places in the city.

62 Everything looked as though the murder of Kim-Ok-Kyun had been done by the order of the

Korean Government with the approbation of China, and the indignation

of

the

Japanese,

under

as

who looked

Kim-Ok-Kyun being tection, knew no bounds. The Conservatives in Korea now upon

selves in a position to take

their

felt

more decided

pro-

them-

steps of

a reactionary nature, and for this purpose allowed the Tonghaks in the south of the peninsula a somewhat free hand. The Tonghaks, originally a

had developed strong politendencies of an anti-foreign nature. In the spring of 1894, they rose in arms and proclaimed

religious organization, tical

a policy

of expulsion which was directed mainly

against the Japanese, as being practically the only foreign nationality largely represented in the Pe"*

ninsula.

The Korean Government, find itself in

professing

a position to quell

applied to China for help. 1894, the Chinese Minister in

this

not

to

insurrection,

On

the 7th of June Tokyo informed the

Japanese Government, in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty of Tientsin, that China intended sending troops to Korea " for the sake of " in the hour of need. helping a tributary state

Japan refused to recognize the definition of Korea's

63 tributary

own

status,

interests.

and prepared to provide for hel Negotiations were at once com-

menced, with a view to providing a smooth way out

of the difficulties

:

the

Japanese Government

came forward with reasonable

propositions, which,

adopted, might have brought prosperity and contentement to the much-distracted Hermit Kingdom, if

and

at the

same time made

it

clear that she

would

not offer advice without being prepared to back

with something more

substantial.

By

it

the end of

some six or seven thousand Japanese troops whose presence effectively caused a collapse of the Tonghak rebellion. The Chinese had a squadron in Korean

June, there were in and around Seoul

waters, as had also the Japanese, but the force remained

Asan

;

inactive,

and

its

with exhortations

commander to

the

and a force stationary

contented

Tonghaks

to

at

and

himself

return

to

obedience, and pompous proclamations about the solicitude of China for the welfare of a tributary state.

On found a

»

previous occasions, diplomacy had always way out of the oft. -recurring difficulties

between Japan and her neighbours, and this time also efforts at mediation were not lacking. But Japan was determined not to be trifled with. Korea was a buffer state between herself and a Power

64 which her statesmen had long had reason

to dread.

Korea, well governed, might be a real protection

:

Korea, governed according to Chinese notions corrupted to suit Korean tastes, could only fall into hostile hands.

The hour had come

for

Japan

to.

secure for good her ascendancy in Korea, by showing how weak a reed China was to lean upon

—

diplomatic attempts failed, and Japan sent her

ulti-

matum on

July 19th 1894. the 23d of July, Admiral Ito, acting under orders from the General Quarters, left Sasebo with

On

the main portion of his Fleet, the Flying Squadron

under Rear- Admiral Tsuboi, consisting of the Yo-

and Naniwa, being sent ahead These vessels, early on the 25th,

shino, Akitsushitna,

to reconnoitre. fell

the

with the small Chinese cruiser Tsi-yuen, and gun-boat Kuang-yi, with which they had a

in

fight,

the end of which was that the gun-boat was in a sinking condition whilst the Tsi-

run ashore

yuen, escaped only by pretending to surrender, and making off later whilst the attention of the Japanese was engaged elsewhere. The Japanese had been

drawn

off in pursuit of

the

Chinese despatch-boat

Tsao-kiang, (which was captured without resistance), and the British steamer Kaosheng, under charter to the Chinese

Government as a

sunk by the Naniwa,

transport,

for refusing to

which was

obey orders.

65

Togo's action

Kaosheng, was the whole world over as a piece in

severely criticized of high-handed violence. to reproduce here the

ment

of

It

is

therefore advisable

guarded and moderate

occurrence

the

the

sinking

state-

given by the Japanese

Imperial General Staff in their History of the War with China. It will show how correct was Togo's interpretation of his duties under very difficult

and

trying circumstances, and it is a pleasure to think that, when all the circumstances of the case came to

be known, his conduct met with the general

approval. [About 10.30 a.m. the Naniwa steamed up to a transport which had been compelled to anchor at Shopaioul Island, and sent Zengoro Hitomi, Lieutenant of Marine, with Nenjitsu Waraya, 3rd class Engineer, to examine her. This officer made enquiries of her Captain, Thomas Ryder Galdsworthy, and examined the ship's books and papers, from which he learned that the ship was

named

the Kao-sheng, that she flew the British

flag,

was owned by the Indo-China Steam Navigation Company, and had been chartered for this trip by the Chinese Government. She had taken on board troops, arms, and ammunition at Taku and was conveying them across to Asan. The Lieutenant thereupon ordered the Kao-sheng to follow the Naniwa, which Lieut. Captain after some hesitation consented to do.

the

Hitomi then returned to

The Nanhva next

his ship.

signalled to the Kao-sheng to weigh anchor,

but her Captain signalled in reply that he wished to confer upon some important matters, and asked for a boat to be sent, where-

upon Lieutenant Hitomi again went on board the

transport.

66 master of the Kao-sheng had he was not in a position to disobey the orders of the Naniwa, and that he was quite willing to carry out the Naniwa!s orders, but that the Chinese officers

During the

first

admitted to that

the

interview

officer that

He had

on board refused to allow him to do

so.

them

own

ese

to be allowed to land with his

had threatened

that, if

then asked

crew, but the Chin-

he attempted to leave the ship or Naniwa, they would kill every

to carry out the orders of the

European on board. They had also put soldiers armed to watch over the master and mates, and to prevent the engineers from entering the engine room, and when the boat was on its way the second time from the Naniwa they tried to prevent the captain from communicating with it. When Lieutenant Hitomi came on board again, the Captain told him that the Chinese officers would not allow him to obey the orders of the

Naniwa, and that they asked to return had not received notice before

that they

Lieutenant

of war.

tion

serious matter, as the ship

and returned

to

Taku on the ground

starting of the declara-

Hitomi

felt

was

of arms and

full

to his ship to report

that

this

was a very war-material,

it.

was the hearty desire of the Captain of the Naniwa to save Kao-sheng and the lives of the Chinese troops on board, and several communications passed to and fro between the It

the

ships,

but

the

Chinese soldiery only became more violent in

their behaviour to the Captain,

and

at

last

the

Naniwa

nalled to the Kao-sheng's crew to leave her at once.

sig-

This the

Chinese general would not permit, and so they asked the to send a boat to fetch them away. This request could not be granted, for matters were now very critical, and

Naniwa it

was quit? uncertain what course the Chinese troops might

take

it

into their heads to adopt, so the captain of the

signalled to the

Kao-sheng's crew

to

come

in their

course which the Chinese again refused to allow

Naniwa own boat, a

them

to follow.

67 The Captain

of the Naniiva

now

recognized that the

Captain

was helpless against the menaces of his Chinese passengers, so he ordered the crew to leave the ship, hoisted a red flag at the masthead, and whistled several times as a sign of imminent danger: whereupon the captain and crew of the Kao-sheng jumped overboard one after the other. The Naniwa now launched a torpedo, which missed, but followed it

up with a

shell,

which made a hole

a great cloud of steam and smoke.

swim jumped overboard

to

could not swim remained on

Naniwa and sometimes

at

swim

in the boiler

and raised

At

this everyone that could

to

land,

board,

firing

the crew

while those

who

sometimes at the

who were swimming

to-

This happened at i.io p.m, five wards the Japanese ship. minutes later the Kao-sheng began to sink by the stern, and at 1.46 p.m. it sunk in deep water, 2 nautical miles to the south of Shopaioul Island. When she had sunk, the Naniwa *s managed to rescue the captain and first mate (both Eng-

boats

a pilot (a Manila man) but the crew were either lish) and drowned or shot by the Chinese troops. Most of the Chinese were drowned, only some 160 or 170 men succeeding in reaching Shopaioul Island, where thery were afterwards rescued by ;

the I.

German man-of-war litis, and taken to Chefoo on August their number was a German officer, von Hannecken,

Among

who had been

for

many

years in the Chinese Service.]

The following account of

the sinking of the

Kozvsh :ng (an alternative form of spelling Kao" International sheng), taken from Prof. Takahashi's "

Law

during the China- Japan War may serve to set before the reader the legal aspect of Togo's action in sinking the ship.

"It was about 6 a.m. on the 25th July 1894,

68 that

the

division

first

of the

Japanese Squadron

saw two Chinese men-of-war near the island of Phung-do (or Round Island) in Korean waters.

At

7.5 the fleets approached each other within and began to open fire. It was thus metres 3000 on the first scene of the grand rose the curtain

drama of war raged

in

fiercely for

the

The encounter half. One

Far East.

about an hour and a

of the Chinese ships, being severely

while

ashore, find her

way

damaged, went

the other fled to Chelung Bay, to While the Japanese back to China.

was chasing the enemy two other steamers

fleet

had appeared in the offing. They were now near, and it was soon seen that one of them was the Tsao-kiang, the Chinese gunboat, and the other was the Kowshing which had left Taku on the 23d., and just

now

arrived on the

scene to play the

most

regrettable part in the matter.

At 8.30 a.m. shing

the Japanese fleet

passing on the starboard

in

saw the Kowthe

distance.

At

9.15, the Naniwa, one of the Japanese fleet, drew near the British ship, signalled her to stop and fired two blank cartridges. Next she ordered

her to anchor by the signal L.P. Prize officers were soon sent to her, and it was discovered that she carried nothing but enemy's troops.

Naniwa ordered

the

Kowshing

to

Thereupon the and

follow her,

«9 the captain of the transport consented to do. Soon after this the captain again signalled the

this

Naniwa, requesting that a boat should be sent. When that request was complied with, the captain stated that although he was personally willing to obey the orders of the Naniwa, the Chinese officers on board would not allow him to do so, demanding that he should steer in the direction of

Taku

whence they had come. He therefore begged permission to take this course. Meanwhile the Chinese soldiers on board the

Kowshing were clamour-

ing violently and angrily threatening the captain and officers with their rifles. In this way, the

Chinese soldiers prevented the Kowshing from

fol-

lowing the Japanese ship, over-ruling the will of the captain. So the Naniwa signalled the British

He replied again by a boat sholud be sent, but signal, requesting that the answer was that the captain and his officers captain

to

leave

his

ship.

should proceed at once to the

own

boats.

The

was not allowed

among

the

dimensions.

no help

for

Naniwa

in

their

captain signalled in reply that he By this time the tumult

to come.

Chinese soldiers had assumed serious

Under these circumstances, it

but to

hoist

the

red

there was

flag

at

the

foremast of the Naniwa, in token that firing was about to commence, while signals were once more

7°

made urging with

all

the captain

No

speed.

less

to

leave

the

Kowshing

than four hours had been

spent in fruitless signals and negotiations, as it was the desire of the Japanese to make the Chinese

surrender without bloodshed, and then guide the Kowshing to a place of safety. The Chinese however were unable to understand the generosity of the Japanese, and menaced their commander refusing point blank

to

obey the instructions

of

the

There was nothing for it but to sink the Kowshing, and so in another moment a shell was

Naniwa. fired at

her with

once to

settle

fatal precision.

The

ship began at

down, and soon disappeared beneath

the waves."

In

his

official

report

Togo makes one

ment which does not appear

state-

in the

above-quoted passage from Prof. Takahashi's book. "It seemed to me," he said, that she (the Kowshing) was awaiting the arrival of the Chinese fleet," so that " it was indeed dangerous to hesitate any longer."

Westlake and Holland, both auon International Law, at once came for-

Professors thorities

ward

grounded rations I.

Naniwa. They on the following conside-

to defend the action of the their defence

:

That the

ship,

though British owned and flying was actually engaged in bel-

the British flag,

7*

Hgerent operations as a transport of China. 2.

in the service

That the practice of commencing war without formal declaration is one which has found its

way

centuries

for

nations: that China

into

past

was a

the

practice of

and the

belligerent,

Kowshing, as a hired vessel in their must take the risks of belligerency. 3.

That the Japanese were rights in

preventing the

service,

clearly within their

Kowshing with Chinese

troops on board from reaching her destination in Korea, that they had done their best to

take her uninjured to Japan, and that the refusal of the Chinese commanding officer to

allow the

the

orders

Captain of the

of the

Kowshing

Naniwa was

a

to

obey

sufficient

for

Captain Togo's action. may perhaps be noted here that the Master of the Kowshing, Captain Galsworthy, had been justification It

trained with

first

Togo on board

the " Worcester."

In dealing with the Kaosheng, Togo had his opportunity of putting into practice the lessons

of naval warfare which he had learned in England. Fortiter in re, he had allowed no considerations of

mercy

to interfere with

what

lie

saw

to be his plain

duty to his country under the trying circumstances. Suaviter in modo, he had exerted himself, though

9' vainly, to save the survivors

and many of the foreign

from the catastrophe, on board these ships

sailors

expressed themselves grateful for the treatment he gave them. The European and Chinese prisoners

from the Kaosheng, and Tsao Kiang, were sent to Nagasaki, where they were well treated, the Euro-

pean prisoners being shortly set at liberty. But for a time there was great excitement, especially in England, and Togo was afraid that his

Government might not be able

in face of the

out

it

all,

storm of

to support

hostile criticism.

him

Through-

preserved his outward coolness but in his heart there was much

Togo

of demeanour, " " If," said he, my action should prove anxiety. fatal to the Imperial Policy, and bring my country into difficulties, I will

Such was stillness

Naniwa

once commit harakiri"

at

the resolution which he

of a

quiet It

hour

was

of

came

to in the

meditation

fortunate for

his

on

the

country measures were necessary for the preservation of his honour. Bridge.

that no such drastic

73

CHAPTER

VIII.

