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306 THE SIEGE OF PORT ARTHUR
confidence, pride, and ambition which this move-
ment creates in the soul of the people. In an
historic moment in a nation’s life like this, all its
best faculties are developed to their highest pitch;
its energy and ambition leaps forth with an irre-
sistible force, and it is able to perform wonders at
whatever task it sets itself.
In Japan, so essentially a nation of warriors and
sailors, and so essentially a practical people, it
was only natural that it should first turn its atten-
tion to its military and naval development. A
large number of officers were sent to the different
countries of Europe to study the various branches
of the service. One met them everywhere, at
the important military centres, at schools, at man-
oeuvres, in the naval yards. Polite, smiling, with
suave manners, but with indefatigable working-
power, always studying hard, seeing and observing
everything with bright, judicious eyes, collecting
an incredible number of facts, theories, and new
ideas, and carrying home with them a mass of
information which there was sifted and put in
order to serve for the improvement and perfection
of the army and the navy.
The principle of general conscription was
adopted. Every man had to serve for his country,
and took an immense pride in what he considered
a great prerogative, because, as I have mentioned,
the fighting formerly had been reserved for a
privileged caste, the Samurais, of which his
uniform now made him a member. With a full
understanding of the magnitude of the present
development in every direction, and the height to
which especially the military and naval develop-
ment has been brought, it is no wonder that the
Japanese have thrown themselves heart and soul
into the present war with a force, an enthusiasm,
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