The War with China,

(continued)

the -Nanhva until the conwar with China. In the battle of the Yalu which broke the naval strength of China, the Naniwa was the fourth vessel in Admiral Ito's line, being the last

Togo continued on

clusion of the

vessel

in

distance

the

by The other

van

line,

and followed

at

a

little

the six ships of the main Squadron. ships in the van were the Yoshino,

Takachiho and

Akitsushima,

the

main Squadron

consisted of the Matsuskima, Chiyoda, Itsukushima

y

Hashidate, Hiyei and Fuso, with the gun-boat Akagi and the converted liner Saikyo-maru in the rear of the Fleet and outside the line of battle.

Eight of

these were protected cruisers of the newest type, all of high speed, with steel-belt protection, and

most of them provided with quickfiring guns.

The Chinese

Fleet consisted of the following the vessels. On right, the Yang-wei, Chao-Yung, Ching-Yuen; in the centre, the Lai-Yuen, Chen-

and King- Yuen; on the left, the Out of the Chi-Yuen, Kwang-Chia, and Tsi-Yuen. line stood the Ping- Yuen and Kwang-Ping, four Yuen, Ting-Yuen

,

74

The Chitorpedo-boats, and two small gun-boats. nese were superior in weight, the Chen- Yuen and Ting-Yuen being battle-ships of 7,430 tons each, whilst the largest of the

Japanese ships was not

more than 4,277 tons; but they had no quickfiring guns and the dishonesty of responsible officials had provided them with very defective ammunition and, in particular, with many shells which would not explode.

was

Ito's

ships

one

plan to lead his vessels round the right wing of the Chinese Fleet, and then, turning back, to pass through the enemy's line and engage It

their

by

absolutely successful. all

that were

were the

left

two

in

His

one.

When

it

manoeuvre

was

was accomplished

Chinese ships, Chin-Yuen and Ting-

action of the

battle-ships

Yuen, their

armoured portions unscathed but

unamoured

parts

their

with Japanese shot, the Lai-Yuen which was on fire, the Ching-Yuen, and

the

Ping- Yuen.

riddled

Of

the other boats, the

Hwang-

ping and the torpedo boats had taken refuge in the mouth of the Yalu, the King- Yuen and Chi- Yuen had been sunk, the Tsi-Yuen was steaming for Port Arthur, and the Kwang^chia had run ashore. Before sunset the two battle ships were still un-

subdued, and were answering though slowly to the fire from the Japanese ships. Admiral ltd had no

7$ torpedo-boats, and no means of resisting a night His attack from the torpedo-boats of the Chinese.

ammunition was also beginning to run low, so that he deemed it to be the wisest course to call off his ships

and allow the crippled Chinese Squadron to

gain the friendly shelter of Port Arthur.

The Naniwa went through the thick of the The Chinese fought with great determination, fight. lost no vessel, yet four the MatsusJiima, Hiyei, Akagi and ships, Saikyo maru, were so badly injured that they had The Naniwa imto be withdrawn from action.

and though the Japanese of their

mediately preceded the Matsushima, and yet, strange to say, she escaped with no injuries to herself, and

only one man wounded, as did also the Chiyoda, which followed next after the Matsushima and had

no casualties

good

at

all.

fortune of the

The Japanese attributed the Naniwa to the skill with which

her captain manoeuvred her, for she certainly never sought to avoid danger, and her firing on her op-

ponents was accurate and deadly. The battle of the Yalu ended the naval

resis-

who

never again ventured to meet the Japanese Squadrons in open action. Port Arthur fell, and in process of time Weihaiwei also tance of the Chinese,

surrendered to the Japanese forces, the capitulation of that fortress involving the surrender of all the

7« undestroyed remnants of the Chinese Navy. In all operations the Naniwa bore its part, and

these

though the operations against the Chinese ships in Weihaiwei were mainly conducted by torpedo-boats, yet the four cruisers Matsushima (repaired soon after the Yalu), Yos/izno, Takachiho and Naniwa had a constant service to render in engaging the rbrts

which the Chinese had erected

at the entrance

to the harbour, as also the Chinese battleships cruisers,

and

which would from time to time come out

under the sheltering fire of the guns on the forts, and seek to create a diversion by engaging the Japanese ships.

Weihaiwei surrendered on February and the tragic suicide of

Ad miral

Ting, followed

its

in

12th. 1895,

brave defender, Vicea

few hours.

Togo's prudent and careful management of his vessel had brought the Naniwa to the close of the naval operations with her

and

his

before,

fighting

capacity unimpaired, its reward. Just

prudence now met with or just after the

fall

of Weihaiwei he

was

command

of the Standing Squathe appointed dron and sent to the Pescadores and Formosa, to to

A

brioccupation of those Islands. gade of 4500 men left Sasebo on the 15th. March, on the 23d, the Yoshino and Naniwa had made a

assist in the

reconnaissance of the island, and by the

26th the

77

whole archipelago was in Japanese hands. On the 30th an armistice was concluded, which practically ended the operations of the war. Besides his well-merited promotion as RearAdmiral, Togo received

many marks

of his Sover-

A

grant of 500 yen per annum eign's gratitude. the and was given him, 4th Class Order of Merit

with the Lesser Cordon of the Rising Sun lie had also more solid proofs of the esteem in which he ;

was held

in his

appointment as member of the Ad-

miralty Board, as Chairman of the Board of Naval Works (Kaiguu Gijutsu Kwaigi)> and as a member of the Decorations' and Promotion Committee.

It

meant to make a

full

was evident that

his country

use of his powers.

7»

CHAPTER The Retrocession

IX.

of the Liautung

and

the Post Bellum Expansion.

The will

be

of

retrocession

in

every one's

the

Liautung

memory.

When

Peninsula Japan,

by

had conquered China by land and the treaty of peace between the two countries

force of arms, sea,

Liautung Peninsula, with its Arthur, should be ceded to Japan as part of the spoils of war. To this provision Russia objected, and not

provided

the

that

fortress of Port

unnaturally

;

which many

for

it

of her

was a death-blow statesmen

to

cherished

hopes

though

without yet avowing them. On the plea that the integrity of China must be respected, Russia, aided by France and Germany, protested against the cession of the Peninsula, and Japan, which at that

moment

possessed no battleships except the two battered vessels she had just taken at Weihaiwei,

was not

in

a position to say

them nay.

No

friend

stood by at that moment to see justice done. America was occupied in the settling of her newly annexed territories and had but slight interests in

79 those remote

regions

intentions in the

the coming war

England,

:

world, in

South

nothing to aid a country

with

the

had her hands Africa,

whose

best

tied with

and could do

future

importance

the nations was only just begining to be reJapan was therefore obliged to yield, cognized. with a sense of injustice at her heart, which became

among

intensely acute when,

a sequel

as

to the protest,

and Germany proceeded to dismember China themselves by the virtual annexation, under a flimsy veil of leases, of the Liautung Peninsula and Kiauchow. Russia

From

that

moment

it

became

the

ardent

who more

desire of every

Japanese patriot (and than the officers of the Imperial Navy?) to have revenge for the affront which had been patriotic

offered to the nation, for the self,

of

and

to recover Port

Flag of the Rising Sun.

Japan found her-

by the unjust action of the Powers,

all

the fruits

allowed to retain

of her the

victory.

Peninsula,

checked Russian advances

in

Arthur

Had

deprived she been

she would have

Manchuria and saved

the world the spectacle of a long and bloody war. it was, she had to stand by, a passive spectator,

As

whilst

her

insidious

foe

advanced by rapid

and

regular steps towards the attainment of an ambition which meant her own ruin. More than that,

8o her

plans

the

for

regeneration

of

Korea

were

frustrated. The world may see in Formosa what Japan can do by way of organizing

entirely

and

in

improving

where

districts

she

has

an

Formosa is a prosperous absolutely free hand. the of Empire, and the world hears province nothing of Japanese high-handedness or rapacity Had she a had free hand she would have there.

done But

for

Korea what she has done

after

hands were

the

Formosa.

Liautung

her

The Korean Government, shame-

tied.

lessly corrupt,

of the

retrocession

for

had no love

for her,

and thwarted

China and Russia, but the more especially latter, were every ready to back up Korea in her resistance to Japan, and every measure she took.

more than one of to stand behind

Russia.

Korea, with not even enough control her own turbulent

cally powerless in

power

effectively

Powers was willing Japan was left -practi-

the foreign

to

citizens in the Peninsula,

and with the whole

tide

of intrigue, which runs so strongly in Seoul, setting Her agents may not always have in against her. acted with consummate

discretion in these

trying

circumstances, her irresponsible subjects were often times disagreably over-bearing in their demeanour,

and one instance

at

assassination of the

least,

the

most regrettable

Korean Queen, gave a sharp

81 the

to

point

of

sneers

Japanese methods, but that there

is

no

effect

hostile

it is

about

criticism

good Buddhist doctrine

without a cause, and

murder of the Korean Queen the effect, the cause, or at

looked

is

if

the

upon as must

one cause,

least

be sought in the uncalled for interference of the Powers, which robbed Japan not only of the Liau-

tung Peninsula, but of

all

prestige

fluence in the affairs of the

was

The

effect of

to

determine a

country

and

effective in-

Hermit Kingdom. of the Powers

the intervention

Japanese to make their naval and military Power, her own against any of the

the

first-class

capable of holding

Powers, whose jealousy might stand in the way of her legitimate advancement and progress in the future. Japanese statesmen had long foreseen that a war

with

Russia

that the hour had

must come

come

:

they

now saw

to prepare for that struggle.

Togo's work during the

next few years was and we can now

in preparation for that struggle,

see that during the whole period between the war with China and the war with Russia, he must have

the soul of the preparations.

was the

And,

just because

he

work

lay beneath the surface. In the years that elapsed between the conclusion of the war with China and the commencement

of the

soul, his

Boxer Trouble, the Admiral was

for the

82

most part on shore, engaged in Admiralty work, re-organizing the Naval Academy (of which he was for a short

time the President) for the higher train-

ing

of the best

his

in

part

the

spirits

of the Navy, and

great

developments of the

bearing later

nineties.

How

great the development

from the Statistics of the Navy.

was may be seen the commence-

At

ment of the war with China the Japanese Fleet numbered 28 warships and 24 torpedo-boats, with a grand total tonnage of 59, 106 tons. At the end of the war, what with captures and purchases, the tonnage had increased to 91,161 tons, but the Fleets as then organized contained no single unit of really When the war with Russia first-class importance.

broke out she had 7 battle-ships,

all first-class,

ex-

cept the Chinyen, with a united tonnage which by itself exceeded the gross tonnage of the whole fleet at

the

end of the war with China, 6 armoured

cruisers with a

tonnage of over

9000 tons each,

18 protected cruisers, 10 small cruisers,

1

torpedo-

and 19 torpedo-boat-destroyers, 58 27 2nd class torpedo-boats, besides two powerful armoured cruisers on their way to the country. All these ships were manned with skilful and wellvessel,

1st class

trained crews, whilst, for the necessary

accommoda-

tion of this suddenly

expanded organization, naval

83 stations,

dockyards, barracks, training-schools, hos-

pitals, and stores had to be accumulated or provided. The men who were engaged in the directing of

immense undertaking spent laborious days of drudgery and patient attention to detail, and if the this

biographer finds but little to record during these years devoid of incident, he can but point to these

and ask, where was the room for picturesque incidents in the busy life which all this

immense

results,

work implies? \)ne

fact,

recorded by

the

points to the thoroughness with

work

of inspection.

He

native

historian,

which he did

insisted that

his

whenever a

gun was tested, the trial should be made with real shell, and not with any merely equivalent substitute. It was a costly method of experimenting, but it made for efficiency, and it was efficiency that he

was aiming

at.

Gazetted Vice- Admiral to Tientsin

of

affairs,

in 1898, he was sent on the Kasagi to observe the situation which was becoming threatening. At

Tientsin he played the

part of a quiet observer, " the harvest vigilant but unobtrusive, and he reaped

of the quiet eye to garner.

western

"

which such observers rarely fail outbreak, which took the

The Boxer

Powers

fully prepared.

wholly

When

hes

by' surprise,

aw

found

him

the outbreak to be

84

unavoidable, he suddenly to

Tokyo

left his

to give warning.

ship and hastened

Thus Japan was

well

prepared for the struggle, and, from the bombardment of the Taku Forts to the rescue of the Legations at Pekin, kept well to the fore of the other

Powers.

The

writer

of

this

the affectionate interest

Togo

memoir

remembers with which the news from well

was awaited by the officers then the Naval Academy in Tokyo, who

at Tientsin

studying at

were all eagerly hoping for a chance of service in He will never the event of disturbances in China. forget one afternoon lesson which he gave to a class

of Paymaster officers who, but a few minutes before entering the class-room, had heard that

Togo had

returned and that the tumults in China had begun. The discipline of the school required that the lesson

But the results sholud be given, and it was given. were not great. What interest could a class take in

Gerunds and Participles when they knew that than 24 hours they might be on their way

in less

to Tientsin as part of the relieving force?

band of paymaster-cadets were for

me At

all

A

small

that remained

to teach during the rest of that term. this point I

about one of the

should like to say few words who took part in the Boxer

officers

Campaign, and who

later

met

his death in

one of the

8; early attempts on Port Arthur.

mander

Shiraishi

was not

The

late

Lieut-Com-

at the time a student of

Academy, but was serving under Captain Hattori It was he who succeeded in outstripat Tientsin. the officers of the other nationalities in the comping bined attack upon the Taku Forts, and who procured the

for the

Japanese Flag the honour of being the fir. t from the captured batteries. man of tre-

A

to fly

mendous

strength

physical

and

most impetuous

temperament, he accidentally killed a sentry, whom he found asleep at his post with a vigorous box

on the

ears,

and

for this

was court-martialled and

dismissed from the service. ever,

In consideration,

how-

of his distinguished services at Tientsin, he

was subsequently pardoned by the Emperor, and the Boxer Troubles were over entered the Academy for higher studies. I knew him as a

after

gentle, thoughtful,

tenderness, which

man, with a strange melancholy -I

know now

to

have been the

after-glow of penitence for the impetuosity which had caused the death of a fellow-soldier, as well as of grateful

recognition for the clemency which

had restored him

to

his

former rank

and posi-

and, when I read of his death before Port Arthur, I knew that he had died the death which

tion

;

above have

all

this

I am glad to of paying even this slight opportunity

he would have desired.

86 tribute to

the

of a brave and honourable

memory

sailor.

The

relief

with which

of Pekin was a military operation

Togo had nothing

capacity of quiet observer he

to do. But in his saw a great deal of

Russian methods, and when he returned to Japan it

was

to put the

Navy

into as effective a condition

as might be for the approaching struggle.

The work which now fell to his lot was the organization of the new Naval Station at Maizuru, a post which effectually screened him from the public gaze.

Hitherto, Japan had possessed three

Naval Stations, one

Yokosuka, near the entrance to the Bay of Yokohama, another at Kure, on the Inland Sea, not far from the great garrison-town at

of Hiroshima, and a third at Sasebo in the Island

of Kyushu, a few hours distant from Nagasaki. these were added the torpedo-station at Omiya

To

near Aomori, intended to serve, for the protection of the Tsugaru Straits, between the main island

and Hokkaido, and the port of Takeshiki in Tsushima, an island half-way between the main island of Japan and Korea. For operations in North China and Manchuria the Naval Station at Sasebo was most conveniently situated, and it is from Sasebo that most of the naval operations of the present war

have originated

;

but

it

was evident

that

in

the

87 event of a war

with

Russia a naval port would

be required facing the great port of Vladivostok, which ought most certainly to have played a large in

part

war between the two

a naval

countries.

The

port of Maizuru, with a splendid bay capable of holding a large fleet with ease, was selected for

this

purpose,

and Togo was chosen

for the

duty

The war of preparing this new base of operations. broke out before the railway which is to bring Maizuru

into connection with the outer

world could

be completed, and this fact militated to some extent against the utility of Maizuru during the present

war

;

but

must also be remembered that the

it

port served to make it a suitable place for carrying out many schemes for

very isolation of the

new

which secrecy was absolutely difficult

the

for

essentiall.

It

was

general run of irresponsible war pry into the affairs of a Naval

correspondents to Station which

by

was only

accessible

by a long journey

jinrikisha.

Togo's sojourn at Maizuru, whilst no than the other portions of his active

life,

less

busy was perhaps

the most peaceful period of his whole career. He was busy in the organization of the post,

and

in

what he loved more

the study of naval tactics. told us in

new

than' anything,

His subordinates have

Japanese books and magazines of the

88

extreme quietness of his methods. " The Admiral," " does said one of them, nothing, so far we can see, but

his

lift

hand

in salute twice a day,

once when

he enters the Port Admiralty in the morning, and once when he leaves it in the afternoon." The

words speak volumes for his powers of organization. The whole machine moved so smoothly that the hand of

yet

it

was

its

director

seemed

to be absent.

And

always there in case of need.

His wife and family, the former a daughter of Viscount Kaieda, who had been married to Togo her eighteenth year, soon after the completion of his studies in England, were with him for some

in

time in Maizuru, though before the commencement of the present war they had removed to their present residence in Tokyo, where the two sons are studying at the Peers' Shcool and the daughter at the School for Peeresses.

The family

been of the happiest (a

life

fact

seems which

to

have always

may

possibly

seem strange to the Western reader when he is told that husband and wife had never seen each other until they met for the marriage ceremony), and the family seem to have exercised great judgment

in the selection of a wife for their rising officer.

Madame Togo woman, her

is

spoken of as a capable,

frugal,

excellent in house-keeping, not above putting

own hand

to the

work of the household and a

89 wise mother in the education of her children, and the

Admiral has requited her

entrusting to her the household

sole

life.

judgment

He

him

affection for all

himself has,

by-

the details of at all times,

been utterly indifferent to the petty details of housekeeping or the arrangement and decorations of his rooms, and when artists have come to tempt him with the pictures which, to some Japanese, are objects of so great interest, he has always been contented to refer

them

to his wife.

A

keen sportsman, his greatest joy during the Maizuru days was to slip out on Saturday afternoons m the oldest and shabbiest of clothes and to spend the week's end rest in a tramp over the his

gun and the beloved dogs with

hills,

whom

with

he has

frequently been known to share his last sushi or ball of rice. great part of his enjoyment on such

A

days has come from his keen love of nature. He has been known to go along a lane in which sparrows were feeding on grains of scattered rice, and to

make

a detour rather than disturb the birds at their

and on one occasion, when a country friend brought him a stuffed deer, he turned round and feast

:

scolded

him

for

shooting a doe with young

;

for his

keen eye enabled him at a glance to tell that the animal had been with young at the time of death. In his garden he is always interested. He

90 himself, and nothing gives him than the acquisition of a rare or greater pleasure will

work

in

it

valuable plant.

Temperate and abstemious

in

his

habits,

he

has never been intoxicated, though he makes it his Frugal practice to drink sake with his evening meal.

and

careful,

he never wastes a sen on himself, and

More yet he is both fond of company and generous. than once, when he has been invited to a feast at a restaurant by his subordinates, he has contrived to slip out unawares and to settle the whole ac-

how he had

count before his hosts were aware of

defeated their good intentions. Strict himself in the performance of his duties,

he has always expected the same strictness from He will never affix his seal

those beneath him. to

any

report

which he

has

not

first

verified

himself, and the truthfulness of his reports to the Emperor during the present war has been as con-

spicuous as

their

modesty.

When

report of the initial attack

submitted

to

him,

it

the

first

draft

Port Arthur was

upon ended with

the

statement

that Admiral MakarofT had perished with his ship. " " Strike that sentence out," he said we know ;

gone down, but we did not see He may possibly have escaped, and

that the ship has

MakarofT I

die.

should be covered with shame

if I

had reported

9T

enemy's Admiral when he was

the death of the alive."

In his reports of his victories he has always striven to keep himself in the back-ground, and to speak in generous terms of those who have worked

with him, and more than

once he has apologized

words of praise which have come to him from His Majesty, as though by ac-

to his

staff for

the

cepting them he were defrauding his officers and men of their due.

The

partizan-feeling of the

Satsuma clansman

has been successfully sunk in the higher patriotism of the Imperial Service. Keenly alive to the quali-

whom

he has been brought used always great discriminathe selection of good material, and to be

fications of those

with

into contact, he has

tion in

chosen by Togo a commendation.

He

is

for

affable

any

particular

woik

and courteous to

all,

is

in itself

especially

those beneath him, and he has been known willfully to shut his eyes to a breach of discipline committed

through ignorance, so as to give the offender an opportunity to do better.

Such

is

the

man

as

depicted for us by his

fellow-countryman. Japan is happy in possessing him. feel sure that the Admiral would wish us to

We

add, "Yes, but Japan has

many more

as good."

9*

CHAPTER The Beginnings

We

of the

X.

War with

have now reached a point

history becomes the history of

Russia.

which Togo's

at

his country.

To the thoughtless on-looker, who only scanned the surface of things, the idea of Japan venturing single-handed upon a struggle with the gigantic was preposterous. It seemed of the Far East was runEmpire

of Russia

Empire

that the upstart

a

ning upon

certain

result has

shown

The

destruction.

Japanese thought did not take

leaders of

this view,

that they took

and the

a juster estimate

of the facts of the case. "

Those who looked below the

surface have

discovered," says a writer at the beginning of the " that in the hidden recesses of the Japanese war, lay a strong virility of character, a of and clearness of aim, combined will, strength with a readiness to sacrifice self to the attainment

heart

there

made any future, and there have never

of great national purposes, which

however

great, a possibility,

been wanting prophets

Japan

would,

by

who have

predicted that raise herself

leaps and bounds,

93 to

a

high

the

among

place

To

nations.

such

persons the thought of a conflict between Japan and

Russia did not seem to be absurdly impossible." ^ " In the spirit of religious patriotism," continues

same

the

" writer,

the whole nation

The

authorities

lay aside all

care

is

as one man.

can count with certainty military of the armies on the and the devotion on bravery field of battle, while the central Government can loyalty at home.

as

to

any

The nation

is

disaffection or dis-

as a unit, and here

Government has a great advantage

the Japanese

over the Russian. Japan has within her borders no discontented Poles and Finns, no Nihilists, no Anarchists,

no Siberian

Japan has never

been,

Exiles. like

What

is

more,

Russia, a menace to

She can devote the whole surrounding nations. of her energy and strength to the war in which she

is

now engaged."

^Intelligence, trative

detail,

points were

*

efficiency,

sobriety,

perfection of adminis-

official

honesty,

all

these

to say nothing of

in

Japan's favour, the geographical advantages which accrued to her and against [from proximity to the scene of battle, ill these advantage, the mere bulk and numbers of

—

:he

Russian forces never had a chance of success. *

Russojapanesi

War

(Kinkodo, Tokyo.) No.

I.

p. 65.

94 It is true Japan entered the contest single handed, and also that, in the beginning, she had but little favour from the great Powers of the

West, which feared

lest

her success should involve

a collapse of the status quo which European diplomacy finds it so difficult to maintain at home.

But she had two good

friends, for

whose benevolent

neutrality she will never cease to be grateful.

two great Anglo-Saxon Powers

(if

the

The

American

cousins of Great Britain will allow themselves to be

Anglo-Saxons) had learned to recognize the bond of common feeling which links them to the called

Empire which claims to be the Britain of the Far East. The British occupation of Weihaiwei Island

had marked

England's

handed proceedings tinental

Europe

in

disapproval of the highthree powers of Con-

of the

demanding the retrocession

of

the Liautung Peninsula, the fraternity in arms which resulted from the common expedition for the relief of the Legations in Pekin had cemented the friend-

and the Treaty of Alliance between England and Japan, soon we trust to be renewed under ship,

more favourable

whom

it

conditions,

had proclaimed to

all

might concern that England's heart was of the United ^ The sympathy

entirely with Japan.

States had been expressed in a less formal manner,

but

was,

perhaps

for

that

very

reason,

all

the

95 It has constantly shown itself, whole course of the warlike operathe throughout works of practical sympathy, and its tions, in

more spontaneous.

crowning evidence has been the

by the Great President of the

knew

peace. Japan had these two Powers standing see fair play, and fair play was all

she

that

behind her to that she

that Great Republic for

honourable

of an

restoration

solicitude exhibited

demanded.

may

I

Perhaps

be

forgiven

for

suggesting

was another thought, felt though not formally expressed, which gave strength to the An attempt was made at the Japanese nation. that

there

commencement of of Europe (perhaps

war, "

peril

"

"

degrade

it

in

the eyes

would be the better

dignity (or indignity) of a religious " talked freely about a yellow

term) to the

and

the war to exalt

men

which was

supposed to be threatening the

common Christendom of Europe and America. The men who used that phrase must have done it with a quasi-consciousness that all was not just as should be with the Christianity of so-called

it

Christendom, that rulers both

had

for a

deaf ear to

have last

long the

reached

in

Church and State

of years been turning a '' which must warning voices

course "

them time and again during the

seventy years or

more,

and that

at length

a

96

Power higher than ments

the

for

man's

purging

of

no reason to

Europe has

was making arrangeHis own Kingdom.

fear

the irruption of a

horde of yellow barbarians. The barbarians by all accounts are on the other side of the Ural still ;

the rise of Japan

" indeed a " peril to obscurantism,

and

superstition,

wants

is

corruption,

and

what

Europe

crusade a yellow race but a return to vital religion. Europe, faithful to the teachis

ing of the

a

not

Jew whom she

professes to revere as her " " Saviour, will have no need to fear a yellow peril. I

have

ventured

to

because the thought of a for

Japan,

occurs

more

digress

on

this

point

higher Power, working than once in Admiral

relative to his naval successes,

Togo's despatches and because it seems right that Japan in the hour of victory should hear the friendly warning which the attendant whispered to the "

the hour of his art mortal/'

land of

my

Roman

Remember

General that

in

thou

Triumph has shown great favour to the adopted home. The favours of heaven

God

always imply corresponding responsibilities. When the Admiral was informed of

his

appointment as Commander-in-Chief of the United

Squadron, he

was

living

at

Maizuru

alone,

his

family being in Tokyo for the better education of the children. He immediately proceeded to the

97

where he stayed two or three days necessary arrangements and started directly Capital,

Sasebo to take up from a bad cold,

his

command.

and

from

He was

for for

suffering

his old complaint of

rheumatism, which he carries about with him as a of the blockade of Weihaiwei in the war

memento

with China, and his to

family

recruit

urged him to stay a

before

longer leaving for command, but he refused to extend his stay. little

always get well at sea," he

A

said

as

his "

I

he bade his

him on board the flagship (Mikasd) in Sasebo, and asked him if he had any message to send home. " Nothing in " tell them that I am particular," was his answer family farewell.

relative visited

;

well and happy, and that they are not to distract me by sending letters." The Admiral had absolute

confidence in his

his duty.

There

attitude of mind.

and now he wanted to mind to the discharge of

family,

give the whole of his is

It

something Roman about this reminds one of Regulus and

Carthage.

The Japanese ultimatum was communicated

to

the Russian Foreign Minister at 4. p.m. on February On the same day the United Squadron 1904.

6.,

Sasebo, picking up reinforcements of stray ships on the way, and reaching Mokpho in the S W. of

left

Korea on the following day.

Mokpho was made

98 the

first

"

flying base

"

of the Japanese Fleet.

Togo

had before him a double problem. He had, to use Admiral Bridge's words, " to meet a hostile fleet, and to pass a great army across the sea." In order to do this he was under the necessity of imposing inactivity on the Russian Fleet until there

had been time enough for the Japanese Army to be placed on the continent in such a position as to threaten Port Arthur

which

it

was necessary his

ships,

under his

new

which was the base upon In doing this work it tc take the utmost care of

principally relied. for

him

which could not be replaced. He had charge the whole Navy of Japan, and

ships could not be purchased during the dura-

Against him was arrayed a part of the Russian Navy, and re-inforcements might at any time give a tremendous superiority to his tion of hostilities.

opponents.

was hailed as a good omen by the Fleet shortly before reaching Mokpho, they made

It

that,

their first capture a

Russian merchantman, named

the Russia; and the seamen shouted to one another " with glee, Russia is taken," " Russia has been

captured."

From Mokpho, Togo

despatched, on the 7th, a squadron under Rear Admiral Uryu to cover the landing of Japanese troops at Chemulpo, an

99

was successfully accomplished. found a couple of Russian vessels Admiral Uryu of war at Chemulpo, the cruiser Varyag and the operation

which

gunboat Koreetz, which were both sunk after a short action, as was also the transport Sungari, which

was then lying at anchor in the harbour. The news of this engagement was the first to reach Tokyo. It took place on February 9th about noon. In the mean time, the main Squadron had proceeded towards Port Arthur, some 400 miles from the temporary base at

Mokpho.

Before reaching

Port Arthur on the 8th, the destroyers separated

from the battleships and cruisers, and prepared for a night-attack on the Russian vessels which they found lying at anchor outside the harbour, under the guns of the great forts, and expecting nothing less than an attack from the enemy. This first

by the Japanese torpedo-boats on the night for none of the 8th was not a complete success but of the Russian vessels was captured or sunk

attack

;

;

the battleships Retvizan and Cesarevitch were badly injured, as was also the cruiser Pallada, though

none of them so badly as to be permanently disabled. They all took part again in engagements against the Japanese. On the morning of Feb. 9,

Togo

learned from

a neutral steamer the results of the torpedo action,

100

which were greater than he had anticipated, and this news decided him to make a general attack, without delay, on the Russian ships with the whole It was about 9 a.m. that this decision of his Fleet.

was reached

:

about

1 1

a.m.

Russians were

the

sighted coming out of the harbour; there was just time for a hasty lunch in the Admiral's cabin, and

a

toast

Emperor and

for

Country,

and

about

11.20. a.m. the action began, at a long

range of about 8000 yards, between the Japanese ships on one side and the Russian ships and forts on the

The

other.

was kept the whole time

action

this great distance, the

to

advantage

the

Japanese, whilst

it

Togo's Squadron

at

long range giving a distinct

superior

markmanship of the

kept the precious battleships of much as possible out of the

as

The Japanese losses were inconsome of the vessels, the Asahi, Yashima, and Azuma, escaped without a scratch most of the others were hit, but none in any vital part, and

reach of danger. siderable,

:

none,

it

the only

is

believed,

Russian

range being entrance to

by

shells fired

from the ships,

guns really formidable at this on the land-forts near the

the ones

the

harbour.

The

total

number of

Japanese casualties was 72. The Russian losses were more serious. ral Alexieff reported to his

Government

Admithat the

Id Poltava, Diana, Askold, and

Novik were damaged

below the water-line, that the Cesarevitch, Pallada, and Petropaulovsk, were all temporarily hors de combat, and that the Retvisan had run aground.

The Russian

fleet,

badly damaged, was forced

after about four hours fighting to withdraw into the

harbour. ships

Had Togo been the

by engaging

willing

enemy

to

expose his

at closer

quarters,

and then, have instead of the Russian Fleet destroyed crippling it was a but and he could not only possibility, it

is

possible that he might, there

;

afford to run

guns on the and had his

any

risk

land-forts

of

losing

his ships.

The

were dangerously powerful,

been crippled then, the command have passed to the Russians, war and the might have had another issue. He of the sea

fleet

would

did what was very hard both for himself and his men, he turned back in the hour of apparent " entitled himself to the triumph, and thereby The ships lasting gratitude of his country men."

were saved

for the

final

conflict

with

the

Baltic

Squadron. Togo's next operation was the attempt to block the entrance to Port Arthur by means of steamers sunk

in

the channel in such a

prevent the egress of the

Russian

way

vessels.

as to

This

operation, oft-times repeated, displayed to the full

102 the astonishing coolness and courage of the officers

and men of the Japanese Navy.

was

It

these attempts that the brave Shiraishi,

have already in

his

mentioned, met

in

one of

whom we

his death.

It

was

another that Hirose, the idol of the Navy, lost life. The memory of the gallant deeds of

Japanese

seamen

blocking

campaign

nation

;

for,

world has

the

in

will

indeed,

ever

it

seen

long

greater

the

with

the

whether

the

remain

doubtful

is

of

events

stirring

heroism

than that

displayed on those dark cold nights of February and March and where all were so brave, it seems :

almost invidious to

single out one

or

two names

for special distinction.

The blocking success, for the closed,

and

short period

the

operations were not a complete

harbour

when they

never

permanently

during the were commanded by the

Russians,

unfortunate

gallant but

was

especially

Makaroff,

made

frequent

and reconnaissances, which showed that, of the sunken ships, they could still come

sorties spite

and

Other

out.

devices

mines were freely planted

had to be resorted all

in

in to,

over the sea surround-

and the big guns of the battleships kept up a continuous bombardment of the town, which must have done much to shatter the ing the

harbour,

nerves of

its

brave defenders.

103

and Naval

Military to

Togo's conduct

in

praise

critics

have found much

of this part

of the

campaign against Port Arthur. They have noticed " the skill with which he changed his flying base," first to Mokpho, then to Chinnampo, and lastly to the island of Hai-Yun-tao in the Elliot group, each move bringing the base nearer to the scene of

and

operations,

traversed

by

diminishing

ships

in

the

distance

to

be

need of a replenishment of

coal-bunkers.

is

Another point that has been favourably noticed the care which Admiral Togo took of his "

For the first seven or eight weeks of the war, and perhaps for a much longer period," " the whole Japanese writes Sir Cyprian Bridge, force of destroyers was kept at or near the scene destroyers.

of operations,

not

one

and

having

to

be sent to a

though they were and constantly steaming frequently exposed to the enemy's fire." In the China war T6g5, as Captain,

dockyard

for

refit,

this

brought the Nanlwa safely out of a long campaign* with her efficiency absolutely unimpaired. In the present war, the same care for his materials was seen in the splendid handling of his destroyers during the first days of the war.v It is true that

dark days were coming speak of

in

for

another chapter.

him, which

we

For the present

will let it

104

we have spoken of those early successes, which meant so much for the morale of the forces

suffice that

under his command.

Admiral Togo exposing himself to the Enemy's dangerous Fire on the Bridge of the MIKASA.

to$

CHAPTER

XI.

Dark Days. The attempts

to

block the entrance to the

harbour of Port Arthur having,

in spite of the heroic

bravery of the Japanese, failed to effect their object, the Russians constantly succeeding in rinding a way

The

Japanese, on April II and 12, sent in the Koryo Maru to lay sub-marine mines around the entrance to the harout through

the obstructions.

bour, an operation in which they were imitated, if not actually anticipated, by the Russians who sowed

mines

their

hand. far

all

Many

round the Peninsula with a

liberal

of these Russian mines were planted

away from Russian

territorial

waters, right in

the very highway of neutral commerce, others got loose

from their movings

and

drifted

helplessly

out to sea, to prey upon the innocent craft of other

and

friendly nations.

The mines were

the direct cause of dark days,

both to besieged and besiegers.

On

the

1

2th of April, the gallant Vice- Admiral

MakarofT, an officer who had the respect of the whole Japanese Navy as well as of his own, put

XOf>

to sea with a squadron of seven vessels, the Petro-

paulovsk (carrying his flag), Diana, Askold, Novik, The Russians passed Pobieda, Poltava and Bayan. in safety over the space that had been sown with

Japanese mines the day before cruisers

tinel

:

the Japanese sen-

to retire, thinking themselves

began

to be outmatched, but the wireless telegraph

soon

brought help from the main Squadron, which was lying

some

ships,

and the Russians, unwilling to

ment with

fifteen

so

miles to the east of the sentinel

large

shelter of the Port.

a half to

At a

later

the Pobieda, coming

contact with another mine,

into

jured

to the harbour,

on a mine, which explod-

the Petropaitlovsk struck ed,

an engage-

distance of from one and

two miles from the entrance

and a few second

risk

force, turned back to the

a

amidships, and was with

was severely difficulty

in-

brought

into the harbour.

To was

the Russians the loss of the Petropaidovsk

irreparable.

With her went down

the gallant

Admiral Makaroff, the good genius of their navy, the painter Verestchagin, who was on board as a

whole of her complement of The Grand Duke Cyril was

guest, and nearly the officers

and men.

one of the few survivors.

But the misfortune.

Japanese Fleet was also visited by The Vladivostok Squadrons contrived

107 the

to elude

of the

vigilance

Japanese

vessels,

and made distressing raids upon Japanese commerce and transport service. The loss of the Kinsliu

Maru, on the 25th of

by

who

preferred death

than

rather

suicide

April,

heroism

the splendid

to fall

was indeed relieved

of the

troops on board

disgrace, into

the

and committed hands

of

the

and when shortly afterwards (on June the Sado Maru, Hitachi Maru and ldzu17,1904) mi Maru, with troops and, munitions of war were Russians

:

sunk by the same cruisers, a wave of sorrow and indignation swept over the country.

But these

disasters

were

as

nothing

when

compared with the losses among the vessels of war. On May the 12th, Torpedo-boat No. 48 was destroyed by a mine which she was trying to explode. with the

On same

the 14th, the fate

gunboat Miyako met

from a similar cause.

On

the

15th, an unfortunate collision between two cruisers, the Kasuga and Yoshino, caused the entire loss

of the latter.

The

Yoshino sank in a few minutes,

only ninety of her whole complement being saved. On the same day the battleship Hatsuse struck

two mines. injuries

:

The

caused comparatively slight the second exploded directly under her -

first

magazine, and the double explosion was so violent that she sunk in a few minutes, only 300 of her

io8

complement of 795 being saved.

It

was afterwards

ascertained that the mine which sunk her had been

purposely

laid

for

from shore, right

commerce

When

her

Russian

in the ordinary track

special

15

miles

of neutral

when she was sunk. news came to Tokyo of the

at the time

the

of these two

great

the

caused

other,

by the

The Hatsuse was

Amur.

service ship

it

one

ships,

a

immediately

great sinking

loss after

of hearts.

There were some wise men who shook their heads and said something about other losses. But the Naval authorities held papers said nothing. that we heard from

Yashima had also

their It

peace, and the news-

was several weeks

after

London

that the battleship been lost, on the same day as

the Hatsuse and Yoshino, and it was not until after the final battle of the Japan Sea that the Govern-

ment

at length published the news that such had tndeed been the case. It seems marvellous to

think that

the loss

of a

large

battleship should

have been kept dark for so many months. The Yashima struck on a mine almost immediately after the loss of the Hatsuse, but the

wound not

being so immediately serious, an attempt was made to save her. She was taken some sixty miles towards he nearest base before the rush of water made it im-i possible to save her from sinking, and as the long

109 hours elapsed between the strikfinal loss of the ships, time for of there was plenty saving the whole interval of

ing of the

crew.

her

of

had

six

mine and the

been

was

It

no

of

loss

decided life,

the

that,

as

there

public

at

home

from the discouragement which would have come from a full knowledge of the should

be

saved

and accordingly Admiral Togo's telegram which announced the loss of the Hatsuse and Yoshino was eloquently silent about the Yashima. disasters,

The

battleship Shikishima

the

entrance

to

the

which was cruising near

harbour

narrowly escaped sharing the fate of her sisters, the Yashima and Hatsuse. She was saved by the presence of mind On the 18th of Captain Sakamoto of the Yashima. of

May,

sinking

a

the

sustained

Navy

another

of the gunboat Oshima,

sister ship,

whilst

cruising in

by

loss

in

the

collision with

Liautung Bay to

support the operations of the Army. This tremendous series of disasters seems to

have

had no

* Father "

effect

as

on

the

iron

will

of brave

Togo, delight to call him. Very few words escaped from his lips on the subject and he went quietly and calmly about his his

officers

duties, thereby affording to his subordinates the best

possible

example of

fortitude under misfortune.

The remaining

ships

had to do double duty

no now, and an officer who was afterwards transferred from the sunken Yashima to the Shikishima has

hundred days drop her anchors. She kept constantly on duty, coaling and provisioning at sea, the crew being kept in constant health told the writer that his

new

and

for

spirits

over

once

vessel never

one

let

by the exciting nature of the

duties in

Hers was no isolated which she was engaged. case, all the ships were kept equally active, and the morale of the men was excellent.

Tokyo

knew

never

magnitude of the

Admiral was

to

disasters,

keep

It is true that

dark.

until

long afterwards the

and the object of the

his enemies equally in the the Russian had declared that

they saw the Yashima strike a mine and retire, but, for all they knew, she had been taken safely to the base

for repairs,

Had

certain.

and so the enemy remained un-

the

Russians known the

straits

to

which the Japanese Navy was at this time reduced, they would have sent forward reinforcements with

more

confidence,

and

have

struck a

blow which

would have saved the Fortress and the Eastern Fleet from a humiliating capitulation and destruction. It

is

said

(I

will

not vouch

for the truth of

the story) that the wily old Admiral caused several harmless steamers to be fitted with funnels and imitation

upper

works

which

at

a distance bore

Ill

somewhat of a resemblance had

lost,

and that these

to the ships

dummy

in the distant offing, served to

vessels,

make

which he anchored

the Russians

Yoshino and other ships were still I do not vouch for the truth of the story ; afloat. no one in authority has ever told me that it was believe that the

so,

on the other hand no one has ever denied

and the story has often been told in the

me by

the

*

it,

man

street.'

In the mean time, the Japanese land forces were encircling Port Arthur from the rear, and the Russian ships in the harbour were becoming

extremely uncomfortable. From the middle of June, sorties of ships both from Port Arthur and from Vladivostok were It

of frequent occurrence.

Thus, on June 23, Rear

Admiral Vithoft, with six battleships, four large and one small one, the Novik, and ten

cruisers,

apparently with the object of escaping from Port Arthur; but was met by Togo with his whole fleet, and after some torpedo-craft, put out to sea,

cannonading and torpedo-work compelled to with-

draw

into the harbour.

The Japanese

believed at

the time that the Peresviet had been sunk, and the

Diana

The blew

injured,

but the belief was not confirmed.

Sevastopol, however, struck

a

hole

in

her

starboard

on a mine which side

below

the

112

and though she was brought back into hartook six weeks to repair her even partially.

water-line,

bour,

it

same

About the with

concert

in

time,

and possibly acting

brethren

their

in

Port

Arthur,

the

Vladivostok* Squadron again emerged, passed through the Tsugaru Straits into the Pacific, cruis-

ed about the east coast of Japan from July 23 to

some German and English ships, the Knight Commander among the rest, and returned 29, captured

to Vladivostok

on July

Their object evidently of Togo's fleet away from

1st.

was to draw a part Port Arthur, and so to give their imprisoned brethren a cha/ice but if this was their object it :

failed

ship.

signally. Togo never removed a single Kamimura went after them, and caught a

glimpse of them off the coast of Korea but they slipped away from him in the night and reached ;

Vladivostok in safety.

On August

the 10th, a simultaneous sortie

made from both in

conjunction

the

with

was

Russian bases, which, taken the

other

sorties

which had

already been made, seems to show that the object of the Russian ships in Port Arthur was all along to

escape

to

the

moment

Petropanlovsk.

that

They seemed

to

have

any success at that port

from

Vladivostok.

despaired of gaining

Makaroff went down

with

the

"3 At dawn on the ioth of August, the Port Arthur ships emerged for a last desperate try for Vladivostok. There were six battleships, Cesarevich, Retvisan, Poltava, Sevastopol, Peresviet, and Pobieda, Askold, Diana, Pallada, Novik and and The Japanese sighted Bayan eight destroyers. them about 1 1 a.m., but no notice was taken of the

five

cruisers,

move, as

it

was the Admiral's plan to draw the Rus-

away from the harbour, so that it might be impossible for them to retire under the protection of the big forts. Soon after emerging sians as far as possible

>

on a mine and was obliged to At 12.40 the Russians were return to the harbour. miles from Port Arthur, and Togo ran up his 30

the

Bayan

struck

signal for action,

whereupon the enemy changed

his

formation and advanced in single column line, first the battleships with the Retvisan leading, then the cruisers,

and

lastly the destroyers.

At

I.

p.m. the

Squadrons were within range of one another, and a firing began which lasted for about 2 \ hours

At

without any decisive results.

drew

off,

and there was an hour's

3.30 both sides interval,

at the

which the Japanese advanced to cut off the Russians from their line of retreat. This caused end

of

the Russians to ese

replied

open

vigorously,

fire,

which the Japan-

to

and

a

hot

engagement

ensued, the Russians fighting desperately with the

H4 object of breaking through the Japanese of ships, and at the same time of keeping open for themselves a passage for return. In this part of the engagement, the Russians

double lines

concentrated the whole of their energies on the Mikasa which carried the flag of the Japanese

Commander-in-Chief, and the projectiles fell thick and fast around that vessel. It was remarked of that he

and

remained

in a conspicuthe ous place on the bridge, throughout cannonade, directing the operations of the whole action, and that, in spite of the dangers to which all were ex-

Togo

his staff

posed, the Admiral came

The Mikasa had 4

out

without a

officers killed,

scratch.

6 seriously wo-

4 slightly wounded (among these H.I.H. Lieut-Commander Prince Fushimi, Junior). At 5.30 a shot struck the Russian Flagship unded,

Cesarevitchy Vithoft,

the

which

literally

blew to pieces Admiral Admiral Mas-

Commander-in-Chief.

wounded, indeed every officer on the ship, except one, was either wounded or killed. An attempt was therefore made to take the Cesa-

sevitch

was

revitch

out

also

of the

line

and

this necessitated the

Shortly breaking up of the Russian line of battle. afterwards, the Japanese ceased firing, and the Rus-

completely broken scattered in all directions, pursued by the Japanese wherever possible. sians,

n5 Many back to

of the Russian ships succeeded in getting the Pobieda, Pallada, Poltava,

harbour

—

Peresviet, Retvisan,

Sevastopol,

and others

:

of those

made an honest She was pursued by

that escaped, only one, the Novik,

attempt to reach Vladivostok.

the Tsushima and Chitose, and eventually ran ashore and, was wrecked on the coast of Saghalien, near

She had the proud

Korsakoff.

been by ships.

far the best

Of

distinction of having

handled

of

destroyer Grosovoz, reached Cesarevitch, with three destroyers,

the

the

the Russian

all

the other ships, the cruiser Askold, with

German

port

of Kiauchau,

safety at Saigon.

These

Shanghai, the took refuge in

the

Diana found

vessels were all disarmed

by the Chinese, German, or French and were thus placed out of action

authorities,

for

the dura-

The destroyer Rieshitelni campaign. was pursued to Chefoo by the Asashio, where she

tion of the

was captured and towed out of harbour. her

outstayed Russians

overboard

24 hours

had

the

the

had

in

the

Japanese

She had

the neutral port, and insolence to throw

officer

who

came

to

remonstrate.

On action

the

was

Vladivostok

same day on being

fought

which at to

squadron put with the Port Arthur Squadron.

this

Port sea

noteworthy Arthur,

to

the

cooperate

Kamimura, with

•n6 the four armoured cruisers Iznmo, Azutna,

and Iwate,

fell

in

with them

neighbourhood of the island usual, the Russians turned back covered, and

made

for

home

;

Tokiwa,

on the 14th in the of Tsushima. As

on

being disbut on this occasion

they had gone too far south to pursue these tactics " It was a case of the devil take the successfully.

hindermost

",

and the hindermost

in this case

being

whose speed was not so great as that of her sisters, the Rossia and Gromoboi, the cruiser Rurik,

she

fell

a victim to the Japanese

guns, being

to the tender mercies of the Takachiho

left

and Naniwa

which came up at this juncture. The Rurik was sunk early the next morning, the majority of the crew being saved by the Japanese the Rossia and Gromoboi succeeded in reaching Vladivostok in They were badly spite of all Kamimura's efforts. :

damaged, no doubt, though the precise amount oi It is certain, however, that injury is not known. they took no more part

in

operations of the

the

naval campaign.

This ended the

The

first

part

of the

naval war.

ships of the Port Arthur Squadron were either

lying crippled in the harbour, waiting to be sunk by the guns from the Japanese batteries, or disar-

med and out of One of ports.

the

combat

the

Vladivostok

in

hospitable neutra^ ships

had been

"7 sunk, the others were

helpless

in

their

harbour.

Togo's anxieties were

considerably lightened, but his labours were as heavy as ever. He had to

maintain

an

effective

blockade

of the

coast, to

prevent supplies of contraband of war from reaching the ports of Vladivostok and Port Arthur. He

had also to see that ted and put

which

shall

in

his ships

order

for

were properly

the

momentous

refit-

battle

be described in our next chapters.

lib

CHAPTER

XIL

The Russian Armada. out

The reinforcement

of the Russian

from

and

the

Baltic,

Squadron, set out

sent

'got ready, joining the

under

the

Rhodjestvensky, 2

Armoured

the Baltic

as

from Libau on October

other detachments,

was

known

out

main Squadron en

supreme command

and consisted

Cruisers,

5

of 7 Protected

15, 1904,

they were

as

later

sent

Fleet

route.

of

It

Admiral

Battleships, Cruisers,

I

Despatch Vessel, 9 Destroyers, 6 Auxiliary Cruisers, 1 Repair Ship, 5 Ships of the Volunteer Fleet, 7 Transports,

had an

It

after

emerging

and a Hospital Ship.

extraordinary

voyage.

Shortly

North Sea, a most unfor-

into the

tunate error of judgment caused the ships of the squadron to mistake a peaceful British trawler for

a Japanese Destroyer lying in wait for a surprise attack, and, in the confusion which ensued, the British trawler

was

fired

on by

the Russians and

several innocent

lives

amount of

and forbearance

tact

lost.

It

required to

a

large

avoid a war

with England, where the public indignation was intense but the good sense of King Edward sava p ;

U9 from

the world

this

additional

honour was thus reserved

calamity, and the

Japan of annihilating, Consingle-handed, the Russian naval Power. ference was summoned at Paris to discuss the for

A

questions arising out

and the Russians,

of the

a

after

Dogger-bank

short stay

at

affair,

Vigo

in

the north of Spain, pursued their journey unmolested. portion of the Squadron passed through the

A

Red

Mediterranean and route

longer

March 1905

round the

Cape.

In the middle of

the Fleet had rendez-vous at

Madagascar

enjoyed the somewhat reluctant hospitalof the French authorities and underwent the

where ity

Sea, whilst the rest took the

it

harrassing experience of a mutiny among In the meantime, Port Arthur had

and the

its

crews.

fallen

on

Russian Pacific Fleet,

3. 1905, shut up within its harbour, had ceased to exist. This relieved the anxiety of the Japanese authorities, and Admiral Togo was enabled to devote the

Jaunary

whole of his energies to the preparations necessary for the reception of the Russian re-inforcements.

The

fall

of Port

Arthur roused the a

naval authorities

to

Squadron under

Admiral

ched with

all

haste.

of one 2nd Class

3d Class,

1

fresh

effort,

Russian

and another

Nebogatoff was despatThis fleet, which consisted

Battleship, 3

First-Class

Cruiser,

Battleships of the 3

Destroyers, 3

130 Transports,

I

Tank

Vessel,

Repair Ship, and

I

I

Hospital Ship, was at Suda Bay in Crete on March 20th, and about a month later joined the First Baltic Squadron,

which had

meanwhile

in the

left

the French hospitality of Madagascar to make use of the same hospitality, grudgingly rendered, on

The Combined

the coast of French Indo-China.

Squadron was a

imposing force, and had it reach the Far East before the

truly

only contrived to fall of the Great Fortress

and

the destruction of

Russian ships therein, might have changed " the whole aspect of the war. Delays are danand the of this proverb never has truth gerous ", the

been more strikingly illustrated than of the Great Russian Armada. Japanese these

months,

neutrality

from the

Diplomacy was protesting

very

against

in the

history

busy during abuse of

the

by the French, an abuse which arose fact that the

laws of France are different

from those of other countries as to the duties of a neutral nation,

any

and

not,

we may

intentional hostility to Japan

well believe, from

though France, same sympathy for Great Britain had for ;

as the ally of Russia, had the

one of the combatants the other.

that

There was also

in the

Japanese public

mind, a not unnatural feeling of great anxiety, as the hostile Fleet drew nearer to the limitb of the

19!

Empire but, whatever fears there may have been, they were admirably suppressed, and a casual observer would scarcely have noticed them. ;

A

few days after himself gave no sign. came of Port Arthur he up to Tokyo to

Togo the

fall

make

a personal report to his Sovereign, and to consult with the Admiralty about future plans for

meeting the enemy, and then he disappeared completely from the public observation, only to emerge as suddenly

on the morning of the great

battle in

the Japan Sea.

His conduct during his

was thoroughly

to

visit

characteristic of the

the

man.

Capital

He was

occasion by Admiral Kamimura. Kamimura had, for a short time during the war, been the recipient of much hostile but un-

accompanied on

this

deserved criticism from his fellow countrymen.

The

difficult task had been assigned to him of watching the harbour of Vladivostok, whilst the rest of the fleet was busy at Port Arthur. The

extremely

Russians had a Squadron in that port, not large, but still more powerful than the handful of ships at

Kamimura's

divostok, with

disposal, its

seas that surround

blockade

port

to

ships

made one

and the Harbour of Vla-

double entrance and the

or

foggy always been a difficult Vladivostok effectually. ^ The it,

has

two successful

sorties, generally

123 with insignificant

results,

but the sinking of several

transport-ships, the Hitachi, Sado, and Kinshu,

within a

short

of time,

period

had

caused

all

the

abroad that the Admiral had not

to

get exercised a sufficient vigilance in the discharge of his duties. Subsequent information brought out the

feeling

was

owing to causes quite beyond Admiral Kamimura's control, and is subsequent brilliant action of the 12th August, which resulted in the sinking of the Rurik and the disabling of the other Vladivostok Cruisers, had comfact that the disaster

pletely restored his credit

;

but, for a time,

feeling

had been very

bitter in the capital, a large portion

of the troops

on board the Hitachi having been

Togd was

apparently determined that his colleague should have a full meed of the popular demonstrations. He could not well escape the

Tokyo men.

from the Station to the Admiralty, through the vociferating crowds but when a band of school drive

;

boys unharnessed the horses from the carriage that

was waiting

for

him to come out of the Department, him in triumph to the Palace, they great man had slipped out quietly

intending to drag

found that the

by a

side door,

and

was walking home through

by-streets with his daughter's hand in his. few days of triumph, counsel, and the enjoyment of home, and again Togo disappeared from the

A

123

eye of the world, to make his final preparations, and to wait calmly and patiently for the dilatory It speaks volumes for advance of the Russians. the

admirable

of the

discipline

whole

Japanese

months not a breath of whisper

nation, that for four

was heard touching the whereabouts of the Japanese Fleet, though there must have been thousands

The subjoined

in the secret.

the Times of July 2nd 1905,

known

can be

of those

confident waiting.

command in

of a

It

published in

us about

that

all

long days of anxious but

was written by an

in

officer

torpedo-boat to a friend to-day, the general public only

first-class

Even

London.

letter,

tells

knows about Togo's hiding-place that it was somewhere south-east of Masampho, north of Sasebo and west of Moji. " Dear

lengthy

O,

—A

thousand

We

silence.

busy preparing a royal reception

my

for

apologies

have been and are

still

for the guests

busy,

from

the Baltic.

"When we

of the Suiraidan (Torpedo-Corps)

meet ashore, we discuss and often wonder the Russians will come, or will they fail us.

know

that

we

are

ready?

To

if

north-west

after all

Do they lies

the

harbour of Masampho, to south that of Sasebo, while Moji is on our east, and here we are waiting, waiting

and waiting

for the

enemy.

Will he never come

?

124 "

you do not hear from me when a meeting

If

has taken place, take this as not expect to see you again

my

farewell.

I

do

in this life, except When dreams. my boat goes your perhaps down, I shall go too and a Russian ship with us.

in

"

boat

takes her weight in shells to sink a torpedomarvellous how they, the shells, do not

It

—

it's

hit.

"

and

I

have seen, not one, but many torpedo actions, know. With six compartments in the boat,

I

we ought

to

be able to close in within 20 yards she is sunk. If we hit, we

of the target before

go down with the Russians come with us,

shall

the Russians shall

;

if

we

are

for the last

hit,

man

the spare torpedo in the water. but a dream of a summer's night ? Can one choose more glorious an exit than to die will

alive

What

is

steer

life

own country and for the Emperor a ruler and leader to the nation's heart?

fighting for one's

who

is

Does not many a worthy man end his life's chapter Then let us obscure for want of opportunity? of honour and the the duty being Japanese. uphold

By going down with them we pay the debt we owe for the poor for

innocent their

There are

peasants.

country,

more

so

shall, in a

They

shall

measure, slaughter of those too are fighting

Bushi honour Bushi.

torpedo-boats

and

torpedo-boat

125 destroyers than the number of ships in the whole fleet of Admiral Rhojdestvensky, and if each of

them destroys or

disables

one

of

the

enemy's ought to do. Father Togo, now grey-haired, walks quietly to and fro on the bridge of the Mikasa, and keeps it

vessels, "

will go well. Do you remember when he went up to Tokyo, for the first the commencement of this war ? Some

silence, so all

the story

time since

public school

the

horses

the Asaki,

boys were determined to unharness

off I

his

carriage, at the

believe,

instigation of

and themselves draw

it

up

to the gate of the Imperial Palace. Well, Father of wind and so he sent his chiefthis, Togo got

he was seen, but not recognized, to be quietly walking towards NijuWill bashi, with his little daughter's hand in his. he play another trick upon the poor unsuspecting of-staff in the carriage, while

Russians "

work,

when they come bid

I

you

for the

?

again farewell.

Work, work, and

coming Japan depends on you young

fellows. I

At staked Straits

remain your ever humble brother, T. N."

day arrived. Togo had on the Russians hopes choosing the of Tsushima on their way to Vladivostok, last the critical

all his

126 instead of going round into the Pacific

and through

the narrow straits

of Tsugaru between the Main Island and Yezo, or of Soya, between the islands of

Yezo and Saghalien, and an adverse against the Russians, had determined the choice that Togo desired.

fate,

them

working

make

to

Thick fogs had covered the seas for several days, and so near were the Russians, to making a successful

run

Vladivostok

through

in

Straits

and reaching

had they been but a Togo would have failed to descry

few hours earlier them,

the

safety, that

in spite of

the

As

scouting vessels.

warnings it

received

from the

was, the fog cleared pro-

Japanese, and on the morning the May 27, Admiralty in Tokyo received the following telegram from the scene of action : videntially for the

of

—

"Having received the report that the enemy's warships have been sighted, the Combined Fleet will immediately set out to attack and annihilate them. The weather is fine and clear,

but the sea

is

high."

To this the Admiralty replied at "We wish the Combined Fleet a grand

On May received in " the

once

:

success."

the 30th, another short telegram was

Tokyo

The main

:

—

force of the First

enemy has been almost

and Second Squadrons of

annihilated.

Please be at ease."

127

A

series of

most

those two telegrams.

Admiral

possible,

lay between follow, as far as

thrilling events

We

will

Togo's own acconnt

took place. His detailed

of what

official report published on the fourteenth of June, begins as follows :

"

—

of Heaven and the help of God,* our Squadron succeeded in nearly annihilating the Second and Third Squadrons of the enemy in the battle that

By

the grace

Combined

took place in the Sea of Japan on the 27th and 28th of May."

* The Japanese language makes no distinction between the and plural of a noun, and I believe it to have been the singular Admiral's intention in this place to use the word " singular, as denoting that Great Power, indefinable,

which every thoughtful man acknowledges. lief of

God

" in the

and indescribable,

It is

the further be-

the Japanese that the Spirits of the dead patriots remain as

something more than interested spectators, actively aiding in the promotion of the country's welfare, and that this is especially the case with the Spirits of the Imperial Ancestors

who

" " stand by

with ever-ready assistance in the needs of the beloved land. It will be seen that the Admiral recognizes this belief in the concluding words of his report. due to the " illustrious virtues enjoys

the

The

victory

is

there stated to be

of the Emperor."

His Majesty

" the unseen " of protection," for himself and his subjects,

spirits

of

our

Imperial

Ancestors,"

power with God, whose grace and help

is

and these again have

also to be acknowledged.

128

CHAPTER. The (a)

The

XIII.

Fight.

Situation at the Commencement

of the Battle. "

On

appearance of the enemy's fleet in Seas, our fleet, in obedience to orders

the

the South

from

the superior authorities, determined upon a of attacking the enemy in our own territorial plan and we therefore concentrated our force in waters,

the Korean Straits and quietly awaited the approach of the enemy.

After

Annam

(it

temporary sojourn on the coasts of was there that the two Russian fleets

a

effected their junction), the

enemy slowly approached us from the south, and I consequently posted a cordon of scouting vessels along the southern limits of our sphere for some days previous to the estimated arrival of the waters.

each at

enemy

in

our

The various fighting sections of own base, stood prepared

its

and ready to emerge

at a

moment's

territorial

the Fleet, for

notice."

action

129

At 5 a.m. on the 27th May a wireless telegram from the Shinano Maru, scouting in southern waters, announced the appearance of the Russians at a point significantly charts,

and also

marked 203 on the Japanese naval informed the Commander-in-Chief

that their ships were apparently heading for the Eastern Channel of the

Korean

Straits.

It is

almost need-

explain that the island of Tsushima, lying half between way Japan and Korea, divides the Strait into two Channels, and that the Eastern Channel less to

is

the one nearer to Japan.

The whole

Fleet was

—

and joy, a joy which was only made the greater when, two hours later, the scouting ship Izumi reported that at once filled with bustle, excitement,

the

Russians

were

cruisers

miles

25

and steering in a N.E. Between 10 and 1

the

of Ukushima,

Vice- Admiral Kataoka's

1,

touch

with, the enemy, and Tsushima, as did Detachments under Rear-Admiral Togo

got

into

actual

between the islands of also

N.W.

direction.

Iki

and Vice Admiral Dewa, and

in this

of the thickness of the

the

fog,

way,

in spite

Commander-in-

Chief was kept constantly informed as to both the whereabouts and the strength of the enemy's fleet.

A

Japanese

in

the highest terms of the services rendered in the

officer,

present at the battle, has spoken

early part of the battle

by the

cruisers under

Ad-

130 miral Kataoka's

command.

They were none

of

vessels, but they made a bold dash for the enemy whom they succeeded in deceiving into a belief that only a part of the Japanese Fleet

them powerful

was opposing them, and by this ruse succeeded in luring them on to the trap which the Commanderin-Chief

had

laid for

them.

It

is

better to give

him

and the following chapters, so as to prevent any confusion arising between him and Rear- Admiral Togo, who also took a leading part this

title in

this

in the battle.

By means

of the intelligence thus received, the discover all he

Commander-in-Chief was able to needed

know about

to

council of war, held in

his

adversaries.

Admiral

At a

Rohdjestvensky's

had been decided, apparently by the votes of the younger men against the elder, to "emulate cabin,

it

the deeds of Nelson

dron

in the

likely to be.

"

Tsushima

and seek the Japanese SquaStraits where, it was most

This resolution was arrived at whilst

the ships were in the China Sea, some time after The signal announcing leaving the Sea of Annam. this decision

the whole

had been received with enthusiasm by

fleet.

On

the

1

8th of

May, the Russian

Admiral has given another signal: "the destiny of Be ready Russia will be decided within a week. to sacrifice yourselves for the fatherland";

and on

I3i Balintang Channel north of Luzon, and were heading due north in the

the 19th they had passed

the

direction of Tsushima.

The Commander-in-Chief practically the

way were their

further

whole of the Baltic

learned that

fleet

was on

its

through the Tsushima Straits, that the Russians disposed

in

main strength

double-column at the

formation,

with

head of the column, and

their special service ships in the rear (a formation

which would have been an absolutely correct one,

had Rhodjestvensky been, as he supposed, in the proximity of a small Japanese force only), and that they were steaming in a north-easterly direction From these data at about twelve knots an hour.

he was able to

decide

that the

general

engage-

ment would begin about 2.p.m that day, and that wisest plan to await the enemy it would be his with his whole strength near Okinoshima, and make an attempt to smash the head of his left column. About noon, his main fleet had assembled about ten miles north of Okinoshima.

It

consist-

ed of a battleship Squadron under Rear- Admiral Togo, an armoured cruiser Squadron under ViceAdmiral Kamimura, a Squadron of smaller cruisers under Vice-Admiral at

Uryu, the hero of the action

Chemulpo, with various

flotillas

of destroyers,

132

and was joined a

Dewa

little

later

by Kataoka and

with their ships. 1.45, the Commander-in-Chief

At

the enemy, a few miles his information had led

first

sighted to the south, coming, as him to expect, in double

column, with their main strength at the head. At the head of the right column were four battleships of the left

Borodino type

column,

Veliky,

while the vanguard of the consisting of the Oslabya, Sissoi

Navarin, and Admiral

Nakhimoff,

was

followed by the Nicholai and three coast defence Between the two columns, and guarding ships.

were the cruisers Zemstchug and Izumrud whilst behind the battleship columns could the

front, y

be seen, extending for many miles through the mist, a long line of ships, a cruiser detachment consisting of the Aurora

y

Oleg and cruisers of the

2nd and 3d class, the Dmitri Donskhoi, Vladimir Monomachy &c. &c. The Commander-in-Chief had calculated in the forenoon that he would begin the battle about two o'clock that afternoon. It was actually at 1.55 that he gave the signal

which

in after

rank with Nelson's Trafalgar message or

fall

this

of the Empire

engagement

you."

:

:

years will "

The

rise

depends upon the result of do your utmost, every one of

i!3

Never was a nobler message given to a Fleet on the eve of a momentous battle. At that instant the

Fate

balance.

of Japan

The

actually

did

tremble

slightest mistake, or

in

the

mischance, at

moment, would have meant the loss of all the advantages which the valour of the Japanese armies had gained oa the continent, in Manchuria, and that

Korea.

It

would have

meant more

the

:

very

was

existence of Japan as an independent nation at that moment at stake. It

was a moment of breathless excitement as

the battleships steamed off in a

a few minutes,

made an

east,

S.W.

direction for

and then suddenly veering to the oblique movement towards the

Russian column.

In a few

moments

the

Armoured

Cruiser Squadron had joined the battleships, whilst the smaller cruisers and ships, under Dewa, Uryu,

and Togo, steamed away veloped the (b)

to

the south,

doomed baL.eships

and en-

in the rear.

The Attack on the Main Squadron.

was the Commander-in-Chiefs object, as was shown in the previous chapter, to concentrate the main portion of his forces on the eight battleIt

ships that led the

van of the Baltic Squadron

:

for,

these were once destroyed or crippled, the rest of the Armada would be entirely at his mercy. if

*34 His

ships, therefore,

were directed towards the

At 2.08 the enemyopened fire, at a long range. The Japanese made no reply until within 6000 metres, when they head of the enemy's

line.

fire first on the Oslabya, the left which was the of column, enemy's leading ship in a very short space of time obliged to retire

concentrated their

from the

line,

many wounds

with

in

vital spots,

breaking out in two or three places. next ships singled out for the concentrated

and

fires

The fire

Japanese battleships and cruisers, which became more deadly as the distance that separated the Fleets became diminished, were the Kniaz of

the

Souvaroff and Imperator Alexander likewise obliged

to

The Oslabya sunk

retire

III,

from the fighting the

at

which were line.

other two

3.10 p.m., were quite crippled, the Zemtchug was also disabled, and the issue of the battle was speedly decided, for the enemy's line

was broken, and he was already

thinking more of flight than resistance. The bombardment of the battleships was

now

continued for about two consecutive hours without

any

incident of note,

the

Russians lying helpless

hands of the

Japanese ships which sailed them round as they pleased, inflicting a continuous series of wounds from their heavy guns, to which in the

the Russians were able to

make but a poor

reply,

ft

inasmuch

as, in addition to the

of their markmanship, rolling

general

they had

to

35

inferiority

contend with

waves which distressed them considerably,

owing the superiority of their position, the The lift in the Japanese did not suffer so much. whilst,

fog which gave the Japanese a view of the enemy, at the very nick of time, together with the wind

and waves, which remained constantly adverse to the Russians, have by many Japanese been considered to be providential features of this battle. One " stirring incident " to which the

Com-

mander-in-Chief gives special prominence, was an attack by destroyers, under Hirose and Suzuki, on the

Kniaz

disabled

outside the

fighting

which was

Souvaroff, line,

but

still

able to

lying

fire

her

guns from time to time. Hirose's boats do not seem to have effected very much against iier, but the Suzuki flotilla made a more successful attack. The battleship side,

but

was observed

to

remained afloat

list

heavily to the port-

until

7.20,

when

she

was torpedoed by boats of the Fujimoto destroyer flotilla.

The remnants of tried to escape

the Russian battleships

now

southward, pursued by the armoured The battleships followed

cruisers of the Japanese. at

a

more

leisurely pace,

taking

occasional shots

at the smaller ships of the Russians,

which had been

»3« following their battleship line at the commencement of the engagement, and, a thick fog coming on, these two divisions of the Japanese Squadron lost sight of each other for several hours.

During the period first

ships

of separation

attacked (about

5.

40.

the Russian special service ship

the battle-

p.m.) and sank Ural,

and then,

discovering through the fog a group of six large Russian vessels trying to escape to the north-east,

which lasted from 6. p.m. to In this engagement a vessel with a heavy-

delivered an attack sunset.

and supposed

list,

to

be the

Alexander

III,

was

observed by the battleships to capsize and sink, while, another vessel, supposed to be the Borodino,

exploded and sank, within view of the Cruiser Squadron which we saw go off in pursuit of the Russian

Evening was now rapidly comwas impossible, in the dim light, to

fugitive battleships.

ing on, and it out the ships

make two

vessels

exactly,

but

certainly

these

disappeared beneath the waves about

this time.

At

7.38, the

Commander-in-Chief ordered the

dispatch-boat Tatsuta to convey orders to the to rendez-vous at Ullundo for the fight 01

morrow.

fleet

the

137

The attack on the Smaller

(c)

Whilst the

Cruisers.

and armoured

battleships

cruisers

were thus engaged in smashing the head of the Russian line, the smaller vessels which brought up were being dealt with by detachments under Rear-Admirals Dewa and Uryu, and Captain Togo Masamichi. (Two Captains and Two Admirals their rear

of the

name of Togo were engaged

in

the battle

of the Japan Sea.) These divisions received their orders form the

Commander-in-Chief

at

2.

p.m

minutes after

five

,

the signal for the battleships and cruisers had been given, and at once proceeded, in reversed line, with

the

enemy on

the Russian

the portside, to attack the rear of the ships for special service and

fleet,

the cruisers Oleg, Aurora, Svietlana, Almaz, Dmitri, Vladimir Monomach &c. The Japanese vessels

which had the advantage of superior speed, opened fire at 2.45 p.m. and by constantly changing their course and firing

varying

upon the

directions,

soon

Russians from evey-

contrived

them

entirely.

Futile efforts were

at

p.m., and

by some destroyers

5.

to break through

the

Japanese

to

disconcert

made by Aurora

lines,

at 3.40 p.m.,

but by four

o'clock the Russians had been broken, their ships were separated from each other and damaged, and

t

38

some of the special service ships disabled. At 4.20 two of these vessels, presumably the Anadyr and

Irtish,

were sunk by the Uryu detachment at and small :

4.40 four Russian coast defence vessels

battleships, joined their distressed cruisers; but the

Japanese had also received reinforcements by the arrival of Captain M. Togo's detachment, and thus conditions were about equalized. severe engagement ensued,

A

being measurable by the injuries

Dewa's

Japanese ships.

the

severity

received

by the

flagship, the Kasagi, was

obliged to retire from action, and, accompanied by the Chitose, to seek the shelter of Aburadani Bay.

Her

were so severe that she was obliged to withdraw from the action altogether. Rear injuries

Admiral

Dewa

transferred

the Chitose and in the

returned

to

his

flag eventually to

the scene

meantime the command

of battle

of both

ments had devolved on Admiral Uryu.

:

detach-

At

5.10

Uryu's flagship, the Naniwa, was obliged to retire, with a hole in the stern below the water-line but ;

'

her

retirement

armoured

did

cruiser

not

affect

squadron,

the

which

issue.

had gone

The off

into the fog in pursuit of the Russian battleships,

now

returned, and

by 5.30 p.m. the whole of the in flight, and pursued by the Uryu and Togo squadrons. The pursuit went on Russian Fleet

was

*39 until 7.20,

when

the Commander-in-Chief's signal

During the pursuit, the the sunk special service ship Kamchatka, Japanese and the Kniaz Souvaroff, which, though long disabled, and twice torpedoed, kept firing her stern of recall was received.

guns to the

(d)

last.

The night attack

by

the Torpedo-boats

AND DESTROYERS.

When

Admiral Togo sent a message to his cruisers and battleships, bidding them desist from their pursuit and rendez-vous at Ullando, he had

no intention of ceasing

He was

his action.

merely changing his weapons of attack. During the whole of the 27th, a strong southwesterly gale with heavy waves, had made the

management of small vessels almost impossible. The Admiral had therefore ordered all this torpedoboats to assemble in the sheltered

Bay Miura, and

there to await his further orders.

At sunset the wind abated, but

the sea

was

still

very high, and the Commander-in-Chief still hesitated about using his small craft under such unpropitious

But the zeal of the Japanese officers not to be denied by such trifles as winds and waves. Without any orders, they as-

circumstances.

and

men was

sembled

at their proper stations,

ready for action,

140

and

made

their intrepidity

their wish.

impossible to

it

was a N race

It

for

deny

distinction.

Fuji-

moto's destroyers pressed on the enemy from the north, destroyers and torpedo-boats under Yajima

and Kawase came from the north-east, Yoshijima's boats from the east, Hirose's destroyers from the south-east, whilst yet another group under

Otaki, the

Fukuda, Kondo, Aoyama and Kawada, pressed on

ships

from

torpedo attack

the

At

south.

commenced,

continued until n.p.m.

The

p.m.,

the

at a close range,

and

8.15

official

report of the

Commander-in-Chief describes, the engagement as " a terrible melee." At the end of it the Japanese

had

torpedo-boats sunk, and seven injured, comparatively heavy casualties, but the

lost 3

with

Russian losses had

been much

battleship Sissoi Veliky,

more severe

:

the

and the armoured cruisers

Admiral Nakhimoff and Vladimir Monomach, were practically wrecked, unable

steam.

to

either

These vessels did not sink

Sissoi Veliky floated

were taken

off

by

about the

all night,

Japanese

fight

at once.

or to

The

and her crew

before she went

down, about eleven the next morning. The crews of the two cruisers which sunk about 10 a.m. were

likewise

saved

by the Japanese.

It

was

impossible, however, for the Japanese to rescue the

crew of the Navarin, which was torpedoed about

.

2.

a.m.

Hi

by the destroyers under Commander K.

This ended the night attack. The waves, which, it had been feared, would

Suzuki.

be prejudicial to the action of the torpedo-boats were providentially favourable to the Japanese.

The

tossing of the vessels distracted the Russian aim, and the small craft were thus able to creep

up within a very short distance of their enemy, who were constantly exposed below the water-line owing to the motion of the waves. (e)

The Second Day of the Battle.

The Commander-in-Chief was already secure of his victory, but something more than a simple victory was required to assure the safety of his It was essential that the Russian fleet country. should be so

completely

annihilated

that

further

become absolutely needless, and that nothing more than an insignificant remnant should escape to bring the news to operations by sea should

Vladivostok. In his desire to accomplish this great object he had, during this battle, departed from his usual cautious custom of never exposing his ships to It is true that Fortune had favoured danger.

him, and that none of his important units had been lost; but every single ship had been at times ex-

142

posed to great danger from hostile shots, and more than one of them bore signs of combat on their

and upper works. which had induced him, hulls

was

It

this

desire,

in spite of the

too,

roughness

of the waves, to allow his eager torpedo-craft to go forth, and continue during the night the work which his battleships and cruisers had so excellently

done through the day.

The torpedo-craft were still busy with their task when the day dawned, and the battleships and cruisers began to make ready for new ventures. During the whole of the 27th the fog had been intermittent, so that the enemy were sometimes hidden and sometimes visible

:

the night also had

been (oggy, and the broken remnants of the Russian fleet had some apparent hopes of escaping But safely under the cover of the friendly mist. once

more the "

stars

their

in

courses

"

fought

against the Russian, as they did against Sisera of old the day broke clear and fogless, and the tell:

tale streaks of black

ed

the

smoke on the horizon

whereabouts

Chase was

at

of

the

fugitive

reveal-

Russians.

once given by battleships and cruisers

and by 10.30 a.m. the runaway squadron had been overtaken. These vessels proved to be alike,

the battleships Nicolas vessels,

I.

and

Orel, the coast defence

General Admiral Apraxine and

Admiral

H3 Seniavin, together with the cruiser Izumrud which had at the beginning been at the head of Russian line of battle.

made good her

One

of these vessels, the Izumrud,

She was found some time

escape.

afterwards on the coast of the Maritime not far

Province,

from Vladimir Bay, where she had evident-

by her crew, who escaped with on board that was worth removing, every thing

ly been run ashore

leaving her battered hull alone as a lasting monument to the efficiency of Japanese artillery. The

other four vessels under Rear-Admiral

Nebogatoff were too much injured either to escape or to continue the fight, and surrendered to the Japanese almost without a contest.

Otowa and Niitaka attacked the Russian cruiser, Svietlana, and Whilst

this

was going

on, the

The Chuk-pyon Bay at 11.06 a.m. the which Svietlana, destroyer Bystri accompanied was attacked by the Niitaka, (afterwards joined by the destroyer Mitrakumo), and destroyed some 5

sunk her

off

miles further north, at 11.50 a.m., the survivors in

both these cases being taken off by the commissioned cruisers America and Kasuga. About 3 p.m., the Iwate and Yakumo overtook the Admiral Oushakoff, which they sunk after a short engagement.

A

little

later,

the

Sasanami

and Kagero, destroyers, captured the Russian de-

144 stroyer Biedovi, a capture of some importance, as the Russian commander-in-Chief lay wounded on

her ; whilst the Iwate and Yakumo, accompanied by the destroyers Asagiri, Shirakumo and Fubnki> made

on the Dmitri Donskoi, which was discovered the next morning sunk in shallow water an attack

off the eastern shore of safely to

having escaped taken by the Japanese.

Ullondo Island, her crew shore where they were

Other captures were the Sissoi Veliky, Admiral Nakhimoff and Vladimir Monomach, already mentioned.

All

three

ships

surrender, as did also the

went down

sank shortly after their

Gromki destroyer, which crew safe in Japan-

at 12.43 p.m., her

ese hands.

Thus ended the great Battle of the Japan Sea. Of the 38 vessels with which the Russian Armada had essayed the passage of those narrow water, only one cruiser, the Almas, and one destroyer, the Bravi, reached the port of Vladivostok. Of the rest some were captured, and more were sunk, some escaped to Manila or Shanghai,

one

was missing,

solitary Russian

on board,

made

—

where they were disarmed, three or four weeks later a

transport, with its

sad

way

wounded

into the

soldiers

harbour of

Diego Suarez on the coast of Madagascar. Japan breathed again, and well she might.

145

For the second time

her history she had been

in

delivered from the danger of a great hostile Armada. The Japanese, who stood ready to lose their all

on the

had

issue of the day,

lost

a few small tor-

pedo-boats, and their casualties amounted to 113 a total casualty list killed and 424 wounded. of 537. Some of their ships had been knocked

—

about by Russian

shells,

but others, such

the

as

Itsukushima, and Chinyen, and a few torpedo boats

and destroyers had absolutely no losses

On

to record.

the other hand, of the estimated force

of

18000 men on board the Russian Squadrons, 14000 had gone down with their ships, 3000 had been

made

prisoners,

had succeeded

The

and only 1000 men, more or

in

making

great victory,

less,

their escape.

which

will

live

forever

in

the history of Japan and the civilized world, is ascribed to the virtues of the Great Emperor, whose

wise and enlightened rule has made possible the rise of his country, to the loyal work of many years of naval expansion, to the wisdom and pru-

Commander-in-Chief, to the valour and discipline of the officers and men under his command, and, when all that has been said, dence

of the

—

above

all,

to the

whom

powers inmost heart

invisible

aid

of those

heavenly

every Japanese acknowledges in his

146 It

is

premature as yet to

between Togo, who

institute

comparisons

yet alive, with all manner him of future glories, and

is

of possibilities before any great hero of the past, whose record of actions will wish him a long life of is all made up.

We

distinguished usefulness; and when at length it is closed, and the whole tale of service is completed,

grudge him his proper place of the world, seamen even amongst the great

no Englishman

though that of our

place should

the

involve

great Nelson. conclude this chapter

from the

after the receipt

the victory. "

The

that

—

dethroning

own

We leader

will

London

with

Times

a

striking

soon

published

of the telegraphic news announcing

further details

continue to

arrive

of Togo's great victory cannot add anything to

the impressiveness of the result, to which they add • confirmation which was hardly necessary. The Russian fleet is practically annihilated,' was the great Admiral, and all that subsequent information can do is to eliminate the first

message of the

qualifying adverb.

It

was the aim of the Japanese

not merely to defeat the Russian fleet, but to destroy it, and what they determined to do they have done, as Togo's battle signal "

utmost."

It

may

be

bade a

them

long

do, to

time

"

before

their

we

147

and fully how the thing was the but done, stupendous feat for the present holds the imagination so powerfully as almost to stifle learn authoritatively

curiosity.

this

There

the

is

alone

standing

is,

time

however, one thing upon which with the great fact insist,

to

before the

Whatever the

world.

methods, whatever the means employed, to account for the collision of two great

we have fleets,

so

equal in material strength that the issue was thought doubtful by many careful statisticians, ending in the total destruction of

one of them and

of the other from

damage greater than might well

be

incurred

in

on the

boats

a

mere

Dogger

in the

immunity

The

skirmish.

fishing

Bank were hardly more

helpless befcre the Russian fleet

has proved in

The

final

guns than the Russian the hands of Admiral Togo.

explanation is not in or in seamanship or in tactics.

ships or in guns It is to

be sought

moral character, in lofty ideals, in resistless enthusiasm, and in a universally diffused sense of Without complete conduty and of patriotism. in

fidence

in

the

moral

qualities

of those to

whom

Togo addressed a final message almost identical with that of our own Nelson, he could never have dared to divide his forces in order the

Russian

fleet.

Without the

response on the part of those under

to

surround

most complete his

command,

148 the

attempt

must

have

led

to

disaster.

With

anything like parity of moral qualities among his adversaries he could not have ventured upon tactics But he measured, as so ambitious and so daring. the Japanese measured, the

commanders on land have always

opponents no

less

The man who

moral

and

than

intellectual

their

gifts

material

of his

resources.

can judge the errors of the blind, but the blind have no means of estimating sees

the capacity of him

who

sees.

The

possessor of

high moral qualities can measure the results of their absence in his adversary, but the adversary has no clue to the operation of qualities he does

The Tsushima victory is the outcome of Bushido, of the training of the Japanese poeple

not own.

fundamental principles of human conThat training is not a veneer which can be

in the great

duct.

put on for a given purpose. must begin with the cradle

It is

and

a thing which which must be

which hopes to come through Which ordeal as the Japanese have done.

universal in a nation

the last

well give this nation pause, and set it considering whether there are not greater ideals

thing

may

than buying in the cheapest market and obtaining the greatest average return upon capital."

Admiral Togo visiting Vice-Admiral Rohdjestvensky at the Naval Hospital at Sasebo.

149

CHAPTER An

XIV.

Expert's Criticisms.

not for me, a landsman,

It is

to

attempt

to

the strategy of the great battle. I am the do of to fortunately spared necessity having so by the fact that other and better men have criticize

already spoken', so that I need but reproduce their words with the assurance that by so doing I am giving my readers better matter than any that

comes from

my own

There

pen.

no greater

is

authority on all things naval than Captain Mahan and his recent articles in Collier's Magazine, though based on telegraphic information only, seems to

sum up

the situation accurately.

I

them

give

in

extenso,

" lesson

At

beginning of any inquiry into the from the Battle of the Sea of

the

derivable

Japan, we are met, I fear, by the condition which must be plainly enunciated, at whatever expense to

national

no approach

that

susceptibility,

to equality

in

the

there

has

efficiency

been of the

opposing ships' companies. For this inferiority on the part of the Russians there may be good reasons,

which

will" transpire

later;

but

the fact

15© remains, and

it

cannot but modify and colour all may be made. For one thing, it

deductions which

opionion, force our attention to fasten upon the proceedings of the Japanese

my

must, in chiefly

His own personal skill and sound judgattested and matured through a year's of active war, under varying conditions, experience

admiral.

ment,

now

make it we see

probable that in the outlines of his conduct manifested the convictions reached by a

naval officer who, beyond the others at the present moment, can appreciate with the accuracy of intimate acquaintance what are the real possibilities

open to each branch of naval victions rest, too,

and

attained,

by

His

of the

upon knowledge

attainable, in the use of their

the officers and

the high

warfare.

training

men under and

his

efficiency

compelled universal admiration.

con-

results

weapons

own command* of

whom

have

Hence, the course

pursued great naval battle has been grounded upon no a priori reasoning alone. It has rested in this

upon a large acquired knowledge of the powers of the torpedo and the gun, of the battleship and the

torpedo vessel, obtained under severe conditions of

war and weather, which usually are largely tive,

not merely of bare

instructive actual practice in

summer manoeuvres.

theory, but carried

on

even in

correc-

of the

peace and

X5i

To

and quickened

the chastened

knowledge

thus derived, which invests with unique the procedures of Togo, must

be

authority

added

the

the Russian admiral abandoned to him the thus permitting

tive,

him

freely to

which to him seemed best to his

The

ships.

this

superior

advantage

;

adopt the course

suit the capacities of

speed

of the

Japanese

any event have ensured the fastest fleet has the weather

would probably

vessels

fact

initia-

in

gauge and Togo doubtless counted on it from the His action, therefore, may be fairly assumed first. to reflect his ripened convictions, in themselves no ;

mean

contribution to

the

of naval

determination

problems. I

wonder

if I

may

be pardoned a very short

historical digression, entirely

pertinent

to

Togo's

course, in noting that the Press dispatches give us as his preliminary step

a

signal

entirely

parallel

almost identical, with that of Nelson at Trafalgar. "

The

destiny of our empire depends upon this action. You are all expected to do your utmost." I

should

scarcely

obvious though

it

have is,

noted

this

resemblance,

had not a prominent Japanese

committed himself to the expression that to Japanese temper such a reminder was not

official

the

needed

;

Doubtless

each ;

and

Japanese

so

expected

of

himself.

so, doubtless also, each seaman of

X5» Nelson's

fleet.

Yet

no whit from

will detract

it

the admiration and reverence with which

we have

learned to regard Japanese valour and self-devotion, to believe that hearts beat higher and purpose

when Togo's words were

stronger

To

turn

now

repeated to them.

to the military deductions,

which

may safely be drawn from tbe general outline of the Japanese admiral's course, and from the time and manner of the several incidents of the engagement, as these have " " The us.

term

even

for the

deductions

is

in

so

reached

far

perhaps premature,

inferences

very guarded

the progress

which

to

I

propose to confine myself; the object of these being, as

I

said

rather

before,

to

direct

and

attention

guide consideration, as further fuller reports reach us, so that the bearing of these upon naval arma-

ment may be more Let stated in

justly estimated.

be recalled, in broad generalization, as my former article, that the Russians were

it

superior, numerically

ly inferior

in

in

armoured

battleships,

but

The

cruisers.

decidedlatter

are

in which gun armoured and have been power protection sacrificed, in order to gain speed and coal capacity. In torpedo

practically second-class battleships,

vessels also

the

Japanese

proportion at least three are

the

conditions

of

or

were four

respective

superior,

to

one.

material

in

the

These force,

*53

which before the meeting were

by uncer-

qualified

tainty as to the relative capacity of the officers

and men.

opposing

Prepossession undoubtedly here

favoured the Japanese, and justly, as the result has shown but antecedently, naval officers at least ;

knew

much ought

that

to

have

been effected

in

the several months of passage, interrupted

by long

which

Rojest-

repose in unfrequented anchorages, venski had enjoyed.

With

these antecedents,

two

fleets

eastern part of the Straits of Tsushima.

began by day

;

met

The

in the

battle

two separate accounts place the

gun at close to 2 p.m. The scene being in nearly the same latitude as Norfolk, therefore not far south of us our own recent observafiring of thj

tion in last

first

New York

over

five

is

evidence that daylight would This con2 to 7. 30.

hours —from

sideration bears directly

torpedo vessels. I

at

did — whether, the

disposal

weakness

Some in

upon the employment of

—

doubtless pondered

I

know

view of the very large number and her comparative

of Japan,

in battleships,

his forward in daylight,

Togo would hoping to

hurl

sweep

some of off

one

or two of his huge adversaries, at a sacrifice which his country could support. as has in some If, been admiral conRussian the stated, quarters stituted a second

column, towards the enemy, com-

m posed of lighter cruisers, he with an idea of meeting the

may have done

so

an attack by to encounter them ships sending first

of

torpedo vessels which would be quite as capable as a battleship of sinking such an assailant, and which could be better ;

The

spared.

disposition,

in

fact,

would be the

correlative of the idea of a daylight attack, suggest-

ed for Togo, and should it have been adopted for such a reason by the Russian admiral, I should certainly hesitate to join in

condemning the arrange-

ment, tactically considered. Least of all should I do so on the ground I have seen, that this lighter line

was thrown

into confusion,

and so

reached

upon and confused the main battle line. There would be in such conditions nothing to cause confusion

capable and

among

self-possessed

captains.

The

position would be one perfectly familiar to naval history and if the main battle line of the enemy, instead of his torpedo cruisers, came on, ;

the exposed ships simply ran the intervals of their

So

far as the

own

"

to leeward,"

through

fleet.

accounts go, however, Togo did some time, send in his torpedo

not at once, nor for vessels.

firm this,

the naval

Should the it

will

show

facts,

as finally revealed, con-

that his experience supported

anticipation,

heretofore

pretty

general,

that torpedo vessels should not be so exposed

by

155 daylight, even in

order to

when

use

in

them,

before engaging at

all.

large

did

He

numbers.

Neither,

he

wait far

fell

on

nightfall

at once,

when

were matured, and his famous signal The fighting began with the guns, and

his dispositions

repeated.

so continued for two or

may have

hours.

Possibly

overlooked some one of the

unverified details

but the

three

first

which so

far constitute

suggestion of a mine

that

from the captain of the Nakhitnoff,

tangle

I

of

our data) I

who

find

is

reports

90 minutes after the firing began he felt a shock, after which the ship sank rapidly. No torpedo vessel is mentioned as near by. The (it

is

said) that

sinking of the Borodino is apparently attributed to gun fire, in the very full account given by the lieutenant of her forward turret ; but he notes a torpedo-vessel attack towards evening, when the The published ship was already down in the water.

statement of a

Japanese officer corroborates the time and manner of this attack, specifically naming the Borodino,

Amid much vague and indeterminate mention, seems the sum of the performance of As torpedo vessels by day on the first day.

this so far

the

Nakhimoff her story lacks precision. Togo, indeed, reports that she was damaged by torpedo boats the succeding night, and was found regards the

156 next morning. This traverses the statement attributed to her captain, and would make but there may be an his quitting her precipitate

still

afloat

;

The Borodino accounts are minute, error in names, and support one another. The vessel, disabled, byhours

several

concentrated

of

which the second " its

fire

attack

—

" the

;

division

the

receives fifth

We

'

gnalling, "

gun

fire

had been concentrating de grace by torpedo

coup

destroyer

flotilla

advance

going to give the

are

— " upon

si-

last thrust

remember such a probable succession of events predicted by a lecturer at our Naval War College 1 8 years ago not that sagacity was

at them.'

I

;

needed

to detect the obvious.

unlikely that

attack

a

vessels

torpedo

unless

battleship

they would be

It

supported

always has been

would by daylight

disabled.

by the

fire

Even then of heavier

for we are told here that ships, as in this case " the cruiser Chitose continued its fire as our de;

forward."

pressed

stroyers

The analogy

to the

here maintained throughout. It was after the sun went down that the destroyers

ancient fireship

became It

is

active in attack. will

definitely

be

and

most

main

attack.

in It

when we know,

upon what part of the what manner, Togo directed seems increasingly evident,

exactly,

Russian order, and his

interesting

157 reading somewhat

dimly still between lines, that he struck the head of the enemy's column for ;

he forced

it

to change course,

and the Borodino,

which suffered a heavy concentration of fire, as has been seen, seems to have been near the head. This would tend to precipitate the confusion into which the Russians fell, and would bear out Nelson's counsel,

crowded from

my

which the exigencies of space " last article in OutCollier's,

manoeuvre a Russian by attacking the head of his Into such disorder line, and so induce confusion." the Russians

fell,

facilitating

still

further the con-

centration of enemies

upon separated vessels, or an opportunity which the Japanese were

groups enabled to improve ;

by being numerically much

armoured vessels on the whole, though with fewer battleships. Indeed, the larger numbers

superior in

of the

Japanese

increased

combine to advantage

for

;

much

their

ability to

the possibility of

bination increases with numbers.

This

if

com-

accurately

sounds again the warning, continually repeated, but in vain, that in distributing fleet tonnage regard must be had inferred

to

from the instance before

numbers quite as

really

as

us,

to the size of the

^This, say, while fully conscious of the paradox, that an amount of power developed in a single ship is more efficient than the same individual ship

I

158

amount

In part, the present Japanese in two. has been the success triumph of greater numbers, skilfully combined, over superior individual ship

power,

concentrated

too

for

of

flexibility

move-

ment Confusion, once initiated, was adroitly increased

by sending torpedo the head of the

an

retreating

numbers across

Russian

column

;

which their speed peculiarly fitted Thus began what is described in general

office

them.

vessels in large

now

for

terms as an- enveloping movement. For a body of ve'ssels already shaken in their formation and morale to advance with falling night into a host of dreaded torpedo-boats was well calculated to increase disorder, which,

when

tends rapidly to propagate as they crowd up towards

existing

itself in

in

the van

the rear vessels

their predecessors a circumstance that doubtless inspired Nelson's saying. Many of us can recall what befell when the leading ship of Farragut's column at Mobile was smitten ;

In the Battle with the dread of a torpedo line of the Japan Sea, approaching night now gave the

—

torpedo craft their double opportunity the cover of darkness, and an enemy crippled and broken. Yet, although we may be sure they did much good work, the testimony more and more seems to show that the decisive

effect

had been produced by the

159 guns, and that the destroyers acted mainly the part of cavalry, rounding up and completing the destruction of a foe already

be believed

may

that

what the Japanese,

in

"

considered already

cases

in

It

sank

they many Nelson's phrase, might have

own

their

ported that this enveloping

It is re-

ships."

movement was shared

by some of the armoured

also

routed.

decisively

moving by

vessels,

the rear, and seemingly also to the other side a distribution of vessels and combination of movement ;

—corresponding

—

and synthesis which numbers, and enforces again

to analysis

only possible to the need for numbers, as well as is

individual

for

power.

What

was

followed

distinctly

of the nature

a disorganized enemy chased, driven Of asunder, beaten down and captured in detail. of pursuit;

the

several

encounters,

partial

characteristic

incident

to

this

of the succeeding two days,

action

Admiral Togo's several numbered despatches have

made

brief mention.

they require none.

In a It

is

summary

of this kind

sufficient here to note the

well-worn military maxim, general fidelity that a flying foe must not be let go while there to the

remains a fraction overtaken.

of his

force

which might be

The Japanese have deserved

of their triumph."

the fulness

i6o

With

these words

I

take

leave

The time

for the present.

will

of Admiral

come when

Togo we shall know more of the secret history of this war than we know at present, and more, consequently, of the man that has done so much on the sea to

He

enhance the glories of Japan.

has

already added another chapter to the history of his

achievements, in the operations subsequent to the battle of the Japan Sea around Vladivostok and the

Siberian

littoral,

—a

chapter

which

in

due

course of time will be written by newspaper men, For the present let it chroniclers and historians.

me

to have given to the English speaking a sketch, however rapid and incomplete of public, one of the warrior heroes whom Japan has given suffice

to

the

Century.

world

in

the

early

years

of

the

20th

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